FRIENDS AND LEGENDS WITH SKIP MARTIN

Episode 006 — Carry On with John Elefante of Kansas

A conversation with John Elefante — former lead vocalist of Kansas, Long Island kid raised on everything from Led Zeppelin to Earth Wind and Fire — on owning your music, freeing yourself from record labels, and what happens when your fans become your record company. Host: Skip Martin Summary: John Elefante sang Carry On Wayward Son. He fronted one of the most iconic rock bands in history. And when it came time to make his new album, he didn't call a label. He called his fans. In this backstage conversation with Skip Martin at Sea Island, Georgia, John talks about growing up on Long Island surrounded by every genre imaginable, what it really means to be independent as an artist, and how crowdfunding through Kickstarter raised close to $70,000 and gave him something he had never had before — he owns the record. Main Topics: Growing up on Long Island with records playing around the clock — Led Zeppelin, Earth Wind and Fire, the Jacksons, everything in between His new album On My Way to the Sun and how it came to be Why he didn't want to do crowdfunding at first — and what changed his mind How Kickstarter works for an artist at his level — autographed CDs, memorabilia, gold records for major donors Raising close to $70,000 from fans who felt like they were part of making the record What it means to own your music after decades of getting 25 cents an album on an $18 record The Greatest Hits Live show — John performing Kansas material on the road Intriguing Quotes: "For the first time in my life I'm not a slave to a record company." "It was made by my fans fanning it." "Back in the day we used to have to be a slave to Polygram, Warner Brothers, Sony, Motown, whoever it is, for a pittance of a dollar. We were selling albums for $18 and getting 25 cents an album." "Everybody feels like they're part of the making of the record." Key Moments: [03:30] John explains how crowdfunding through Kickstarter worked for On My Way to the Sun — the rewards tiers, the community buy-in, and why he almost didn't do it at all. [04:45] He breaks down the old label math. Eighteen dollar albums. Twenty-five cents per record to the artist. The industry that built careers on those terms is the same one he just walked away from. [05:00] The moment that defines it all — John says for the first time in his life he owns his record. He doesn't owe it to anyone. It belongs to him and the fans who made it happen. Notable Resources: Album: On My Way to the Sun — available on streaming platforms Kickstarter — kickstarter.com for artists looking to fund independently Connect with John Elefante: Search John Elefante on social platforms and streaming services Connect with Skip Martin: Website: https://www.skipmartinmusic.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/skipmartinmusic Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skipmartinmusic/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/skipmartinmusic YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/skipmartinmusic Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode 005 — Who You Gonna Call? The Ray Parker Jr. Story

A conversation with Ray Parker Jr. — from a six-year-old marching into the principal's office to avoid gym class, to touring with the Spinners at 13, to hanging up on Stevie Wonder three times, to writing the most recognisable theme song on the planet. And the secret? Never say the word. Host: Skip Martin Summary: Ray Parker Jr. has seven consecutive gold and platinum albums, a number one in 18 countries, and one of the most played songs in recorded history. In this conversation with his friend Skip Martin, Ray traces it all the way back to a Detroit classroom, a $40 acoustic guitar, and a broken leg that gave him nothing to do but practice. He talks about the Spinners at 13, Stevie Wonder at 17, Clive Davis over lunch, and the phone call from Columbia Pictures that turned into Ghostbusters. A conversation about simplicity, instinct, and why the man next door should always be able to sing along. Main Topics: How a six-year-old's visit to the principal's office started everything — and the teacher who changed Ray's life Trading an $850 saxophone for a $40 guitar — and why the guitar was the one Touring with the Spinners at 13, playing the 20 Grand in Detroit at 14, and joining Stevie Wonder's band at 17 Hanging up on Stevie Wonder three times — and what made Ray finally believe it was really him The conversation with his father before dropping out of college — and how Ray handled it Writing You Got the Love for Chaka Khan at 19 and hitting number one at 20 Lunch with Clive Davis, the Jack and Jill story, and the pact that built Radio A black poster on Sunset Boulevard, a phone call from Columbia Pictures, and a year's worth of rejected songs Why Ray never says the word Ghostbusters in the song — and why that's the whole secret Less is more — what Kool and the Gang taught Ray, and what Ray and Skip share about it Intriguing Quotes: "The guitar was just my natural instrument. Like a message from up above saying, this is what you're supposed to do." "I repeated everything back to him that he told me. And I said, great. I don't wanna do that." "I never say the words Ghostbusters. I just say, who you gonna call? And then the answer to that is Ghostbusters. That's what made the whole thing work." "I don't believe in solos. If you can't hum the solo, I don't want it in my song." "Music is what makes people happy and what makes them smile." "My happy place is creating it. And I can see that about you too." Key Moments: [01:00] Ray is six years old. He walks into the principal's office and tells her he doesn't want to do gym class anymore. She takes his hand, walks him down the hall, and opens a door that never closes. [04:30] Ray trades an $850 saxophone for his brother's $40 guitar. His parents think he's lost his mind. He hasn't. The guitar speaks to him in a way nothing else has. [08:30] Stevie Wonder calls. Ray hangs up. Stevie calls back. Ray hangs up again. By the third time, Stevie plays him the raw rhythm track for Superstition. Ray stops hanging up. [10:30] Ray sits across from his father and repeats back everything he said — the pension, the Ford job, the security — word for word. Then tells him he doesn't want any of it. [19:45] A black poster goes up on Sunset Boulevard. A red circle, no words. Ray's phone rings. Columbia Pictures. They've been trying to find a Ghostbusters theme for a year. He's their last call. [21:45] Ray realises he can never say the word Ghostbusters in the song. The moment he figures out how to get around that is the moment the whole thing works. Notable Resources: Ray Parker Jr. on Facebook and Instagram — search Ray Parker Jr. Connect with Skip Martin: Website: https://www.skipmartinmusic.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/skipmartinmusic Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skipmartinmusic/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/skipmartinmusic YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/skipmartinmusic Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode 004 — Soul, Solar, and the Stories Nobody Told You with Carolyn Griffey (Part 2)

The conversation continues — Carolyn Griffey on how she ended up in Shalamar, what it means to carry a father's legacy when he never saw you perform, why she fights for Solar Records even now, and the real reason Skip Martin plays music at all. Host: Skip Martin Summary: Part 2 picks up in the deep end. Carolyn shares how she came to join Shalamar — one show in England, a terrified perfectionist who knew every lyric, and a father who heard the fee and immediately called a meeting. From there the conversation opens into something bigger: identity, legacy, the beauty standard crisis, Ghana, Black Panthers in the living room, and what it means to spend your life standing on a foundation someone else built. And then Skip tells Carolyn why he plays music. What he said to his grandmother at seven years old is something you won't forget. Main Topics: ● How Carolyn joined Shalamar — one show in England, the lady parts, and the meeting Dick Griffey called when he heard the fee ● The Miss Black America pageant and a little girl on a cruise ship who didn't know she could enter ● Ghana, the Cube Girls, and the moment Skip's road crew realised they had been brainwashed about beauty ● Dick Griffey coining the term African-American during Jesse Jackson's 1984 presidential campaign ● Growing up light-skinned in the San Fernando Valley and fighting to prove your blackness ● Skip's C words for success — courage, collaboration, and adaptability ● The Whispers rehearsing in the garage, a steel drum full of mud pies, and Skip's first professional band ● Why Carolyn didn't take her music seriously until it was almost too late — and what changed ● Teddy Riley's warning: if we don't tell our own stories, they will ● Skip's reason for playing music — what he told his grandmother at seven years old Intriguing Quotes: "Howard's like, sing the lady parts. I was like — you mean do the female part." "God won't let me sleep until I make sure this legacy and the stories are told correctly." "If we don't preserve our music, if we don't tell our own stories, then they will." — Teddy Riley "I'm going to play music so when I die, people will feel like I'm still in the car with them." — Skip Martin "I've already got my roses. I don't give a shit about that. I just want to keep passing on the passion." "Greatness doesn't lie in the comfort zone. Greatness comes from persevering." Key Moments: ● [00:23] Carolyn tells the Shalamar story. One show in England. She knew every lyric because she was their biggest fan. She thought she was horrible. Howard and Jeffrey didn't agree. Dick Griffey heard the fee and called a meeting the next day. ● [05:00] A little girl on a cruise ship asks if she could be Miss Black America. Carolyn is still thinking about her face. ● [07:00] Skip takes it to Ghana — the Cube Girls, the road manager who thought it was going to be a rough two weeks, and what happened a fortnight later when everything looked different. ● [12:00] Dick Griffey coined the term African-American during Jesse Jackson's 1984 presidential campaign. Most people don't know that. ● [27:00] Skip tells Carolyn why he plays music. He was seven, riding with his grandparents, hearing a Nat King Cole tribute on the radio. What he said to his grandmother in that moment is where everything started. Notable Resources: ● Shalamar — Facebook and Instagram: search Shalamar Friends ● Miss Black America Pageant — search Miss Black America for current information ● Bill Underwood — search for his story and work Connect with Carolyn Griffey: ● Instagram: @iamcarolyngrifey ● Facebook: Carolyn Griffey Connect with Skip Martin: ● Website: https://www.skipmartinmusic.com/ ● Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/skipmartinmusic ● Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skipmartinmusic/ ● Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/skipmartinmusic ● YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/skipmartinmusic Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode 004 — Soul, Solar, and the Stories Nobody Told You with Carolyn Griffey (Part 1)

A conversation with Carolyn Griffey — daughter of Dick Griffey, the first Black concert promoter in Los Angeles and co-founder of Solar Records — on what it really took to build one of the most important Black-owned labels in history, the battles nobody talks about, and why you can't know where you're going if you don't know where you came from. Host: Skip Martin Summary: Carolyn Griffey grew up at the centre of music industry history — and most people have no idea. Her father Dick Griffey started as a club owner, became Don Cornelius's booking agent for Soul Train, and then co-founded Solar Records — the Sound of Los Angeles Records — the label that gave the world the Whispers, Shalamar, and Carrie Lucas. Carolyn traces the lineage, the legal battles to protect it, the Grammy moment nobody tells right, the "yahoo" that became a global signature, Faith Evans holding vocal class in an LA living room, and a world most people have never heard of — Black cowboys, Bill Pickett rodeos, and Hollywood riders hiding in plain sight. Main Topics: ● How Dick Griffey went from Guys and Dolls to booking Soul Train to co-founding Soul Train Records with Don Cornelius ● What SOLAR stands for — and why it was called the Motown of the 70s and 80s ● The legal fight against Viacom to protect the Solar trademark — and the team that won it ● Dick Griffey's philosophy — the saying he lived by that cost him and defined him ● The Grammy tie with Earth Wind and Fire — and walking over the chairs to get to the stage ● How producer Reggie Andrews pulled "yahoo" out of thin air and made it a signature heard around the world ● Faith Evans in LA before anyone knew who she was ● The Black cowboy world and why representation at the National Finals Rodeo still isn't there Intriguing Quotes: "I'm not gonna let them sit me on my ass — I ain't nobody's nail on nobody's book." — Dick Griffey "He said, give me anything. I said anything? He said yeah. A little horns went up in my forehead. I'm gonna make a big fat funny joke with this. I said the most stupid thing. Yahoo. He said, that's it." "Less is more — and I learned that earlier than most." "You don't know where you're going if you don't know where you came from." "I'm not trying to get anybody's favour. I'm not trying to kiss anybody's ass. I just want to share the stories authentically." Key Moments: ● [00:45] Carolyn traces the full lineage — Guys and Dolls, Soul Train, Don Cornelius, Dick Griffey, and the birth of Solar Records. SOLAR stands for Sound of Los Angeles Records. Most people never knew that. ● [04:30] Don Cornelius steps back. Dick Griffey buys him out. Soul Train Records becomes Solar Records — and then comes the fight against Viacom to keep it. ● [10:00] The philosophy Dick Griffey lived by — and the one saying that captured everything. He would not submit to protocol. That independence cost the label. Carolyn is still proud of it. ● [16:00] The Grammy Awards. The Dazz Band mid-conversation in the audience when someone says — you guys won. They walk over the chairs to the stage. Then they hear it's a tie with Earth Wind and Fire. ● [19:30] Reggie Andrews tells Carolyn to give him anything on a blank spot. She decides to make a joke. Out comes "yahoo." He stops the session. That's the one. Notable Resources: ● Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo — billpickettrodeo.com ● Country Soul Magazine — founded by Rodney Allen Rippey ● Solar Records — Solar UK label currently active Connect with Carolyn Griffey: ● Search Carolyn Griffey on social platforms for Solar Records and Black Cowboys project updates Connect with Skip Martin: ● Website: https://www.skipmartinmusic.com/ ● Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/skipmartinmusic ● Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skipmartinmusic/ ● Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/skipmartinmusic ● YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/skipmartinmusic Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Episode 003 — Born by the River, Built for the Stage with Evelyn Champagne King

A conversation with Evelyn Champagne King — from singing Sam Cooke in a hallway at Sigma Sound Studios at 14 years old and getting discovered on the spot, to the losses that would have broken anyone else, to why she's still here, still bubbly, still entirely herself. Host: Skip Martin Summary: Evelyn Champagne King has one of the most powerful voices in the history of R&B — and one of the most powerful stories behind it. In this early morning conversation with her old friend Skip Martin, Evelyn traces it all back to a family amateur hour in a Bronx basement, a cleaning job she took for her sick sister, and a tall dark stranger who walked into a hallway while she was vacuuming and singing Sam Cooke. She also opens up about loss — a child, two brothers, her sister, her parents — and what it means to keep going anyway. A conversation about resilience, uniqueness, and what it really means to always be yourself. Main Topics: ● The King family amateur hour — how music started in a Bronx basement with drums, cungas, timbales, bass, and a family that performed for the neighbourhood ● How Evelyn got discovered at 14 at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia — vacuuming, singing Sam Cooke, not knowing anyone was listening ● What producer T-Life said to her in that hallway — and why she didn't believe him ● The losses she has carried — a child in 1989, brothers in 1974 and 1997, her sister Wanda in 2015, both parents ● Her definition of music — and the moment Skip shared his ● The secret duet with Skip on Someone Like You — and what's coming for the world ● Her legacy message: always be yourself, know where you come from, and stay bubbly Intriguing Quotes: "I was born by the river, you know, just singing. And a tall, dark and handsome man showed up." "I know one day I'm gonna make you a star. I'm like, yeah, right. And I just kept on vacuuming." "I go in my little corner and Freddie will tell you. He'll know something's going on right there." "They remember us as being strong and doing what we love — and knowing that they paved the way for me to keep going." "My definition of music is something that'll keep your soul in a good place." "I want them to know that I've always been lovable, caring. And I always gonna be me." Key Moments: ● [02:00] The King family amateur hour — Skip hears how it all started. A Bronx basement. Six brothers, a sister, drums, cungas, timbales, a trumpet, and a family that put on a show for the whole neighbourhood. That's where Evelyn Champagne King was born. ● [04:30] Evelyn is 14, filling in for her sick sister on a cleaning shift at Sigma Sound Studios. She can't help singing. A tall stranger walks in, hears her doing Sam Cooke, and tells her he's going to make her a star. She keeps vacuuming. ● [07:30] Evelyn talks about what she's lost — a brother in 1974, her parents and another brother in 1997, her daughter in 1989, her sister Wanda in 2015. And what keeps her going anyway. ● [11:00] Skip asks the question he asks every guest. Evelyn says no one has ever asked her that before. Her answer is worth the whole episode. ● [14:00] Skip reveals the secret duet — Someone Like You — and Evelyn performs a piece of it live. She says it sounded exactly like her from the moment she heard it. Notable Resources: ● Recorded: virtual conversation Connect with Evelyn Champagne King: ● Search Evelyn Champagne King on socials and streaming platforms Connect with Skip Martin: ● Website: https://www.skipmartinmusic.com/ ● Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/skipmartinmusic ● Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skipmartinmusic/ ● Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/skipmartinmusic ● YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/skipmartinmusic Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.