You were a professional harpist.Have you ever gone back to performing on this or other instruments?
I learned piano as a child and soon took up the harp. Performing on harp became my first real job in show business when my
manager taught me how to play rock music on it, and helped me get paying gigs. I was amazed that I could get paid to do something I loved so much. Now I just play around the house, but a couple of times I've even had offers to do a CD!
You cite "VDO Mic" Sehnart (along with your manager Danny Sheridan) and the groundbreaking music video show "KPNK". What were some of the popular videos that got aired, and whatever became of Michael?
Mic shot some early videos for the Red Hot Chili Peppers; Black Flag; Hollywood Hillbillys; the Go Gos, and many of LA's punk underground. Since Danny had been producing records before that, Mic would call him in to mix the audio better than what
people were used to on TV in those days. They put me in some videos, and then in some very funny sort of punk advertisement parodies, then finally, they had me hosting on screen and conducting made-up interviews. It was all very experimental, and "airing" in clubs all around LA. Mic still has all of the shows archived. Maybe someday they will be available somewhere. Since those days, he has produced several shows for MTV Networks like the all digital puppet show 'Sifl & Olly', which I've been seeing on YouTube lately. He was involved in starting "Punk'd"; "Buzzkill" and even ABC's "Extreme Home Makeover". Mic is truly one of TV's visionaries and he and Danny still do projects together.
I have my first memories of you as co-hosting “
Solid Gold” (alas, didn't have MTV at home). One thing I didn't realize was that everything seemingly was lip-synched. What's your opinion on musicians lip-synching?
I generally don’t like it, but there are times when it’s unavoidable, such as on Solid Gold. They didn't have the audio capability of multi-track recording all of the groups for each show. I think it's a real
shame that so many artists lip-sync and use backing tracks in concert to this day, even post MilliVanilli.
On Solid Gold, how was the chemistry between you,Marilyn McCoo and Arsenio Hall (great pic on your site, by the way)?
We all got along great. Arsenio always asked my opinion on what was cool and happening in music.
What were some of your best memories of radio while growing up?
Listening to WMMS in Cleveland OH when FM radio jocks could sincerely play whatever they wanted to.
What was the appeal of “Vice Squad” and the similar genre of movies you appeared in your movie career?
Vice Squad's appeal was that it was one of the first movies to really address the extreme violence that goes on in the sex trade. It was shockihgly violent for its time and ended up being quite a cult classic. It has Web-fans with sites up to this day. Martin Scorsese told director Gary Sherman that it should have been nominated for an Oscar, but that the Academy didn't have the guts to do it.
You chose some interesting, bracing, minor roles in the 80's. Vice Squad seemed to be a throwaway.With lead actors named Season and Wings,where was Nina?
Actually Vice Squad was quite a deep and emotional film to perform. Wings Hauser was already a famous soap star, but always played the good guy. In Vice Squad he got to be a terrifying villan. Season Hubley was well-known too. After her divorce from Kurt Russell, she had starred in Hardcore and had done a bunch of television. I was still studying acting at the Strasberg Institute at the time, and MTV hadn't hit the cable sets yet, so I didn't get the kind of billing that they did.
I understand you were also part of “The Vagina Monolgues” in 2003. How was that experience? Would you do it again?
It was wonderful. I would absolutely do the Vagina Monolgues again! I love acting on the
stage. I've done some other movies and TV too. Now I'd even like to try a sitcom!
*What did you think of the remakes of "The Stepford Wives" ?
I never saw them. I barely watched the one I was in.
25 years, an entire generation, will have experienced MTV and the space-shuttle. I saw a clip on YouTube
of the first 2 minutes of the first day (8/1/01), and I see that each of you gave very similar introductory welcomes to the audience. Most important were the words by Mark Goodman "We'll be doing for TV what FM did for radio" How prophetic do you feel those words were?
Unfortunately both MTV and radio have become more restrictive, less adventurous. But MTV certainly changed nearly everything in pop culture.
This is also the 20th anniversary of MTV2. Do you think they'll do another special like "24 Hours Of..", or maybe one with yourself or another original VJ reclaiming the airwaves for a day?
VH1 Classics aired the first 24 hours of MTV this past August1st. I don't know what MTV2 did, but MTV itself barely acknowledged their anniversary. Officially, they said they didn't want to celebrate being that old since most of their listeners are younger than that, but they did have me sign some new posters with the original logo.
Too much is never enough", as the slogan went. Are musicians that get their videos aired popular because they are popular themselves, or is MTV simply exposing what sells?
A little bit of both.
What happened in 1986? Were you simply released from your contract? Were you OK with the separation?
No. I had three jobs waiting for me in Los Angeles, two TV shows for Paramount (Solid Gold and Entertainment Tonight) and my first syndicated radio show with United Stations Radio Networks. It was the first time Paramount had signed someone to a two show deal. There was some intense negotiations
going on to get me out of MTV in time to do the other shows, and to make it all appear right. I guess the sordid details will surface in my book!
Why do you suppose the freeform concept in MTV has vanished? Or has it?
It has vanished. When I was there, MTV was still a little experimental. The original VJs were hired at least in part because we brought some creativity to the presentation of the videos. Its has become very commercial and thought out now.
What are the best modern covers of 80's songs you've heard? Which independent and unsigned artists do you enjoy seeing/hearing nowadays?
I haven’t really heard any that I particularly liked. And while I have no really unsigned artists to speak about, I think
Jack White is an extraordinary artist, both with the White Stripes and The Raconteurs. I also like AFI, Kings of Leon, and
The Dandy Warhols.
When we can safely look back to the 90's? Are we there yet?
Somewhat. But it wasn't a very disinctive and identifiable musical decade. For instance, 80s style and radio will always exist, because people pretty much know what they are getting. But what would 90s radio or style be?
Citing your myspace page you have certain likes outside of music. I'm most curious about your interest in nature and animals.
Yes, nature, animals and the environment are most important to me.
Which animals are your favorites? Have you followed the Barbaro story at all?
All of them! I never met one I didn’t like. I have 2 dogs, 6 cats, and 2 parrots. Yes I’ve been following Barbaro and I hope he will be all right.
What is it about The X-Files that's got you hooked?
Its smart, clever, unusually well written and well acted. I like Mulder and Scully’s chemistry. The truth is out there.
What programs were you involed with on the Discovery Channel?
I just shot part of an upcoming documentary about the year 1981. You can check my website for airdates when we get them.
Outside of MTV, Solid Gold and your satellite radio gigs, what professional roles have you enjoyed and have the most positive reflections of?
Doing afternoon drive at The PEAK in Denver CO was great. I was on there from 2000 until 2002, and still did my national shows. I just love live radio with callers, and local traffic and events. I am developing a new show with my manager and DJ Halie O'Ryan that could be lots of fun too. It’s meant to be national, but still have all the energy and wackiness of a local show. I can't say too much about it yet, because we won't be pitching it to the radio networks until the fall of 2006.
How was the "Big 80's Weekend" special in 2005? Will there be another one?
There may not be another 2005 special.
Re SIRIUS Radio’s "The Big 80's Big40 Countdown": For those that haven't yet made the orbital leap to Sirius (sadly, this includes myself), what's a typical show like? How does the show actually get put together and programmed? How much of a say do you have in it?
That's my weekend show. On each one, I count down the top 40
songs of a particular week in a certain 80s year. (For example, today we’re playing the Top 40 songs from this very weekend in 1982. So, the programing on that is pretty well determined already. The songs I get to play on my daily show get switched around a lot, but of course they are all from the 80s! We get thousands of requests, so we try to get to as many of those as we can.
For the "New Wave Nation" show, how much of your creative output goes into these? What have been your favorite (re)discoveries when determining what to spin?
I love all of the stuff we play, because
"New Wave Nation" is pretty adventurous, some punk, some really deep cuts. Garrett Michaels is a great programmer. Rusty Pickett programs my other United Stations show "Absolutely80s" and does research with me for both shows. Danny Sheridan is the executive producer of both, and we all get to toss ideas around... to come up with special segments and contests. But ultimately, we have to
fit into what stations across the country are willing to put on the air. If we didn't, we wouldn't still be here after nearly a decade
You mention in your bio appearing on Live Aid. Did you have any connection/work with Live8?
No. |
