My guest in this episode is Lynn Asher ( www.lynnasher.com ) who was introduced to Music Talks by a recent guest Paul Webb (Ep 92).

Lynn is a native of Portland Maine but she had a childhood dream to move to California. It took some time to fulfil her dream but this year Lynn celebrates 30 years living in California and her musical career spans a similar timescale.

Despite being a ‘late bloomer’ Lynn has performed and recorded with many big names in the music business including:

· Big Brother & The Holding Company

· Jerry Harrison - Talking Heads,

· Bob Weir- Grateful Dead

· Narada Michael Walden - Producer - Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Barbra Streisand. Drummer for Mahavishnu Orchestra, Jeff Beck, Aretha Franklin, & Journey.

Lynn writes her own original material, one of which is the song choice for the 2000’s and was also the assistant to Tracy Chapman for a time. As you will hear at the start of the episode there was also a live appearance with a big musical hero of mine ……

In 2009, Lynn became a vocal coach and it has become a real passion, particularly working with young singers, one of which provides her song choice for the 2020’s (www.annaharrell.net )

Lynn’s story is a great musical journey but there is also a personal journey and adversity to be dealt with. In Lynn’s case this was dealing with Breast Cancer on three occasions, and I hope you find her insight into how she thought and dealt with that as inspirational as I did.

Lynn’s song choices are.

60’s - Hey Jude - The Beatles

70’s - You Should Be Dancing - Bee Gees

80’s - You Can Sleep While I Drive - Melissa Etheridge

90’s - Why - Annie Lennox

00’s - Now That You’re Gone - Lynn Asher

10’s - Freedom - (From ‘Django Unchained’)

20’s - Night Light - Anna Harrell

If you would like to be on the show then please contact me at musictalkspod@outlook.com

Please follow and like Music Talks on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/musictalkspod .

You can also find me on Twitter @musictalkspod .

My guest in this episode is Claire Sanderson who was introduced to the show by an early guest and now a dear friend, Ian Braisby.

Claire was born and grew up in Cornwall with her parents and two elder brothers. She describes her childhood as being ‘surrounded by all types of music’ and that breadth is reflected in her song choices and the much longer list she sent to me. Her song choices are:

80’s I Should Be So Lucky Kylie Minogue

90’s I’ll Do Anything For Love (But I Wont Do That) Meat Loaf

00’s Song For The Road David Ford

10’s F**kin’ Perfect Pink

20’s I’ll See You In My Dreams Bruce Springsteen

At 18 Claire moved to Cardiff to study Music at the University and has had the good sense to stay in the city ever since. By day she is a Civil Servant, but flexible working enables her to follow her passion for music as a serious amateur musician who plays in an orchestra and sings in a choir. She also recently started doing on-line talks about music which you can find at

https://events.restless.co.uk/event-calendar/?categories=music

Music has been a constant in Claire’s life, and it has provided both comfort and joy. But she also talks very openly about the challenges she faced in studying and playing at the highest level and there are great lessons for all of us in that story.

A recent convert to the delights of Bruce Frederick Springsteen the episode closes with a poignant song choice from his most recent album ‘Letter To You’ and a Music Talks first where we play two versions of the same song !

Enjoy 😊

If you would like to be on the show then please contact me at musictalkspod@outlook.com

Please follow and like Music Talks on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/musictalkspod .

You can also find me on Twitter @musictalkspod .

My guest in this episode is Mark Dempsey who comes to Music Talks via my dear friend Jesse Jackson at the great Podcast ‘SetLustingBruce’.

Like all Springsteen fans Mark is passionate about Bruce’s music but the joy of this episode is how much passion Mark has for all his song choices. If any of them are new to you I’m certain you will be seeking them out after having heard Mark talk about them and they are great choices:

70’s - Three Steps To Heaven Showaddywaddy

80’s - Dancing In The Dark Bruce Springsteen

90’s - Polaroids Shawn Colvin

00’s - Stuck Between Stations The Hold Steady

10’s - The Ceiling The Wild Feathers

20’s - No Mercy Nils Lofgren

Bristol born and bred Mark celebrated his 50th birthday at the end of 2023 and so doing Music Talks was a good opportunity to look back and reflect. He has lived most of his life in the South West of England but for five years between 2011 and 2016 he and his wife Catherine lived in Toronto.

With the same passion and enthusiasm he shows for music, Mark talks us through the delight of moving from ‘sleepy Wiltshire’ to the most multicultural and multiracial city in the world. As you would expect that experience also informs his song choice for the 2010's.

In 94 episodes of Music Talks there have been many great stories, but Mark’s closing story in ‘Final Thoughts’ is one of my absolute favourites. It’s also where the title of the episode comes from but that’s all im going to say ……….

Enjoy 😊

If you would like to be on the show then please contact me at musictalkspod@outlook.com

Please follow and like Music Talks on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/musictalkspod .

You can also find me on Twitter @musictalkspod .