The Top With Richie Phillips

For those who are still hesitant, what is it like to get your haircut in the age of Covid?  I found out.  I actually did this interview during an actual haircut with Albany veteran stylist "Chaz" from UPPER CUT.  You'll hear some buzzing and clipping sounds.  It's all real. And so is our discussion.  What precautions are being taken?  Is it really all that different than before? (I'll already tell you- YES- have you ever had your temperature taken in a salon before?)  I also included a song I wrote the last day of my raggedy look.  I'm sure some of you can relate!  Here's his contact info.  I highly recommend him.  Very cautious (being of the same age bracket!)  1729 Central Ave Albany, New York 12205 Phone (518) 869-8155   Status Today 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM   Hours

Although a very serious topic, I will admit this was an amazing experience to be able to undertake- a Zoom conference with great friends from Spain, England,  a newcomer from Atlanta, Georgia (who was in Finland for a year studying) , and here in Albany, NY. Kelly Jo Hearsey is a photographer and "Super Recognizer) for law enforcement.  Her husband Glenn installs and maintains cash register systems for restaurants and pubs. Both live in Buckinghamshire, England. Don Dworkin is a working musician from the Albany, NY area originally, and now living in  Madrid, Spain.  All 3 are longtime friends. Dana Haberling's name was given to me by my niece, Kiti Phillips.  Dana is studying for her degree in epidemiology in Atlanta, but studied abroad for a year in Finland. All of them give a  different "take" and amazing insights into the Covid pandemic from their experiences from where they reside,  and guarantee this will be a fascinating podcast to take a listen to.   The podcast ends with a bit of levity -  a love song

Another great discussion under less-than-happy circumstances.   We talk to Carmen Lookshire, Jeff Brisbin, and Joe Kulewicz of Skeeter Creek about how these popular Albany Area, Capital Region musicians are dealing with being unable to pursue their live performances. But we do talk in the positive as well and describe how they are coming up with clever alternatives in spite of the coronavirus.  Here is how you can follow these TOP TALENTS online: www.carmenlookshire.com  on Facebook @CarmenTheSinger www.jeffbrisbin.com  Joe Kulewicz at www.skeetercreek.com  on Facebook @Skeeter Creek My website (looking for a custom song for that special someone?  Info is on there!, along with booking info, some parody songs, nostalgic old photos etc...  www.hirerichie.com  on Facebook @Richie Phillips or Rhyminrichiephillips  Check out ALL the episodes on here ! (42 and counting).     PS I also include a short calendar of upcoming Facebook Live events featuring other Albany Area musicians ( at the end of the podcast) Please

If you are fans of these TOP TALENTS-  Erin Harkes, Chris Dollard, Sonny Daye and Perley Rousseau- and there are PLENTY of them in Albany's Capital Region and beyond, I ask that you take 1/2 hour or so of your time and listen to this discussion.  We all need entertainment and music in our lives, and these folks have been impacted bigly from this horrific pandemic.   They discuss their trials and tribulations here and possible things they are doing in the positive.  (And yes, you'll get some chuckles along the way)   This is Roundtable discussion 1- there will be more!    To follow them and support them:   www.erinharkes.com  and click on the Patreon page to help her out  ChrisDollard on Facebook  ChrisDollardmusic.com  Sonnyandperley.com Sonnyandperley on Facebook

Mark Fleischer is the grandson of renowned animation pioneer Max Fleischer, and CEO of Fleischer Studios in California. .  Our connection here is that Max's sister was my brother Bill and my grandmother.  So this is a thrill in many ways to connect with him.   Thanks again to Ginny Mahoney Max’s granddaughter) for connecting me with Mark in the first place.  It made for a fascinating look into the creations and inventions of Max and his brothers.   Go to www.fleischerstudios.com for extensive detailed history and archived cartoons!       I dedicate this podcast to all my family members who are branches of this big tree...(I’ll never get to them all......apologies in advance..).  but they include..   Ethel (Max Fleischer’s sister) and Ben Phillips (grandparents) Their 3 Kids and spouses:  Morton and Rosalind Phillips  (mom and dad),  Larry and Phyllis Phillips (aunt and uncle) Paula and Maurice Seide (aunt and uncle)   THEIR KIDS AND SPOUSES in order of the couples above...   Morton and Rosalind Phillips: RICH

This lady is EXACTLY what this podcast was created for.. to expose people to Top Talent..and SANGAH NOONA is IT!  Originally from South Korea, and now living in the Washington D.C. area, Sangah shows us how she has mastered the’88’s on YouTube and Facebook each week as well as in hotels in D.C. , and has a massive fan base to show for it.  (and she can now add ine more to that!) I stumbled upon her one night accidentally  by Googling “BEATLES PIANO”.  Her interpretations absolutely mesmerized me personally, and she plays EVERY genre imaginable.... Although I focus more on Albany NY area talent, I just HAD to make an exception.  Search her name on YouTube and sit back and you’ll see what I mean...And if you check it out on Sundays, you’ll see her LIVE taking requests! But before you do all that, please take a listen and share if you care!  ( I even wrote her a theme song because “NOONA” rhymes with where I live.. NISKAYUNA!). I couldn’t resist as I am now a HUGE fan, and you will be too!

Write this name down, cuz you're going to see a lot of her in the very near future.  That's my prediction (and hope) for Carmen Lookshire - a very, very talented Capital Region singer/songwritert and actress as well!   She was recently seen as Toby Ragg in “Sweeney Todd” with Two of Us Productions and as Nina Rosario in Schenectady Light Opera Company’s production of “In the Heights”. Carmen has also performed at various venues with guitarist Joe Carrick in New York, including Club Helsinki - Hudson Eden Café-Loudonville Wellington’s-Albany Cuckoo’s Nest - Albany Athos Restaurant Sperry’s -Saratoga The Duplex-NYC      We discuss the music biz in general, her new album "FOR LOVE", her experience recording in the studio,  and some really great advice to singers just starting out in the clubs (especially those in which the patrons don't seem to be paying attention -which is most of them!)  Her website is www.carmenlookshire.com.      Mine, by the way, if you are looking for some rollicking piano en

Multi-talented newscaster, actor, singer, and all around pro - the Capital Region's Benita Zahn- is my guest on this episode.  We explore her background, how she balances her work with personal life, and examine the multitude of prestigious awards she has garnered over the years (despite her reluctance to pat herself on the back...) We talk theatre, health, her husband and much more!  She also has a podcast called EVERYTHING THEATRE - available on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get yours!  It airs every other Tuesday (kinda like mine!)  I also composed a little personalized theme song right at the top to salute her -which reminds me... I did it for her, and I can do one for YOU! If you have a person you would like to pay tribute to, I can write a song for you that I will record and email for your approval.   You can then forward it to whomever!  Surprise them at work, at home, or play it at their birthday, retirement party, employee recognition nite or the like.  I'm calling them "RichieRhymes", and if you em

You don't necessarily have to live in the Capital Region to appreciate Al Bruno, but if you do, I'm sure you've either have heard him, seen him, or hired him -but always enjoyed him.  He is one of the musical "Road Warriors" who is out there singing his heart out in clubs and at private events in the Albany area AND BEYOND.  He is even in the process of recording a song in Nashville- produced and written by singer-songwriter and Montgomery Gentry band leader Eddie Kilgallon.   Al mentions Eddie in this interview along with someone else who he feels was influential in his career, former Albany area DJ Ric Mitchell. Talented singer-songwriter Mirinda James also gets her own props from Al. I hope you enjoy this interview.  Please subscribe to this podcast!  I would appreciate it greatly!  My website for booking information BTW is www.hirerichie.com.  I am available for private parties, weddings and company events.  I'll even write you a personalized song!!

This is a little bit of extra content.. a ditty I wrote about the ridiculous law enacted in New York that would prohibit courts in NY from requiring bail money. I saw people getting riled up on Facebook and Twitter and thought I would try to put it to song !   It’s a rhyming editorial!Please feel free to share this and I invite you to subscribe to the podcast in general!

This podcast is truly a labor of love. It has personal meeting to me because every year since 1988 I have written a year end wrap-up song – and always a parody of the same tune- “WHEN JOHNNY COMES MARCHING HOME”.  No one’s really asked me to do it – and I’m not sure anyone cares if I do or not to be honest – but it’s just something that I thought would almost end up being a musical diary of what’s happened in the world For the past 3 plus decades.   Hopefully my grandson Aaron listen to it someday and will discover what a disturbed Grandpa he had!  In the podcast you’ll hear the very first one that I did in In the podcast you’ll hear the very first one that I did in and my latest.  ENJOY!  Happy 2020!

This was an honor and a privilege to be able to highlight student talent in Albany's Capital Region, specifically Mohonasen High School in Rotterdam.  Dylan Smith and Laura Rickard are both talented musicians who have taken it upon themselves to write and record an original composition entitled  "Seconds" (Disclaimer here- this is a demo of their final production- I forgot to mention this in the interview- it's a work in progress.  Laura and Dylan are members of a band at the school who's members are going to add tracks to this, and I will post the final work when I get it) Special thanks to their music teacher, Gail Sparlin, for her leadership and source of inspiration to these students.   There are so many schools who have "nixed" their music programs altogether.  It's so great to see at least one school here that seems to put a unique emphasis on music education.   ROCK ON!!!  Please feel free to spread this podcast around to let everyone hear the song!!!

It took awhile to make this happen, with many bumps along the way technically (apologies for the sketchy audio here -and you should have heard it BEFORE I fixed it!), but here it is- my EXCLUSIVE interview with the Capital Region's very own-- WEATHERMAN G!  It began as a hobby and he has fast become a local and regional phenomenon with thousands of facebook followers -eagerly waiting for his next round of colored charts and important prognostications! And he's incredibly accurate as we all know, though we know so little about him -  UNTIL NOW!! You'll be entertained and you'll learn about the finer points of weather forecasting.  (He also has some pretty specific info about what mother nature has in store for us this year - you won't want to miss that!) PLUS - I have written him a theme song, cuz I thought he needed it. That's included as well...   ENJOY!

It's Top Talent :Radio Legends -Series 1: Fun interview with old friend and former colleague from radio station WGNA in Albany NY, "Dick Stark After Dark".  There are fun anecdotes from our time on the air, we discuss the changes in the radio biz, famous folks we ment, plus there's a clip of a song he cowrote with his brother David - recorded in Nashville- PLUS special surprise guests, including some other legends-yes- my 17 year morning radio partner and great friend - SEAN MCMASTER from my years on the  SEAN AND RICHIE SHOW.  (Sean and wife Andrea are now on B95.5 in Albany).   We also hear from our old boss, former program director and radio icon RONALD "BUZZ" BRINDLE, PLUS a distraught listener of Dick's who was callously insulted by him on the air years ago.  He gets equal time on this podcast!    I also include at the end (36 minutes in) a novelty song that I wrote years ago to answer the question " Where's the better place to live- upstate or downstate New York? It's my "RHYMATORIAL" hopefully for your

Interview with Cohoes, New York,  Albany area and Capital Region resident: Season 17 finalist from American Idol, Madison Vandenburg.  Almost all questions in this episode come from Facebook fans.  Thanks for your contributions! I also play "This is Your Life" with her to see if she can identify "the mystery voice" from her past! Order her new song "What I'm Looking For", her merch and catch up on her upcoming appearances at https://www.madisonvandenburg.com/   Looking for music and entertainment for your next event? Conferences, weddings, retirement parties, corporate functions ? I can write you a customized song about your group!  Info and testimonials at  www.hirerichie.com/testimonials or www.rhyminrichie.com/testimonials (both take you to the same place) Do you know someone who is super dooper, over the top talented?  I'd love to have them on!  Shoot me an email https://rhyminrichie.com/contact Find me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rhyminrichie                        Twitter www.twitter.com/Rhy

Meet Emily who is part of a much needed new generation of police officers coming forward to serve their communities.  We dive into her background and her very touching story of what motivated her to join the “Men and Women in Blue”   Interested in music for your next event. Check out my website at www.rhyminrichie.com

We go very local this time – if you live in the Capital Region of New York State, you’ll know of this town.  It has exploded in growth over the years, so I thought I would TAKE IT TO THE TOP and find out how it all happened and who was at least partly responsible.. Some say they deserve credit, others say they should be blamed for transforming a quiet little town into a shopping mecca. Former county supervisor ROY MCDONALD is my guest.   The song that I wrote for Wilton’s 200th anniversary is at the end of the podcast if you’d like to scroll ahead.  To be specific it starts approximately  at the 33 min 40 second mark.    A song that I wrote several years ago for the town while on the air for a feature called Your Town Thursday is here  https://youtu.be/GJwphyROB1Y   THIS PODCAST IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY YOURS TRULY.  IF TOU ARE LOOKING FOR ENTERTAINMENT FOR YOUR NEXT EVENT http://www.hirerichie.com or email me at richie1077@gmail.com

Hey -we all procrastinate in one way or another, don't we?  Apologies in advance! This one is a tad late, I will admit.   As I will explain in the podcast, every single year since 1988 I have written a song rhyming the top issues of the year. I did it in conjunction with my function (which rhymes) as a singing morning show cohost on WGNA in Albany, NY. Well, had an inquiry on Facebook from long time listener and friend Michele Miller asking me where this year's song could be found....Uye Vey - the guilt, the guilt!   So I locked myself in my home studio and came up with this, my 30th end of year song (parodying the same tune each year: "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" ) I also include the very first one I wrote in 1988, which is fun to just relive the issues of the day! Please enjoy this podcast.  There is also a video version of this on my YouTube channel- search  "Richie Phillips".   Thanks, and let's hope for a better, brighter, and safer 2019.                                                LET'S MAKE AME

Even if you think you HAVEN'T heard him - you actually HAVE - many many times. (You'll have to listen to find out why and how!)  John Dicrosta is a phenomenal comic, voiceover artist, actor and all around great podcast guest.   If you like what you hear, you can buy his album - "MULTIPLE CHARACTER DISORDER" - available on iTunes, Amazon.com,  in Walmart stores  and other fine retailers...  Shoot him an email if you'd like an autographed copy -  John@johndicrosta.com If you live in New York's Capital District or surrounding area, you can see him in person on New Year's Eve at Proctors Theatre in Schenectady.  Check their website for tix!   www.proctors.org      FYI ....My sponsor for these podcasts is yours truly.  I'd rather have it that way so I can do what I want and not have to bombard you with advertisements.     So please consider me if you are looking for music, personalized song parodies and the like for your next event - big or small.    My website is www.hirerichie.com and email is Richie1077@gmail.c

He's published 45 books - (not a typo) on top musical talent- mostly in the rock and hip hop genres, but this time music biographer Jake Brown turns his attention to what he feels is an underappreciated group - the songwriters behind COUNTRY music's biggest hits.   His book ( the second of a series) is called: and you will be THOROUGHLY entertained by his incredible in-depth research into country music's songwriting community.  (And you will be dazzled by his encyclopedic knowledge by listening to this interview)    The book is available on Oct 15th in physical and digital formats. You can pre-order on Amazon.com https://www.amazon.com/Nashville-Songwriter-Stories-Country-Greatest/dp/0983471681/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1539043317&sr=8-1&keywords=nashville+songwriter+ii