FRIENDS AND LEGENDS WITH SKIP MARTIN cover art

FRIENDS AND LEGENDS WITH SKIP MARTIN

FRIENDS AND LEGENDS WITH SKIP MARTIN

By: Skip Martin
Listen for free

LIMITED TIME OFFER

£0.99/mo for 3 months - terms apply. Offer ends 24 August 2026.
Skip Martin, a Grammy Award winner, has dedicated his life to the rooms where music history unfolds. As former lead vocalist for Kool & the Gang and the Dazz Band, he has shared stages with the greatest artists of his generation — and built friendships that have lasted decades. Friends and Legends is the platform where these friendships are brought to life. This is not a standard interview show. Skip does not sit across from his guests — he sits beside them. These are real talks with people who were there, built something, and have stories to tell. From platinum records to personal breakthroughs. From the road to the recording studio, the journey was transformative. From the highs to the moments that tested everything. New episodes drop regularly. "Music is the sound of a soul singing." Don't play no games. Economics Music
Episodes
  • Episode 016 - Family First, Excellence Always - The Keith Harrison Story (Part 2)

    Episode 016 - Family First, Excellence Always - The Keith Harrison Story (Part 2)
    Aug 11 2026
    Friends & Legends with Skip Martin Host: Skip Martin Summary: Two former Dazz Band bandmates catching up after this many years couldn't fit it all into one episode. Skip Martin and Keith Harrison come back for part two, trading the personal side of five decades in music: 52 years married to his high school sweetheart, family life and grandkids, staying grounded on the road, and hard-won lessons on resilience (the farmer-and-the-goat parable) and correction over ego. Keith opens up on his mother's hidden musical gift and his father's resistance to him pursuing music, and the two remember Bill Boyer, the band's longtime road security. Skip shares his own stage-fright story and a star-studded awards-circuit flashback with Grace Jones, Prince, Stevie Wonder and Elton John. Main Topics: ● Skip and Keith reminisce as former Dazz Band bandmates, picking up from Part 1 ● 52 years married to his high school sweetheart, and how she's kept him grounded ● Family life: four grandchildren, and the move from Dayton to Indianapolis ● Staying grounded on the road with a Casio keyboard and a four-track recorder ● Watching musical talent skip a generation into the grandkids ● The farmer-and-the-goat parable: shaking off criticism and adversity ● Learning from hard lessons — choosing to show, not just tell, the next generation ● Keith's mother's hidden gift for piano, and his father's resistance to music ● Remembering Bill Boyer, the band's longtime road security ● Skip's stage fright story and an awards-circuit flashback with Grace Jones, Prince, Stevie Wonder and Elton John Intriguing Quotes: ● “She pushed me into the studio and said, you're not going to stop. You better get to writing.” — Keith Harrison [02:35] ● “I'd rather be loved by the one that's gonna love me the most when I'm at my worst.” — Skip Martin [07:04] ● “In order to survive in this business, whatever happens to you, you just have to shake it off.” — Skip Martin [11:04] Key Moments: ● [00:06] Skip and Keith pick back up as former Dazz Band bandmates, continuing from Part 1 ● [01:27] Keith on meeting his wife in high school and 52 years of marriage ● [03:34] Staying grounded on tour with a Casio keyboard and a four-track recorder ● [07:04] Skip's philosophy: being loved most at your worst, not just your best ● [10:43] The farmer and the goat: Skip's parable on shaking off adversity ● [15:39] Keith's mother's hidden gift for piano, and his father's resistance to music ● [17:26] Remembering Bill Boyer, the band's longtime road security ● [20:40] Skip's stage fright story, from getting his eyes fixed to blanking out on stage ● [22:07] Awards-circuit flashback: Grace Jones, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Elton John and Monaco royalty Notable Resources: ● No new external projects or links in this segment — see Part 1 show notes for Keith's memoir and the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame induction Connect with Keith Harrison: Facebook: search “Keith Harrison” Instagram: search “Keith Harrison” (Personal website/email given verbally in Part 1 came through garbled in that transcript — flag for a listen before publishing.) 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.
    Show More Show Less
    26 mins
  • Episode 016 - Riding High, Winning Grammys - The Keith Harrison Story (Part 1)

    Episode 016 - Riding High, Winning Grammys - The Keith Harrison Story (Part 1)
    Aug 4 2026
    Friends & Legends with Skip Martin Host: Skip Martin Summary: Skip Martin sits down with longtime friend and Dayton funk royalty Keith Harrison (Faze-O, Heatwave, the Dazz Band) for part one of a two-part conversation: the Dayton dance-band scene, balancing the U.S. Air Force with music, Faze-O's discovery by Ohio Players' Clarence Satchell and “Riding High,” Heatwave with Rod Temperton, and the call to join the Dazz Band and cut “Let It Whip.” They revisit the Dazz Band's tied Grammy win with Earth, Wind & Fire, trade backstage stories on Grace Jones, Prince, Stevie Wonder and Rick James, and Keith opens up on his memoir and what music means to him. Part two continues next episode. Main Topics: ● Keith Harrison's career arc across Faze-O, Heatwave and the Dazz Band ● Recruited into the Dayton dance-band scene as a teenager ● Balancing a U.S. Air Force career with music ● Faze-O's discovery by Ohio Players' Clarence Satchell and making “Riding High” ● Joining the Dazz Band and driving to Cleveland to record “Let It Whip” ● Playing alongside Heatwave's Rod Temperton and drummer Ernest “Bilbo” Berger ● The night the Dazz Band tied Earth, Wind & Fire for the Grammy ● Backstage stories: Grace Jones, Prince, Stevie Wonder and Rick James ● What music means to Keith — songwriting as an emotional outlet ● Keith's in-progress memoir and the Dazz Band's Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame induction (25 July) Intriguing Quotes: ● “Music to me is universal — it's the harmony of the world.” — Keith Harrison [06:33] ● “I make a lot of music because I get depressed after I finish a song — like a postpartum. So I write another one.” — Keith Harrison [10:36] ● “Each one of these songs you do is like a child. You let it go into the world and let it prosper.” — Keith Harrison [10:36] Key Moments: ● [00:14] Skip introduces Keith Harrison for a wide-ranging look back at his career ● [03:34] Keith gets word, while overseas recording with Heatwave, that a band is looking for a second keyboard player ● [06:33] Keith's definition of music: “universal harmony” ● [12:07] Turning down a football scholarship and enlisting in the U.S. Air Force ● [13:38] Faze-O's discovery by the Ohio Players and recording “Riding High” ● [15:38] The Dazz Band's historic tied Grammy win with Earth, Wind & Fire ● [18:39] Backstage: Grace Jones's wicker dress, Prince, Stevie Wonder and Rick James ● [20:39] Keith reveals the cover of his upcoming memoir ● [21:09] The Dazz Band's Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame induction, 25 July ● [23:09] Reggie Andrews and the studio moment behind “Let It Whip” ● [26:11] Skip and Keith wrap up, teeing up Part 2 Notable Resources: ● Keith Harrison's in-progress memoir, “My Journey with Faze-O, Heatwave, and the Dazz Band” (unreleased) ● Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame induction, 25 July — Heatwave, Class of 2026 ● “Riding High” — Faze-O (1977), with Ohio Players' Clarence Satchell ● “Let It Whip” — The Dazz Band (1982), Reggie Andrews & Ndugu Chancler, Grammy winner Connect with Keith Harrison: Facebook: search “Keith Harrison” Instagram: search “Keith Harrison” (Personal website/email given verbally came through garbled in the transcript — flag for a listen before publishing.) 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.
    Show More Show Less
    27 mins
  • Episode 015 - From Eddie and the Cruisers to Beaver Brown - John Cafferty

    Episode 015 - From Eddie and the Cruisers to Beaver Brown - John Cafferty
    Jul 27 2026
    Friends & Legends with Skip Martin Host: Skip Martin Summary: Skip Martin sits down with his longtime friend John "JC" Cafferty of John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band to trace the band's path from a bar called the Bitter End in Greenwich Village to two career-defining hits, "On the Dark Side" and "C-I-T-Y," both born out of the 1983 film Eddie and the Cruisers and the Tough All Over album. The two swap road stories, honor two departed friends (saxophonist Michael "Tunes" Antunes and Santana's Alex Ligertwood), and John signs on to join Skip's new charity single "WIN" (World Hope Emerging Now), benefiting Skip's nonprofit Skip Into Learning. Main Topics: ● John Cafferty's Rhode Island roots and forming the Beaver Brown Band in 1972 ● Early influences: Elvis Presley movies, the Beatles, and Motown ● His cousin Steve Smith and the Rock 'N' Jock charity events the two co founded ● Meeting Peter Rivera, the first white singer signed to Motown's Rare Earth label ● Playing shows with John Waite ● The origin story of "On the Dark Side," written for the Eddie and the Cruisers soundtrack ● The story behind "C-I-T-Y" from the Tough All Over album ● Balancing family life and the road with his wife Terry Lee and two sons ● The new charity single "WIN" (World Hope Emerging Now) and Skip's nonprofit Skip Into Learning ● The all-star artist lineup joining the WIN project, including Mickey Thomas, John Elefante, Kevin Chalfant, Ray Parker Jr., Gloria Gaynor, Mary Jane Girls, Howard Hewett, and Mark McGrath ● Remembering saxophonist Michael "Tunes" Antunes and Santana's Alex Ligertwood ● John's definition of music as a "giving thing" and the sound of a soul singing Intriguing Quotes: ● "Music is the sound of a soul singing." - Skip Martin ● "I always felt that music is a giving thing. It's not a getting thing." - John Cafferty ● "You are the hardest working man in show business, no doubt." - John Cafferty, on Skip ● "There's power in numbers." - Skip Martin, on collaboration Key Moments: ● [00:00] Skip welcomes John "JC" Cafferty of the Beaver Brown Band ● [01:02] John traces the band's Rhode Island roots back to 1972 ● [04:05] The story behind "On the Dark Side" and the Eddie and the Cruisers movie deal ● [05:31] How "C-I-T-Y" came together while driving past a Detroit GM factory ● [06:36] John reflects on raising his family on the road ● [09:19] Skip introduces the new charity single "WIN" and invites John to join ● [17:56] Remembering Alex Ligertwood and a late-night garbage can jam session ● [20:30] Honoring saxophonist Michael "Tunes" Antunes Notable Resources: ● WIN (World Hope Emerging Now) charity single, benefiting Skip Into Learning ● Skip Into Learning, Skip Martin's 501(c)(3) providing instruments for kids ● People Get Ready project, Skip's prior charity single for St. Jude's Hospital Connect with John Cafferty: Website: https://www.johncafferty.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/johncaffertyofficial/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johncafferty_official/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@officialjohncafferty 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.
    Show More Show Less
    22 mins
adbl_web_anon_alc_button_suppression_t1
No reviews yet