Liberty DeVitto Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson

Sitting down with iconic Billy Joel drummer, Liberty DeVitto, after a too-long three-year hiatus was fantastical! Friends since the 80s, I never get enough of Lib’s stories and his spectacular storytelling. 

Hot off the heels of being a major player in the current HBO/MAX Billy Joel doc, And So It Goes, Lib caught us up and filled in the blanks. Over the course of five interviews spanning the last decade, pieces of the story have been uncovered; today, Liberty put them all together. How did Billy’s once fierce loyalty wane, replaced with a detached coldness? The reasons stated in the doc, only part of the story. We got the deets, including turning down George Martin in favor of his band, refusing a ride to McCartney’s 911 recording session when there wasn’t room for Lib in the car, and to an ill-shared secret spilled by Lib’s then wife to Billy’s then wife, Christie. Liberty’s sobriety sobering, and a joy killer to Billy. How the end came down without a word to their longtime bandmates, Russell Javors and Doug Stegmeyer, perhaps responsible for the latter’s demise. And how, sometime later, the same fate awaited Liberty. The truth about his lawsuit and why he fought. Elizabeth Weber, Billy’s first wife and manager’s support, and why she finally chose to speak up and set the record straight. Lib talked about his and Billy’s 15-year silence following their 30-year collaboration, their reconciliation, and their ongoing renewed friendship, as Billy faces serious health issues. 

We got the scoop on his meeting Beatles, Ringo and Paul, playing with them - full circle from their inspiring his life’s path. Karen Carpenter, Carly Simon, The Beach Boys, Phoebe Snow, Ronnie Spector, just a few he’s shared a studio and or a stage with. 

How, with Billy’s blessing, the original Billy Joel Band, Liberty, Richie Cannata (gratefully recovered from a life-threatening aortic dissection), and Russell Javors, carry on as The Lords of 52nd Street, and how his Slim Kings are amassing a huge following, dropping a new record, and readying to tour. He’s got a gorgeous wife, a happy marriage, four thriving daughters, and two grandchildren; he’s sober. Life is good! Mine’s better with Liberty in it. Adore the man! 

Liberty Devitto Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson
Wednesday, 8/27/25, 5 PM PT/ 8 PM ET
Streamed Live on my FB & YouTube
http://bit.ly/4mV01nn
https://www.youtube.com/live/9q2bOQD6ZuM

Liberty Devitto Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson

Bette Sussman Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson

Keyboardist, composer, musical director, Emmy winner, Bette Sussman, is a dear friend, a Scorpio almost twin sista, crazy talented, grows her food, cooks delectably, rocks hard, leans left, which is right, cares about humans and other living things… what more could you want in a person? 

What fun to talk about life, the day to day, how it’s changed, how we’ve changed, the passions that remain, new hobbies, new music… a gig next Tues, 9/16 doing the music of Burt Bacharat with loads of other brilliant musicians, and a just dropped yesterday doc about the vocalists and music behind Chaka Khan, you can catch Crafting The Sound on YouTube.

We dished the genius of Cissy Houston, Bette was her MD for five or so years, with a young backup singer named Whitney, who came into her own and took Bette with her in her heyday, for 11 plus years, before the fall, and segued with an intro from Marc Shaiman to 11 plus years with another Bette. Midler. Close with all of her musical collaborators, but especially this one, until a nasty fight in Vegas. Our Bette tells it, as well as the redemption and sweet closeness they again share, as recently as last week. Great story there. We hear about Cyndi, friends, but not so easy, and a really rough and awful end with Patti LuPone.   We talked about sessions, industrials, touring, and mutual friends Will Lee, Steve Ferrone, and Keb Mo. Bette’s played with loads more. I have little doubt we could have talked for another 1:45 and not gotten to all of them. 

Reminiscent of pre-pandemic days, I was so relaxed and cozy, it felt like we were sitting in Bette’s kitchen together. I could almost taste her perfect homegrown heirloom tomato and smell the sauce she cooked from its harvest. Next visit at Bette’s place, and we feast! Can’t wait!

Bette Sussman Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson
Wednesday, 9/10/25, 5 PM PT/ 8 PM ET
Streamed Live on my FB & YouTube
http://bit.ly/3VIud93
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpXhSh3Ula8

Bette Sussman Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson

The Blues Magoos Peppy Castro Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson

There’s fun, and then there’s spending two hours with The Blues Magoos Peppy Castro! He’s lived a rockers’ life to covet and then some! The Who, Hendrix, Dylan, Jefferson Airplane, JOHN LENNON for Gd’s sake!  Stories, stories, stories, one better than the next. He drove a Beatle in a Beetle! Who can say that? 

Skipping school and playing the Night Owl in the village when he was 14. 14! When Jimi used to stop in and jam, when Bob would roam the streets with his guitar, when Richie Havens would just wander in… doing the Jack Benny Show with Henny Youngman and Morey Amsterdam firing schtick in the green room, doing The Smother’s Brother’s Comedy Hour with Tommy trying to join the band, touring with The Who and Herman’s Hermits and The Who were the middle act! 

An insane story about Micheal Botlon, about getting the role in the original production of Hair on Broadway, doing jingle after jingle - with one I’m still singing… we talked Phoebe Snow, Laura Branigan, Buzzy Linhardt, Jay & The Americans, The Turtles with beloved Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, Tommy James, Lou Cristie, Joan Jett, on and on, and on! FAB! FAB! FAB! 

Forty years in the making - we could’ve screamed across the street at each other in the 80s. I did visit his penthouse once, but thought it was elsewhere. There may or may not have been a lotta pot involved. The antidote to today’s latest crazy… this thing right here. Just hit play. It’s the joy button. Promise! 

The Blues Magoos Peppy Castro Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson
Wednesday, 9/17/25, 5 PM PT/ 8 PM ET
Streamed Live on my FB & YouTube
Replay:
http://bit.ly/46d9CA0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI5Mbp2uy8U&t=2169s

The Blues Magoos Peppy Castro Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson

Lélekdobbanás podcast Szilasi Mártival, vendég: Schram András, fotóművész.

1. epizód - Lélekdobbanás - Podcast Szilasi Mártival, vendég: Schram András, fotóművész

Nestor Carbonell Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson

Nestor Carbonell has it all. A beautiful wife, great kids, a wildly successful career spanning three plus decades, which is hotter than ever, with two hit shows streaming (The Morning Show on Apple TV, and Pulse on Netflix), a brand new film in theatres (Motherland), a sparkling Emmy award (for Shōgun), his first feature about to be cast, an episode of Law & Order to direct, and a beard being grown for a greenlit new movie he’s soon to shoot. That’s just part of the story. What he also has in abundance is humility, accessibility, warmth, kindness, sweetness, and he’s hotter than ever to gaze upon, too. Those insanely dark-rimmed eyes, which he swears are natural, sans “paint” (my new favorite word for make-up), thank you, Nestor, are awfully fun to feast upon, too. He’s the whole enchilada, and I say that with all due respect, and the Harvard grad is due a lot!

We’ve been having a Nestor Carbonell film festival over here for the past week, and barely scratched the surface. Last night alone, we watched Motherland, also available to rent at home, The Dark Knight, which I hadn’t seen since it dropped, what a star-studded extravaganza that is, with a brilliant Heath Ledger in his final film, and, the latest episode of The Morning Show, where Nestor’s Yanko continues to evolve before our eyes, as does the show. Tonight we’ll get back to our Lost binge; we haven’t even gotten to Nestor’s run yet. I’m exhausted just watching the guy. How the hell does he manage it all? 

This conversation spoke to Nestor’s easy, self-effacing generosity of spirit. We touched on his parents, his background, early education, that crazy college, finding acting, how he broke in and through, the work, some tricks of his trade, meeting his bride of two decades, Shannon Kenny, her talents, can’t wait to read her All Is Not Lost (on order!), managing career and kids, the sacrifices, getting through the pandemic, how it’s changed him, the work, and the world, and, at each turn, he asked about me––quite a guy. 

As versatile and compelling as he is on screen, is as focused and charming as he is in life. Nestor’s an anomaly. The total package. If something’s missing, I missed it. How fun to keep watching and looking.  

Nestor Carbonell Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson
Wednesday, 10/1/25, 5 PM PT/ 8 PM ET
Streamed Live on my FB & YouTube
http://bit.ly/48cr1dw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIWkX8ksNhk

Nestor Carbonell Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson

Billy Joel, John Fogerty, Bassist David Santos Kills Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson

I was so looking forward to catching up with bassist David Santos after almost 40 years. Insane in itself! The sit-down stunningly exceeded my expectations. What crazy fun!  David regaled us with story after story… starting with gigging for me on Bleecker Street, doing weddings, The Ringo AllStar Band, sans Ringo, with Billy Preston, Lou Gramm, Mark Farner, Felix Cavaliere, Liberty DeVito, Mark Rivera, Randy Bachman, and a backup singer named Wendy Moten who would change and share his life. They’re a rare rock n’ roll romance success story, today, 30+ years later.

David took us through his 3ish years with Billy Joel, how he got the gig, and how he lost it, 13 years with John Fogerty, how he got it and then lost it, Melissa Etheridge, 7 years, how it got it and lost it, Fleetwood Mac, 1 day, how he got it, lost it, 5 yrs with Crosby, Stills, & Nash, getting it, losing it - does there seem to be a pattern here... yup, hysterically summed up each time. Sure, it’s funny now, in retrospect, as David has great perspective, self-awareness, good humor, and humility. He’s amassed wisdom to add to his formidable talent, perseverance, and ambition. And he always lands bass up! Unlike me, who literally did an unintended mic drop. 

As was pointed out, this meaty conversation had comedy, drama, romance, intrigue, horror, heart, and life lessons galore. I could have talked to David all night and still have wanted more. 

And more, I’ll get. We have a face-to-face reunion in the reals with Wendy and Snuffy in Nashville coming up. Can you imagine the music those three could make? Don’t know if that’s on the menu, but do know we’ll be seeing Wendy at the Grand Ole Opry, and sharing great local eats! What a way to ring in my next year!

David Santos Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson
Wednesday, 10/8/25, 5 PM PT/ 8 PM ET
Streamed Live on my FB & YouTube
Links in the Comments
Replay here:
http://bit.ly/46TQ3M4 and here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGNYDGbnpE4&t=3s

Bassist David Santos Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson

Freak De Philipè war bei mir am 02.10.24 im Studio zu Gast – wir unterhalten uns über die Generation Clubkultur, über Technik, Veranstaltungen, den aktuellen Zeitgeist und die vielen Jahre, die diese Szene geprägt haben.
Für alle, die Clubkultur fühlen, leben und lieben. 
Viel Spaß beim hören 🎧❤️

Melodisches Treiben Podcast #02 – Freak De Philipè ( Hardandsmart / Hexenwerk )

Tim Pierce cracked the YouTube code and is such a masterful teacher, after 15 years, I finally get it! So what if he’s a world renowned session guitarist who’s played on the Goo Goo Dolls’ Iris, which has over 5 billion streams, on Michael Jackson’s Black or White and his work was left intact, did 5 albums with Joe Cocker, Bon Jovi’s first hit single, toured with Rick Springfield for four years when he was the biggest rockstar on the planet… so what! The man has made the internet his oyster and managed to make it work for him to unheard of success. He lives every day his way, helping scores of musicians be better guitarists, and is educating me on how to finally thrive on YouTube! 

We talked Tim’s miraculous 42 marriage, years of sobriety, how he got started, the choices he made along the way bringing him to this day… his daily routine, his incredible focus, determination, intelliegence, and talent that’s brought him success beyond dreams without leaving his home, except when he chooses, all while being of service to others hungry for his tutelage, including my own Snuffy, a longtime hero of Tim’s. 

I’m so fired up to implement what he taught me about videos. I might borrow one of Snuff’s acoustics and tune into Tim’s beginner's classes, and try my long-taloned fingers on the strings for the first time in a gazillion years. Tim’s such a patient and gifted teacher I might strum out a tune or two. You could too. I’ll meet you here https://www.youtube.com/user/timpierceguitar

Tim Pierce on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson
Wednesday, 11/12/25, 5 PM PT/ 8 PM ET
Streaming Live on my FB & YouTube
FB Replay https://bit.ly/43VK20E
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoRm5iYnReo&t=1194s

How Tim Pierce Cracked the YouTube Code!

“Er gaan grote veranderingen plaatsvinden in waar op de wereld veel mensen wonen en waar veel mensen kunnen werken. De Nederlandse regering zal daarop moeten anticiperen.” Dat zegt raadslid Casper de Vries in deze nieuwe aflevering van de podcastserie Vogelvlucht.  De hoogleraar monetaire economie licht samen met senior onderzoeker Gijsbert Werner toe waarom de WRR ervoor pleit om handelsakkoorden, migratieafspraken en ontwikkelingssamenwerking te richten op landen waar de bevolking fors groeit. “Als je nu niet handelt, loop je over tien jaar tegen enorme problemen aan.”

# 35 Met de mondiale demografie mee

An interview for Dance Radio (2025), where I talk about my current production work, artistic direction, live performances, and upcoming projects.
Huge thanks to everyone supporting me — this journey wouldn’t look the same without you. 🙏🔥
If you have any questions about production or DJing, feel free to drop them in the comments.

Orkus - Dance radio interview 2025

Celebrity Maps to Success... people living their dream... the paths they took to get there

De Wetenschappelijke Raad voor het Regeringsbeleid (WRR) informeert en adviseert regering en parlement over grote maatschappelijke vraagstukken. Van kunstmatige intelligentie tot migratiediversiteit en van houdbare zorg tot de toekomst van werk. De adviezen van de WRR zijn wetenschappelijk onderbouwd en gericht op de lange termijn. De WRR werkt onafhankelijk, multidisciplinair en sectoroverstijgend.

Melodisches Treiben
„Musik ist die gemeinsame Sprache der Menschheit“
Melodie, Rhythmus und Klang nehmen dich mit auf eine Reise voller Vielfalt und Grenzenlosigkeit. Verspielt umschließt dich ein Meer aus Tönen und Träumen. Elektronisch, melodisch, treibend.

Der Video-Podcast „Melodisches Treiben“ erfrischt mit abwechslungsreichem Sound von House bis Techno.
Eine Einladung zum Hören, Tanzen und glücklich sein. Fremde werden zu Freunden, Geschichten verbinden sich, Herzen schlagen gleich. 

Sei ein Teil Geschichte und tauche ein in diese Welt.

Jaroslav Konečný is a musician and producer with a rich output spanning over 14 years. 

His beginnings date back to the days when he experimented with the primitive Music 2000 software on the PlayStation, progressing through FL Studio and Reason to the current Ableton Live environment, which he has been using for over a decade.

His music is inspired by genres such as Techno, Jazz, House, Deep House, Dub Techno, Ambient and Trip Hop, and his work is always driven by his own instincts and personal expression.

Jaroslav has released tracks on many domestic and international soundlabels, 
including Prospect Records, Liberta Records, Naked Lunch, Insectorama Net Label, Mixcult Records, Platform7even, Frequency Shift, Manuscript Records, Apex and others. Czech labels include Avaken, Licker Records, Stomp House, Collosus and Ex-tract.  

He collaborates with a number of Czech producers (Elektrabel, MattEss, Ian Kita, James D) and singers (Uliana Zar, Rooshie). 
He is about to release several albums, and his music has caught the attention of the scene thanks to his performances at festivals and renowned clubs.

As a DJ, he has gained recognition for example at the I Love Techno Boat event, where he has been performing regularly for over 8 years.

In 2022, he stepped out of his producer shadow for the first time and has since performed at many venues across the Czech Republic, including the Radosť club in Bratislava and Prague's Roxy. 

His most significant moment came at the Beats for Love festival, where he had the opportunity to present his unique sound for the first time as a Live or Hybrid project - with a slightly different musical concept.

In 2024 and 2025, his career is in a significant growth - besides events, he has managed to meet some esteemed names, including icons like Patrick Mason and Alexander Kowalski, and his work is attracting more and more attention. 
He has also successfully composed the soundtrack for Fallout 4, which has received acclaim on the Nexus mod site.

Jaroslav is also a lecturer at Room Studio in Prague, where he teaches production in Ableton, including individual lessons. He is a member of the Brno-based Origin/Stigma and the Slovak label RDST, where he released his first vinyl album.

New tracks tagged #Interview,