Game Changers With Vicki Abelson

Today, LIVE, Thaao Penghlis, who at first meeting took my breath away. He continues to. Three Emmy-nominated for Days of Our Lives, I well remember him from my soap-addicted daze. I’ve been thrilled to discover that aside from being ridiculously easy on the eyes, with a velvet voice, and that sexy accent, he’s also deeply spiritual, widely wise, passionate, talented in so many ways, and fun! A delicious human. Thaao's first cinematic starring role was in John Avildson’s Slow Dancing in the Big City, followed by Ken Russell's Altered States, with William Hurt, and as Dame Edna’s love interest in Les Patterson Saves the World. He also played the lead, Nicholas Black, in the television series Mission: Impossible, and starred in several mini-series, including Tribe, Memories of Midnight, and Under Siege. Taking the part of Victor Cassadine in General Hospital, Thaao gathered such a strong following that ABC received thousands of letters asking that they bring him back after his storyline ended. Before ABC acted, NBC offered him the part of Count Anthony DiMera on Days of Our Lives, keeping him on the popularity charts for four decades and then some. A master traveler, Thaao had his own podcast, The Lost Treasures, and has authored two books, Places: The Journey of My Days, My Lives, and Seducing Celebrities One Meal at a Time. And returns with his new podcast, The Great Escape. Thaao is super smart, sexy fun. I always walk away enlightened, entertained, and warmed to my core. Can't wait to be reunited and get schooled once again. Thaao Penghlis Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson Wed, June 24, 5 pm PT, 8 pm ET Streaming Live on my FB, YouTube & LinkedIn

It just doesn’t get better than this. I knew, and have known since I was 10, that Peter Noone is easy on the eyes and the ears. Meeting him recently after his show at The Canyon Club in LA, I also knew he was funny, crazy talented, nice to a fault, and charismatic as hell. What I didn’t know was that Mr. Herman’s Hermits, a name chosen for hysterical reasons (he ‘spains), would regale us with story after story, many previously untold (I listened to a load of his interviews today), before tonight, one more precious than the next, each told with wild enthusiasm and almost reckless, but not quite, abandon. We laughed like hell for the entire hour and forty minutes. Reading the comments on Facebook, which we couldn’t see during the broadcast, so did the Live audience. There were a few technical glitches before, during, and it turns out, after, but so what! This show is a gem, a diamond in its glory, nothing rough about it… Well, the tech stuff, but who cares? It’s like having the best slice of pizza and quibbling over a little dripped cheese. Peter, with his 60 million records sold, 7 gold albums, and 14 gold records, has met and has known everybody who’s anybody, and I do mean everybody, and he shares juicy tales from the front, back, and side about so many of them. Friends with the Beatles, Peter’s remembrances of John and Paul are priceless. Likewise, Elvis, Bowie, Mick Jagger, Eric Burdon, Leslie Gore, Graham Nash & The Hollies, The Cavern, meeting his wife at a Hendrix Concert and marrying her on his 21st birthday because… well, I let him tell you, his family foibles, the drinking, more drinking, getting sober, advice on drugging from Keith Richards, hysterical, and the creme de la creme with Richard McArthur Park Harris, worth the price of admission. There was some singing here and there, including a bissel, There’s a Kind of Hush. Speaking of bissel, Peter’s got more Yiddish than I do. The story of his nuptials with his French, Jewish bride in a Roman Catholic church is pure Peter. From the man who gave us, I’m Into Something Good, Mrs. Brown, You’ve Got A Lovely Daughter, I’m Henry VIII, I Am, Can’t You Hear My Heartbeat, Listen People, No Milk Today, we got a treasure trove of bliss. It just doesn’t get better than this! Peter Noone Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson **Wed, June 3rd, 7 pm PT, 10 pm ET**

Getting kissed by Sean Connery, whilst he was James Bond, fanned repeatedly by Bob Dylan when she sang, plucked for a film by Frank Sinatra, bagels and the part of a lifetime from Tom Hanks, gaslit and insulted by Jerry Lewis, adored and showcased by Dean Martin, wildly successful club proprietor with Hugh Hefner, best friends with Connie Stevens, and Diane Ladd, taught a golden secret by Shelley Winters, asked to serenade her hero Judy Garland, and then had the favor returned, making the funny with Renee Taylor, the straight serious with John Houseman, stress understudying Barbara Streisand, mad love for Bette Midler, who almost played her, Tony, Emmy Golden Globe nominee, Lainie Kazan, dancer, singer, actor, spilled all this and so much more! My favorite character in my favorite movie, My Favorite Year, we got the behind-the-scenes fun, Peter O’Toole and his wonderfulness, improvising one of the funniest lines, likewise with My Big Fat Greek Wedding, which she waited a year to hear, then had the time of her life with a cast she’s still connected to. What a life Lainie’s led! What work she’s done! And what a fun, fierce, and fabulous woman she is! Blessed to call her a friend and even more to know she was off to have drinks and dinner with my mother, which she does most nights. I can’t wait for her in-process memoir, sure to shock, delight, and thrill. I love Lainie! Who doesn’t! Lainie Kazan Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson Wed, May 27, 5 pm PT, 8 pm ET Streamed Live on my FB, YouTube & LinkedIn

Jeff Bridges, her boyfriend, Jeff Beck, a fan boy, Roger Daltrey, the boy next door, and OJ & Nicole, her party guests. She can prove it. She’s got Polaroids of all of them, and so many more. They’re all in her new book, Tight Heads, available here at allnight-menu.com just in time for the holidays. It was great to sit down and catch up with my pal, Candy Clark. We used to run around BC (before COVID) and shared a bunch of Hollywood adventures, and bumped into each other at a concert or two. It’s been way too long and more Zoom than not since the whole pandemic thing. Candy never stopped making the scene; I’ve barely dipped a toe. Time to change that. And with whom better than this exuberant, energetic, indefatigable beauty? We talked Candy’s life change from Texas receptionist to New York model with $10 and a business card in her pocket. How she parlayed that to hooking up with American film royalty, an Academy Award nomination, co-starring with a rockstar, and partying with everybody, everywhere, all at once. Love this amazing woman who refuses to age or grow up. Thank God! Great stories, and she’s so damn easy on the eyes. Candy Clark on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson- SWEET! Wednesday, 11/19/25, 5 PM PT/ 8 PM ET Streamed Live on my FB, YouTube & LinkedIn

Billy Joel, John Fogerty, Bassist David Santos Kills Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson I was so looking forward to catching up with bassist David Santos after almost 40 years. Insane in itself! The sit-down stunningly exceeded my expectations. What crazy fun! David regaled us with story after story… starting with gigging for me on Bleecker Street, doing weddings, The Ringo AllStar Band, sans Ringo, with Billy Preston, Lou Gramm, Mark Farner, Felix Cavaliere, Liberty DeVito, Mark Rivera, Randy Bachman, and a backup singer named Wendy Moten who would change and share his life. They’re a rare rock n’ roll romance success story, today, 30+ years later. David took us through his 3ish years with Billy Joel, how he got the gig, and how he lost it, 13 years with John Fogerty, how he got it and then lost it, Melissa Etheridge, 7 years, how it got it and lost it, Fleetwood Mac, 1 day, how he got it, lost it, 5 yrs with Crosby, Stills, & Nash, getting it, losing it - does there seem to be a pattern here... yup, hysterically summed up each time. Sure, it’s funny now, in retrospect, as David has great perspective, self-awareness, good humor, and humility. He’s amassed wisdom to add to his formidable talent, perseverance, and ambition. And he always lands bass up! Unlike me, who literally did an unintended mic drop. As was pointed out, this meaty conversation had comedy, drama, romance, intrigue, horror, heart, and life lessons galore. I could have talked to David all night and still have wanted more. And more, I’ll get. We have a face-to-face reunion in the reals with Wendy and Snuffy in Nashville coming up. Can you imagine the music those three could make? Don’t know if that’s on the menu, but do know we’ll be seeing Wendy at the Grand Ole Opry, and sharing great local eats! What a way to ring in my next year! David Santos Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson Wednesday, 10/8/25, 5 PM PT/ 8 PM ET Streamed Live on my FB & YouTube Links in the Comments Replay here: http://bit.ly/46TQ3M4 and here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DGNYDGbnpE4&t=3s

The Blues Magoos Peppy Castro Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson There’s fun, and then there’s spending two hours with The Blues Magoos Peppy Castro! He’s lived a rockers’ life to covet and then some! The Who, Hendrix, Dylan, Jefferson Airplane, JOHN LENNON for Gd’s sake! Stories, stories, stories, one better than the next. He drove a Beatle in a Beetle! Who can say that? Skipping school and playing the Night Owl in the village when he was 14. 14! When Jimi used to stop in and jam, when Bob would roam the streets with his guitar, when Richie Havens would just wander in… doing the Jack Benny Show with Henny Youngman and Morey Amsterdam firing schtick in the green room, doing The Smother’s Brother’s Comedy Hour with Tommy trying to join the band, touring with The Who and Herman’s Hermits and The Who were the middle act! An insane story about Micheal Botlon, about getting the role in the original production of Hair on Broadway, doing jingle after jingle - with one I’m still singing… we talked Phoebe Snow, Laura Branigan, Buzzy Linhardt, Jay & The Americans, The Turtles with beloved Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, Tommy James, Lou Cristie, Joan Jett, on and on, and on! FAB! FAB! FAB! Forty years in the making - we could’ve screamed across the street at each other in the 80s. I did visit his penthouse once, but thought it was elsewhere. There may or may not have been a lotta pot involved. The antidote to today’s latest crazy… this thing right here. Just hit play. It’s the joy button. Promise! The Blues Magoos Peppy Castro Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson Wednesday, 9/17/25, 5 PM PT/ 8 PM ET Streamed Live on my FB & YouTube Replay: http://bit.ly/46d9CA0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MI5Mbp2uy8U&t=2169s

Liberty DeVitto Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson Sitting down with iconic Billy Joel drummer, Liberty DeVitto, after a too-long three-year hiatus was fantastical! Friends since the 80s, I never get enough of Lib’s stories and his spectacular storytelling. Hot off the heels of being a major player in the current HBO/MAX Billy Joel doc, And So It Goes, Lib caught us up and filled in the blanks. Over the course of five interviews spanning the last decade, pieces of the story have been uncovered; today, Liberty put them all together. How did Billy’s once fierce loyalty wane, replaced with a detached coldness? The reasons stated in the doc, only part of the story. We got the deets, including turning down George Martin in favor of his band, refusing a ride to McCartney’s 911 recording session when there wasn’t room for Lib in the car, and to an ill-shared secret spilled by Lib’s then wife to Billy’s then wife, Christie. Liberty’s sobriety sobering, and a joy killer to Billy. How the end came down without a word to their longtime bandmates, Russell Javors and Doug Stegmeyer, perhaps responsible for the latter’s demise. And how, sometime later, the same fate awaited Liberty. The truth about his lawsuit and why he fought. Elizabeth Weber, Billy’s first wife and manager’s support, and why she finally chose to speak up and set the record straight. Lib talked about his and Billy’s 15-year silence following their 30-year collaboration, their reconciliation, and their ongoing renewed friendship, as Billy faces serious health issues. We got the scoop on his meeting Beatles, Ringo and Paul, playing with them - full circle from their inspiring his life’s path. Karen Carpenter, Carly Simon, The Beach Boys, Phoebe Snow, Ronnie Spector, just a few he’s shared a studio and or a stage with. How, with Billy’s blessing, the original Billy Joel Band, Liberty, Richie Cannata (gratefully recovered from a life-threatening aortic dissection), and Russell Javors, carry on as The Lords of 52nd Street, and how his Slim Kings are amassing a huge following, dropping a new record, and readying to tour. He’s got a gorgeous wife, a happy marriage, four thriving daughters, and two grandchildren; he’s sober. Life is good! Mine’s better with Liberty in it. Adore the man! Liberty Devitto Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson Wednesday, 8/27/25, 5 PM PT/ 8 PM ET Streamed Live on my FB & YouTube http://bit.ly/4mV01nn https://www.youtube.com/live/9q2bOQD6ZuM

Bradley Whitford Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson It was a sweet reunion when 3 x Emmy-winner Bradley Whitford of The West Wing was surprised and serenaded by composer Snuffy Walden, with the show’s Emmy-winning theme. They share quite a bit of history, having also done Sorkin’s Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. Last night Snuff and I binged the pilot episodes of both shows and were astounded by how timely they still are. Bradley and I discussed his storyline in that first West Wing, which could’ve been ripped out of today’s headlines. We also talked about Studio 60 and the irony of Danny Trip’s confession to Matt Albie, played by Matthew Perry, about his drug slip. Bradley’s emotional remembrance of the show, its cast, and specifically Matthew’s comedic brilliance, and the pocket of sobriety for Matt that allowed for some of his best work. Bradley ain’t no Hollywood fluffernutter. Of progressive Quaker stock, his father, who worked at an insurance company, was the local president of Planned Parenthood before it was political, his mother was an outspoken advocate, and his brother, a conscientious objector. Talk about an unusual childhood, he has an 85-year-old sister. Bradley came from a loving, functional home, and still became an actor. Now that’s an anomaly right there. We did a deep dive into the state of the union. Thoughtful, passionate, and in solution, Bradley puts his activism where his mouth is. We talked Trump, Musk, Kennedy, gender affirming care, Biden, Kamala, Hillary, Iran, immigration, how art will not save us, only politics will. And yet much of Bradley’s art is political. We spoke about The Handmaid’s Tale from innumerable angles. For me, arguably perhaps the greatest show ever on television, and his Commander Lawrence, is probably the most layered, complex character he’s portrayed. We talked about Elisabeth and their earlier connection in The West Wing, Anne Dowd, and how her spectacular performance inspired Margaret Atwood’s writing, The Testaments, for her. Bradley was far more interested in talking about current affairs and how essential it is that we do more than talk than he was in talking about his work. But we did squeeze in some time to discuss For Worse, the indie feature his bride, Amy Landecker, wrote, directed, and stars in alongside Bradley. His respect, love, and admiration to Amy are adorable to behold. Making the festival circuit and winning awards along the way, I can’t wait to see the film loosely based on their romance. I’m a fan. A great, big avid Bradley Whitford fan. The last time we met, it was at a big Hollywood soiree. He was equally as open, personable, unaffected, opinionated, and accessible as he was this day. As much as I adore his work, I’m grateful as hell for his humanity and advocacy. I hope to consider “What would Bradley do” a whole lot more moving forward. And speaking of hope, he has it in abundance… mix that with some fun, his learned recipe’s secret sauce, and there’s good reason to trust that there are better days ahead. It’s up to us, all of us, to make it so. This should be essential viewing for anyone in fear and despair. Bradley Whitford Live on Game Changers With Vicki Abelson Wednesday, 6/25/25, 2 PM PT, 5 PM ET Streamed Live FB Replay http://bit.ly/4lv7rfX & YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFMXr8g9yyY&t=187s