This is Fresh Air
In more than 40 years of broadcasting, Fresh Air has recorded some of the most famous and beloved figures in American life showing sides of themselves rarely seen by the public. This collection, which includes interviews with Ray Charles, Meryl Streep, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and others, features a selection of memorable interviews handpicked by Terry Gross (pictured in 1991) and the Fresh Air staff.
Soul Singer Ray Charles' Country Side
Singer and pianist Ray Charles has a new four CD box-set out that captures his contribution to country music. "Ray Charles: The Complete Country and Western Recordings 1959-1986. (Rhino) Charles may be best known for his blues, R&B and soul music. He has won 12 Grammy Awards.
Meryl Streep: The Fresh Air Interview.
Meryl Streep won a Golden Globe for her performance as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady. She talks about preparing for that role, her other films and how her perceptions of herself have changed over the years.
'I Regret Everything': Toni Morrison Looks Back On Her Personal Life
"It's not profound regret," Morrison tells Fresh Air. "It's just a wiping up of tiny little messes that you didn't recognize as mess when they were going on." Her latest book is God Help the Child.
David Bowie On The Ziggy Stardust Years
It's been more than 40 years since David Bowie created the gender-bending Ziggy Stardust and released the now-classic album The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars. With it, Bowie helped invent glam-rock. In conversation with Fresh Air's Terry Gross from 2002, Bowie was in the midst of making the following year's Reality, and here talks about leaving characters in his songs, his love of Tibetan horns, and his childhood desire to write musicals and play saxophone in Little Richard's band.
Rosemary Clooney: Live in Concert
A concert and interview with singer Rosemary Clooney taped before a live audience in San Francisco, January 18th, as part of the City Arts & Lectures series. Clooney sings some of her best known songs, accompanied by a quintet directed by John Oddo. She also talks with Terry about her life. Her 1996 album "Dedicated to Nelson" has been nominated for a Grammy.
James Baldwin Analyzes Racism.
Legendary writer James Baldwin is the author of modern classics such as "Notes of a Native Son," "Tell Me How Long the Train's Been Gone," and "Go Tell It On the Mountain." Here, Baldwin delivers a lecture and has a "rap" session with students at an event at Lehigh University.
Johnny Cash: In His Own Words.
Music legend Johnny Cash. Cash has been recording albums and performing since the 1950's. Representing Cash's varied musical styles, he has been inducted into the Songwriters, Country Music, and Rock and Roll Halls of Fame. He's just released an autobiography called "Cash" (Harper) The book tour for the memoir has been cancelled due to complications with Cash's Parkinson's disease.
Lin-Manuel Miranda On Disney, Mixtapes And Why He Won't Try To Top 'Hamilton'
The creator of the hit musical Hamilton, talks about his early love of musicals, and writing rhymes for Hamilton.
To Make 'The Godfather' His Way, Francis Ford Coppola Waged A Studio Battle
Coppola was 29 years old when he signed on to direct a film. "I was young and had no power," he says, "so [the studio] figured they could just boss me around." Originally broadcast Nov. 16, 2016.
'Fresh Air' Remembers Author Maurice Sendak
Author and illustrator Maurice Sendak, whose book Where the Wild Things Are became a favorite for generations of kids, died at age 83. Fresh Air remembers Sendak with excerpts from several interviews.