DOUG THOMPSON: CONFESSIONS OF A PROFESSIONAL ROCK AND ROLL INTERVIEWER – ONE NIGHT WITH DAVID FOSTER MADE MY DAY.

Over the past 40 years, I’ve been fortunate to interview well over a thousand rock stars, pop stars, musicians, songwriters, session players, engineers and producers.  The stars usually have a pat answer (although not always), but I’ve always enjoyed interviewing behind-the-scenes people as they have the best stories and usually don’t get to tell them that often.

Darrell Vickers: Mr. John We Hardly Knew Ye

Most people have the misguided, almost laughable-if-it-weren’t-so-cryable, perception that being a TV comedy writer is a glamorous occupation.  Admittedly, if your definition of epic razzmatazz is living out your days staring at a computer screen and despising the entire universe then yes, by all means, we are up to our naughty parts in tinsel and glitter.

Oh sure, there have been a few fleeting nanoseconds that have come close to some sort of spellbinding glitz.  I’ve been nominated for four Emmys.  Lost each and every time.  I guess that makes me the Buffalo Bills of comedy.  There’s this marvelous moment when you get out of the stretch limo in front of the Shrine Auditorium.  At first, there’s an electrical surge of excitement that goes through the crowd which quickly turns to crestfallen bitterness when they realize that it’s only you.  In that instant, you become the turd in the entertainment world’s punchbowl.