Sparkle

Listen to "Sparkle From Lifetime's Surviving R Kelly" on Spreaker. Celebrated as one of the greatest R&B singers of all time, R. Kelly’s genre defining career and playboy lifestyle has been riddled with rumors of abuse, predatory behavior and pedophilia. Despite damning evidence and multiple witnesses, none of these accusations have seemingly affected him. For the first time ever, in Lifetime’s ground-breaking documentary series Surviving R. Kelly, survivors and people from R. Kelly’s inner circle come forward with new allegations about his sexual, mental and physical abuse. With more than 50 interviews including civil rights activist Tarana Burke, musician John Legend and talk-show host Wendy Williams, those who knew R. Kelly shed light on the secret life the public has never seen. Among those featured in the documentary is R&B singer and Chicago native Sparkle who began her career as a protégé of R. Kelly and would later collaborate with stars such as Toni Braxton, Mary J. Blige, Wyclef Jean and Aaliyah. Sparkle’s debut album debuted at #3 on the Billboard chart and included the hit single “Be Careful,” a duet with R. Kelly that reached #1 on Billboard for six weeks. After creative differences led to their separation, Sparkle would later testify against R. Kelly in court, stating that her underage niece appeared in the infamous sex video.

George Houdini And Lee Terbosic

Listen to "George Houdini and Lee Terbosic From Houdini's Last Secrets" on Spreaker. Houdini’s Last Secrets. Catch Up with Houdini’s Grand-Nephew George Hardeen and Magician and Daredevil Lee Terbosic. The two have tested Houdini’s most daring stunts. With access to the master illusionist’s personal scrapbooks, letters, and pictures, they look to uncover the science of Houdini’s stunts as well as the myths behind his legend. Catching a speeding bullet, being buried alive, submerging himself in a water torture cell. How did the world’s greatest showman pull off such death-defying stunts? His talents allowed him to become one of, if not the biggest celebrity in the world. Those same unique skills, along with the company that he kept, led some to believe that he was an informant for the top U.S. and European spy agencies during World War I. Each episode will be centered around one of Houdini’s most daring stunts. The premiere looks at Houdini’s famous water torture cell escape to unmask the potential methods he may have used, and what the dangers involved could have been. Other episodes focus on The Siberian Transport stunt, catching a bullet, and his escape from being buried alive.

Congresswoman Jackie Speier

Listen to "Congresswoman Jackie Speier Releases Undaunted" on Spreaker. Forty years after the Jonestown massacre changed her life, U.S. Congresswoman Jackie Speier tells her extraordinary story in UNDAUNTED: Surviving Jonestown, Summoning Courage, and Fighting Back (Little A/Amazon). UNDAUNTED shares the personal struggles—as a widow, a mother, and an outspoken victim of gun violence—that have shaped Congresswoman Speier’s unwavering dedication to her constituents. In November 1978, 28-year-old Jackie Speier, a congressional legal adviser, was part of the fateful delegation to investigate cult leader Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple in Jonestown, Guyana. While helping victims to escape, the delegation was ambushed on the tarmac and Speier was shot five times at point-blank range. Her injuries were near-fatal, and after 22 hours in a cargo hold, she was miraculously rescued and brought home to the United States to embark on a long and harrowing recovery. Her experiences inspired her work in public service, and in 2008 she was elected to Congress, filling the seat of longtime mentor Leo Ryan, who was killed in Jonestown. But her path was not without significant challenges, as Speier recounts in UNDAUNTED. Despite ongoing health struggles stemming from the shooting, and personal tragedies including the loss of her husband while she was pregnant with her second child, Speier continued to blaze an unparalleled path in regional and national politics. She writes, “With the hindsight of 40 years, I see that my baptism by gunfire guided me into the life I was meant to live: one of public service, one that would ignite the courage to make my voice heard, and one that would carry with it a visceral appreciation for each new day.”

Dustin Arbuckle

Listen to "Dustin Arbuckle And The Damnations" on Spreaker. As a founding member of the critically acclaimed progressive roots outfit Moreland and Arbuckle, vocalist/harmonica player Dustin Arbuckle has been working hard on the road for over a decade. After 15 years, 7 albums, and hundreds of shows across 23 countries, Moreland & Arbuckle have chosen to amicably go their separate ways. As one door closes, another opens, and Arbuckle is now ready to explore a wide range of music with his new project, Dustin Arbuckle & The Damnations. A musician of vast appetites, he’s long held an appreciation for traditional American music in the vein of Charley Patton as well as the cross-pollinated sounds of The Band or Stax-style soul. The Kansas native marks hearing the Leadbelly classic “Gallows Pole” as his earliest music memory, becoming an astute devotee of the blues by the time he’d reached his teens. “That turned out to be a jumping off point, though,” he says. “I always loved Howlin' Wolf, but as I got older and started opening my mind to a wider range of music, I'd turn around and listen to the Allman Brothers Band, then Johnny Cash, Sam & Dave, or Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. I hope you’ll hear some of that reach with The Damnations.” Arbuckle is eager to take to stages with The Damnations. “This is a time to shake things up a bit and see what comes out,” he says. “The direction the music will go in isn’t set in stone and that’s a cool place to be at the moment.” He adds that he hopes to record with a version of the group in the near future. “I think this will open new possibilities for songwriting too,” he says. “It feels like anything could happen.”

What's Keeping You From Trusting The Power Of Now

Listen to "Whats Keeping You From Trusting The Power Of Now" on Spreaker. So many changes move through us on a hourly basis. Too much is stuffed into our process of thinking which causes us to react. Sometimes not in the best way. It happens all the time on the social media. The event then the action which causes a reaction leading to more action. Suddenly you're miles off your expectations of the day and can't find your way back to Oz. On this podcast I step into a sip of why it's so important to keep yourself locked on mindfully living in the present. Being available for your "Now" is the one place you have control over. Your past is gone. The future needs your present place to build a strong foundation for you to arrive. Thinking of yourself as a river seems like an odd ball conversation for crazy artists that want to tap into their creative juices. That right there dams the flow of energy endlessly arriving in your mind body and soul. Most of it is wasted on where you once stood or your dreams are so tall that you're too quick to put up the ladder and try to climb over the obstacles planted on the path without your permission. You didn't get to this place of "Now" by being a bystander. Somewhere in between the questions you realized that you didn't need an answer. You just did it. Go there again. Quit comparing your history to those around you and find trust in what's happening in your "Now." There's always room to grow forward and outward. Be great at being you.

Frank Hannon From Tesla

Listen to "Frank Hannon Releases From One Place To Another" on Spreaker. The song HUSH on my latest album series "From One Place... To Another!" came about from when I was on a tour with DEEP PURPLE in South America last year. I had been recording my album on the road and heard them play it, and was reminded of how much I love the melody. Then shortly after I was performing on the MOODY BLUES cruise with guitar legend Randy Hansen..the original Jimi Hendrix tribute..who also had covered HUSH in a funky style. After we got off the ship I invited Randy to be my special guest and we recorded the tracks live in my home studio. He plays amazing guitar licks and the song has ended up a favorite on the album..."From One Place... to Another!"

Josh Gates

Listen to "Josh Gates From Expedition Uknown" on Spreaker. Josh Gates is always packed and seldom home. He is an avid explorer whose unique brand of humor and deep-rooted passion for adventure propels him to the farthest corners of the world. Discovery Channel’s hit-series Expedition Unknown chronicles Gates as he sets out on a global quest to find the truth behind iconic legends and thrilling archaeological mysteries. A best selling author, he also hosts Legendary Locations on Travel Channel and Josh Gates’ Destination Truth. He holds a degree from Tufts University in Archaeology and is a member of The Explorers Club – a prestigious organization dedicated to the advancement of exploration and field research. Josh also serves as a trustee on the governing board of the Archaeological Institute of America.