Mary Kay Andrews

Blondie

Her name is Anita Rae Strange, but Atlanta knows her best as Blondie, famed exotic entertainer at Clermont Lounge—Atlanta’s oldest strip club. She has charmed generations of crowds and celebrities with her signature move: crushing a beer can with her breasts. But, there’s a side to Blondie many don’t know. From stripping to praying, the 67-year-old icon reveals all in this week’s episode of “The Monica Pearson Show.”   You can watch the conversation on ajc.com [https://www.ajc.com/special-presentations/monicapearson/]. Be sure to subscribe to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and download the AJC news app. The Monica Pearson Show is available wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-monica-pearson-show/id1747809845] and Spotify. [https://open.spotify.com/show/443hdXeYmzUNwnrweFHbRF?si=fd7485186de7404f]

Maria Taylor

Before heading to Paris to cover the 2024 Summer Olympics, the tables turned on “The Monica Pearson Show” as master interviewer Maria Taylor takes the hot seat. She answered questions about her life as a former athlete, sports journalist, and mother.    As the lead host of NBC’s Football Night in America, and a correspondent for events like the French Open and the Olympics, Taylor is known for getting exclusive scoop from big names. Taylor divulges her ‘secret sauce’ for interviews and shares who has inspired her career (Monica made the list).    You can watch the conversation on ajc.com [https://www.ajc.com/special-presentations/monicapearson/]. Be sure to subscribe to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution [https://www.ajc.com/starta/] and download the AJC news app. The Monica Pearson Show is available wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-monica-pearson-show/id1747809845] and Spotify. [https://open.spotify.com/show/443hdXeYmzUNwnrweFHbRF?si=fd7485186de7404f]

Chuck Leavell

When it comes to Atlanta’s most prolific musicians… Chuck Leavell is top of the list. He is known as “the 6th Rolling Stone” because of his decades-long touring gig alongside Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. In this special, extra-long episode, Chuck talks family, music and forestry in this episode of “The Monica Pearson Show.”    He has much to be proud of: adventures with the Allman brothers, Eric Clapton, and George Harrison. He is an inductee of both the Georgia Music Hall of Fame and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. But his advice to young people? “I don’t have a clue, man.”    Be sure to check out the video of this conversation ajc.com [https://www.ajc.com/special-presentations/monicapearson/]. If you're not a subscriber to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, check out this special introductory offer [https://www.ajc.com/starta/].    The Monica Pearson Show is available wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-monica-pearson-show/id1747809845] and Spotify. [https://open.spotify.com/show/443hdXeYmzUNwnrweFHbRF?si=fd7485186de7404f] To listen to more of what we have to offer, check out AJC Podcasts. [https://www.ajc.com/podcasts/]

Shanti Das

Music industry veteran Shanti Das knows the ins and outs of the music industry. She tells Monica what it’s like to work with Atlanta’s biggest names, like Usher, Outkast, TLC and the late Rico Wade. But, her work at major record labels only scratches the surface of her success. Shanti launched Silence the Shame, a nonprofit with the mission of normalizing discussions of mental health within communities of color. She shares how she handled her own mental health crisis and the profound impact Senator Warnock had on her mental health.    Shanti Das is a music mogul, a writer, a philanthropist… and a podcaster herself!    Be sure to check out the video of this conversation ajc.com [https://www.ajc.com/special-presentations/monicapearson/]. If you're not a subscriber to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, check out this special introductory offer [https://www.ajc.com/starta/].    The Monica Pearson Show is available wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-monica-pearson-show/id1747809845] and Spotify. [https://open.spotify.com/show/443hdXeYmzUNwnrweFHbRF?si=fd7485186de7404f] To listen to more of what we have to offer, check out AJC Podcasts. [https://www.ajc.com/podcasts/]

Mary Kay Andrews

The New York Times best-selling author, Kathy Trocheck, joins Monica in the hot seat. But, if you don’t recognize her name, that’s because she’s authored dozens of books under her pen name, Mary Kay Andrews. The famed writer honed her skills as a newspaper reporter, reveals her subversive side, and lends some advice to aspiring writers.    You can watch this conversation on AJC.com. If you're not a subscriber to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, check out this special introductory offer [https://www.ajc.com/starta/]. The Monica Pearson Show is available wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-monica-pearson-show/id1747809845] and Spotify. [https://open.spotify.com/show/443hdXeYmzUNwnrweFHbRF?si=fd7485186de7404f] To listen to more of what we have to offer, check out AJC Podcasts. [https://www.ajc.com/podcasts/]