Everything Fab Four – Details, episodes & analysis

On today’s episode, American jazz fusion guitarist and singer-songwriter George Benson drops by to discuss what gave the Beatles “prestige” and how the band helped Black musicians succeed.

Benson recorded his first album The New Boss Guitar, at 21, and followed it up with It’s Uptown with the George Benson Quartet. In 1969, he recorded his homage to the Beatles’ album Abbey Road, entitled The Other Side of Abbey Road.

Things really took off for Benson in the mid-1970s, beginning with the LP Bad Benson, which topped the Billboard jazz charts in 1974. Benson scored a triple-platinum hit with his 1976 album Breezin’, and in 1978, he earned a Grammy award for his live rendition of “On Broadway.”

In 1980, Benson took the pop charts by storm with his studio album Give Me the Night. Produced by Quincy Jones, the LP yielded several hit singles including the upbeat, jazz-infused title track. 

Benson’s latest LP Dreams Do Come True features orchestrations that had been lost for 35 years, and were recently unearthed from his archive. The collection includes Benson’s takes on such standards as “Autumn Leaves,” “At Last,” “My Romance,” “A Song for You,” and the Beatles’ “Yesterday.”

Over the years, Benson has earned 10 Grammy Awards, while seeing his career memorialized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

On this bonus episode of Everything Fab Four, we trace two television icons from the 1970s—both very different in terms of target audience, but united in the inspiration that they drew from the Beatles. 

First is the New Zoo Revue, the children’s TV show that was broadcast from 1972 through 1977. Designed as a musical comedy, it ran for 196 episodes and imparting valuable life lessons to the program’s legions of child viewers. The show was hosted by husband and wife duo Doug and Emmy Jo. On the New Zoo Revue, they interacted with an array of loveable costumed characters, including Henrietta Hippo and Freddie the Frog. 

At the other end of the TV demographic spectrum is George Schlatter, the founder of network television’s groundbreaking Laugh-In. The hilarious sketch comedy program ran for more than 140 episodes between 1968 and 1973.

With Dan Rowan and Dick Martin as Schlatter’s irreverent hosts, Laugh-In thrived on its moveable feast of guest stars, including the likes of Jack Benny, Johnny Carson, Sammy Davis, Jr., Phyllis Diller and more. Laugh-In also launched the careers of series regulars Goldie Hawn and Lily Tomlin. Last year, Schlatter released his memoir, Still Laughing: A Life in Comedy.

On this episode, Grammy Award-winning American singer-songwriter and activist Joan Baez joins host Ken Womack to share her memories of meeting the Beatles for the first time and witnessing their final live concert.

Baez's time-eclipsing folk music often champions songs of protest and social justice. Over the years, she has recorded 30 albums in genres ranging from folk rock, pop and country to gospel music. As a performer, Baez has specialized in interpreting the work of other composers, recording songs by such luminaries as the Beatles, Woody Guthrie, Bob Marley, and many others.

Baez began her recording career in 1960, producing a trio of successful LPs in Joan Baez, Joan Baez, Vol. 2 and Joan Baez in Concert. During her early years, Baez was one of Bob Dylan’s first major collaborators, steadfastly working to popularize his impact upon folk music. She was also a featured performer at the 1969 Woodstock Festival, singing fourteen songs on that vaunted stage.

In addition to her musical career, Baez has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to political and social activism in the areas of nonviolence, civil rights, human rights, and the environment. In 2017, she was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2023, Baez was the subject of the acclaimed documentary "I Am A Noise."

Sophie B. Hawkins, the Grammy-nominated American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter, joins host Kenneth Womack on the season five finale episode of “Everything Fab Four.” Hawkins started her Beatles journey as a kid with “Revolver,” and remembers playing along with tennis racket guitars and couch cushion drums. “Even as a non-musician, you can sing basically every part.” In this conversation, she digs deep into the unique ways Beatles fans come together through the music, and how being a Beatles fan pushed her toward excellence in her own songwriting. 

Born and raised in New York City, Hawkins pursued her studies as a percussionist at the Manhattan School of Music before embarking on a music career. She exploded into the international consciousness in 1992 with her debut album “Tongues and Tales.” A massive critical and commercial success, the LP spawned the hit single “Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover.” Her second album, “Whaler,” featured additional hit singles in “Right Beside You” and “As I Lay Me Down.” As an actress, she has portrayed Janis Joplin in the play “Room 105,” while also performing as herself on the NBC TV series “Community,” for which she sang renditions of “Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover” and “As I Lay Me Down.” Her latest album “Free Myself,” on the independent label she founded, Trumpet Swan Productions, features such standout tracks as “Love Yourself” and “Better Off Without You.” 

This week's guests are Margo Precht Speciale and Andrew Solt, who join host Kenneth Womack for a special episode devoted to celebrating the 75th anniversary of The Ed Sullivan Show and its lasting impact on American culture, including Beatles fandom.

The granddaughter of Ed Sullivan, Precht is a documentary filmmaker, as well as a UCLA graduate with a degree in Sociology. Her latest project traces her grandfather’s life and work as a television pioneer who reigned as the medium’s longtime tastemaker. In particular, Precht’s documentary explores a little-known aspect of Sullivan’s legacy, which involves his radical dedication to diversity that would act as an inflection point for igniting conversations about race in America.

Andrew Solt is an Emmy- and Grammy-winning, producer, director, writer and documentary filmmaker. Over the years, Solt has released a number of documentaries on the history of rock and roll. His collaboration with television documentarian and producer David Wolper included their work together on “Imagine: John Lennon” in 1988. In 1990, Solt purchased the rights to The Ed Sullivan Show library, which consists of 1,087 hours of kinescopes and videotapes that CBS broadcast between 1948 and 1971 on Sunday nights. Included in the archive are over 10,000 live performances by virtually every popular entertainer of the post-war era, highlighted by appearances from Elvis Presley and the Beatles. 

On this episode, the Boxmasters — an American rock band comprised of Grammy Award-winning recording engineer J.D. Andrew and Academy Award-winning actor Billy Bob Thornton — join host Ken Womack for a spirited discussion of songwriting, recording, and what Thornton says is "the most difficult thing about being a Beatles fan."

Formed in 2007, the Boxmasters have recorded a diverse catalog of music that touches on their shared love of the rock and roll of the 1960s. Listening to The Boxmasters, one can hear obvious odes to the Beatles, Byrds and Beach Boys, but also The Mothers of Invention, Kris Kristofferson, John Prine and Big Star.

Since the formation of The Boxmasters, several long-time friends have contributed to the sound of the band, but the core of The Boxmasters has always been Andrew and Thornton. As primary songwriters, the sound of the Boxmasters has been an evolution as the duo constantly strive to find new inspiration, new sounds and new means of expression.

As a touring band, The Boxmasters have cultivated a rabid fanbase across the United States and Canada. Opening for the likes of ZZ Top, Steve Miller, George Thorogood and Kid Rock, their touring highlights include appearances at Levon Helm’s “Midnight Ramble” in Woodstock, New York, a performance at “Ramble at The Ryman” in 2008, and “The Grand Ole Opry” in 2015. Their 14th and latest album is entitled ’69, with an ensuing tour that includes a stop at Monmouth University’s Pollak Theatre in June 2023.

Ken Womack's guest this week is Grammy-nominated American jazz guitarist Dan Wilson. Hailing from Akron, Ohio, Wilson made his recording debut with pianist Joe McBride and performed to worldwide acclaim with Joey DeFrancesco and Christian McBride’s Tip City, eventually recording his debut as a band leader with "To Whom It May Concern" in 2012. Over the years, Wilson has shared the stage with a host of jazz greats including Eric Marienthal, Russell Malone, Les McCann, René Marie, Jeff Hamilton, David Sanborn and Dave Stryker. In 2017, Wilson earned a Grammy nomination for his work on DeFrancesco’s "Project Freedom" album. He also served as a guitarist on Van Morrison’s recent albums "You’re Driving Me Crazy" and "The Prophet Speaks."

In 2021, Wilson released "Vessels of Wood and Earth," which includes the standout cut “Who Shot John.” The album was produced by McBride for his Brother Mister Productions label. In 2022, Wilson was named a Letter Rising Stars Jazz Winner. His latest LP, "Things Eternal," features his innovate take on the Beatles’ “Eleanor Rigby.”

In this episode, Ken Womack talks with Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Madison Cunningham. She made her recording debut in 2014 with the self-released gospel album “Authenticities,” which reflected her exploration of faith. In 2017, Cunningham joined the cast of American Public Media’s “Live from Here.” In 2019, she released her breakthrough LP "Who Are You Now," nominated for the Best Americana Album Grammy. Her 2020 EP, “Wednesday,” featured cover versions of songs by Tom Waits, Radiohead and the Beatles, while also earning a Grammy nod for Best Folk Album. In 2022, she released her follow-up LP “Revealer,” which enjoyed extensive critical acclaim. “Revealer” was nominated for two Grammy Awards and won Best Folk Album. 

Legendary singer-songwriter, author, and rock ‘n’ roll star Ian Hunter's illustrious career is now in its seventh decade. His rock ‘n’ roll life has long been marked by collaboration, from the golden age of Mott the Hoople to his fabled partnership with Mick Ronson and 21st-century renaissance with his crack backing combo, the Rant Band. Over the years, Hunter has enjoyed numerous chart successes, especially Mott the Hoople’s international hit “All the Young Dudes,” the David Bowie composition that emerged as a countercultural anthem in the 1970s. Hunter would later recount the trials and tribulations of his life with Mott the Hoople in his autobiography "Diary of a Rock 'n' Roll Star."

During his solo career, Hunter’s best known work includes the song "Once Bitten, Twice Shy", later covered by Great White, and "Cleveland Rocks,” (originally “England Rocks”) the popular theme song for "The Drew Carey Show."

With his latest album DEFIANCE PART 1, Hunter takes creative solidarity to an unprecedented new level with accompaniment from a truly awe-inspiring roster of special guests, famous fans, and lifelong friends. DEFIANCE PART 1 sees backing from luminaries such as Ringo Starr, Jeff Beck, Todd Rundgren, Joe Elliott (of Def Leppard), Guns N’ Roses’ Slash, Jeff Tweedy and – in one of his final recordings – the Foo Fighters’ late, great drummer Taylor Hawkins.

This episode’s guest is Barbara Feldon, a model, author and actress best known for portraying “Agent 99” on the classic ‘60s sitcom “Get Smart.”

Feldon was born Barbara Anne Hall in a suburb of Pittsburgh and studied drama at Carnegie Mellon University. Soon after, she departed for New York City to pursue a career in acting, where a stint as a showgirl led to her appearance on the game show, “The $64,000 Question,” where she took home the top prize for her knowledge of Shakespeare. The next year, Barbara married Lucien Feldon-Verdeaux, a handsome European she’d been dating, and took “Feldon” as her last name personally and professionally. Working as a fashion model led to a few TV ad spots before landing the one that would make her a household face, lolling about on an animal rug and daring all the male “tigers” out there to try Revlon’s Top Brass hair tonic. That led to securing the plum role of Agent 99 in the spy spoof “Get Smart” opposite comedian Don Adams. The role became Feldon’s biggest break, leading to an Emmy nomination and several film roles to boot. In more recent years, Feldon has written two books: 2003’s “Living Alone and Loving It: A Guide to Relishing the Solo Life” and, in 2022, “Getting Smarter: A Memoir,” which recounts for the first time the true story of her marriage and the many lessons she’s learned since.