1970s

Ed Nixon

Bill Thompson
Ed Nixon in 1968

When Edward Nixon was born in 1931, his older brother Richard was already 17. And Ed, along with middle son Don, looked up to their studious and serious big brother.

Ed Worked on his brothers campaigns, but never got further involved in politics, instead choosing what turned out to be a very successful career as a geologist.

After Richard Nixon’s death in 1994, his brothers Don and Ed felt an urgency to write the story they felt needed to be told about the family. But with Don Nixon in failing health himself, the task fell to Ed.

In 2009, he wrote a book called The Nixons: A Family Portrait.

So here now, from 2009, Ed Nixon.

Ed Nixon died in 2019. He was 88.

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Julie Nixon Eisenhower

George McGovern

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David Frost

Bill Thompson

David Frost had a successful, decades long career as a television talk show host and interviewer, in both the UK and the US.

He interviewed thousands of VIPs, celebrities, and movers and shakers of all kinds.

But he may be best remembered for his 1977 series of interviews with former President Richard M. Nixon, who just three years earlier had resigned the presidency in disgrace after the Watergate scandal.

Frost paid Nixon some $600,000 for those interviews. But they paid off, big time, as they became a part of American television history, and helped restore some of Nixon’s credibility.

I met David Frost 30 years later, when he wrote a book called Frost/Nixon, a behind the scenes account of how the interviews came about, and what happened when the cameras stopped ruling.

So here now, from 2007, David Frost.

David Frost died in 2013. He was 74.

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G. Gordon Liddy
Ben Bradlee

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Jimmy Buffett

Bill Thompson

One night in 1977 in Austin, Texas Jimmy Buffett wrote a song that would go on to define his entire music career.

Today “Margaritaville” is part of our collective pop music consciousness.

“Margaritaville” never was a Billboard #1 hit — the highest it got was #8 — but it has lived on foe decades.

In 1989 Buffett — a big fan of short stories — wrote a whole book of them, calling it Tales From Margaritaville.” And that’s when I had the chance t talk with him.

So here now, from 1989, Jimmy Buffett.

Jimmy Buffett is 76 now. Largely because of Margaritaville” he’s a billionaire.

In addition to his music, he owns the Margaritaville Cafe restaurant chain.

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Glen Campbell
Sonny Bono

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Armistead Maupin

Bill Thompson
Photo: Alan Light

We’re kicking off the start of LGBTQ Pride Month with a conversation with one of the leading literary figures in the gay rights movement of the late 20th century.

Armistead Maupin started writing stories in 1974 that were published in a small newspaper in the San Francisco area. Those serialized stories were known as tales of the City.

Finally, in 1978, Maupin published the first Tales of The City book, the 1st of several in the series.

Drawing on his own experience as a gay man, Maupin’s books feature a broad community of diverse characters and backgrounds.

Importantly, Armistead Maupin was one of the first writers to directly address the AIDS crisis.

I first met him in 1987, but the conversation you’re about to hear is from 13 years later, when we talked about his novel The Night Listener.

So here now, from 2000, Armistead Maupin.

Armistead Maupin celebrated his 78th birthday last month. He lives in New Mexico.

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Dave Palloone
Tab Hunter

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Gloria Gaynor

Bill Thompson
Photo: Rob Mieremet / Anefo

Gloria Gaynor began her professional music career in the early 1960s, when she was barely out of her teens. She was recording by the time she was 22, and had a couple of albums by the time she was 30.

But her songs and albums didn’t really have great success- until 1978, when she went into the studio and recorded a song that became a defining moment in pop music.

“I Will Survive” became a smash Hit, and inspired millions.

But, of course, Gloria Gaynor’s life was more than just one hit song. In her 1997 autobiography, also called. I Will survive, Gaynor told her life’s story, with all of its ups and downs.

So here now, from 1997, my conversation with Gloria Gaynor.

Gloria Gaynor is 78 now. Her most recent album was released in 2019, and won the Grammy for Best Roots Gospel Album.

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Gladys Knight
Martha Reeves

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Jose Eber

Bill Thompson

Do you remember the 1970s TV show Charlie’s Angels? And do you remember one of the stars,Farrah Fawcett and her magnificent iconic hairstyle?

If you do then you know the work of stylist Jose Eber.

During the ’70s and ’80s, Eber established himself as one of the premier hair stylist to the stars.

And today he is known for his luxury salons as well as a line of hair care products.

I met him in 1990 when he published his second book called Beyond Hair.

So here now from 1990 Jose Eber.

Jose Eber is 72 now — and still making women beautiful.

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Iman
Anita Roddick

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Ali MacGraw

Bill Thompson

Back to back major movie roles in 1969 and 1970 made the young Ali MacGraw one of the world’s most popular actresses.

Her portrayal of Jennifer Cavallari in 1970s “Love Story” remains a film classic to this day.

As the years went by, Ali MacGraw starred in more major movies. She married actor. Steve McQueen. Later she was married to director Robert Evans.

Finally, in 1991, McGraw wrote her autobiography. That’s when I met her and we had a Frank conversation about her career and her personal life.

So here now, from 1991, Ali MacGraw.

Ali MacGraw is 82 now. She lives in New Mexico.

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Robert Evans
Erich Segal

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Judy Collins

Bill Thompson

Songs recorded by Judy Collins have become some of America’s most enduring favorites.

With a debut album in 1961 at a debut concert about a year later and then a number one single shortly after Judy Collins became a fixture in American music, particularly the folk music genre.

But with a musical upbringing that included everything from classical to country to folk to pop. Judy Collins resisted labels

She in fact learned to trust her heart. That’s why she called her 1987 autobiography. Trust Your Heart and that’s when I had the chance to meet her.

So here now. From 1987. Judy Collins

Judy Collins is now 82. She lives in New York.

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Janis Ian
Pete Seeger

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Bill and Susan Hayes

Bill Thompson

If you were a regular viewer of NBC’s popular soap opera Days of Our Lives in the 1970s and 80s, you know instantly who I’m talking about when I simply say Doug and Julie.

Actress Susan Seaforth joined the cast in 1968, followed by Bill Hayes two years later. And 4 years after that, their on-screen romance turned into reality, when they married in real life.

And while Bill and Susan Hayes have lived happily ever after, unfortunately the same was not true for Doug and Julie. Oh yes, they suffered the usual soap opera tribulations, but then in the mid-1980s, MBC decided to take it soap operas – including Days of Our Lives – in a new, much younger Direction.

Doug and Julie – I mean, Bill and Susan Hayes – were fired.

I met them in 2006, when they wrote a dual autobiography called like Sands Through The Hourglass.

So here now, from 2006, Bill and Susan Hayes.

Bill Hayes is 96 now. Susan Seaforth Hayes is 78. And both still appear from time to time on Days of Our Lives.

Jim Bakker

Bill Thompson

In the 1970s and 1980s, perhaps no one was more popular on Christian television than Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker.

Founders of the PTL club, and later the Heritage USA Christian theme park, the Bakkers also espoused a Theology of prosperity. God wanted you to do well financially, they told us.

But in the 1980s it came out that the Bakers were prospering a little bit too much off of the donations their viewers had set in. And after Jim Bakker was accused of sexually assaulting Church secretary Jessica Hahn, prosecutors moved to charge him with fraud.

Bakker was convicted, and in 1989 was sentenced to 45 years in prison.

But powerful allies, including famed defense attorney Alan dershowitz, came to Bakker’s Aid, and he was eventually paroled in 1994.

But not before Tammy Faye divorced him.

2 years after his release from prison, Bakker wrote a book based on things he says he learned about the Bible while in prison. The book was called I was wrong.

So here now, from 1996, my conversation with the Reverend Jim Bakker:

Jim Bakker is 81 now. He is still seen by millions on TV on The Jim Bakker Show with second wife Lori Bakker. Tammy Faye also remarried — she died in 2007 at age 65.