Terry Gross

This year marks the centennial of the birth of composer Richard Rodgers. He was born on June 28, 1902. We'll hear a concert of Rodgers' songs performed by singer Rebecca Kilgore and pianist Dave Frishberg. Rodgers was one of America's most prolific and best-loved composers. He collaborated with Lorenz Hart on the songs "My Funny Valentine," "The Lady is a Tramp," "Blue Moon" and "Bewitched." Later he went on to collaborate with Oscar Hammerstein on the musicals Oklahoma!, Carousel, South Pacific, The King and I and The Sound of Music.

In the late 1960s he founded the MC5, a Detroit band considered to be the prototype for punk rock. By 1972 the band had burned out. In between then and now, Kramer did time in jail for drugs, teamed up with Don and David Was to found the group Was (Not Was), and began a solo career. His new solo album is Adult World. This interview first aired August 20, 2002.

This is a repeat of Terry Gross' now-infamous interview with the Kiss band member. The band rose to prominence and popularity in the mid 1970s. They were known for their Halloweenish face paint, black-leather outfits, platform heels and grandiose stage shows where Simmons spit blood, belched fire and stuck out his seven-inch tongue. Simmons' autobiography is Kiss and Make-Up which details his early years growing up in Israel and later Brooklyn. This interview first aired February 4, 2002.

He has written a new biography of blues legend Muddy Waters, who is credited with inventing electric blues and creating the template for the rock and roll band. The book is Can't Be Satisfied: The Life and Times of Muddy Waters (Little, Brown). Gordon also produced and directed an accompanying documentary of the same name, which will be shown as part of the PBS American Masters series next year. Gordon's other books are It Came From Memphis and The King on the Road. He also produced the Al Green box set, Anthology. This interview first aired October 3, 2002.

He came to fame late in life when his music was featured on the triple-platinum soundtrack of the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?. Stanley sings and plays banjo. He won two Grammys this year for his performance of "O Death" on the O Brother record. At age 75, Stanley has just released a self-titled CD and continues to tour. He's recorded more than 170 albums in total, and has been performing continuously since 1946. This interview first aired July 15, 2002.

It's been 30 years since he created the gender-bending Ziggy Stardust, and produced the now classic album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Over the years Bowie has produced albums for Lou Reed and Iggy Pop, and collaborated with Brian Eno. Bowie also starred in the films The Man Who Fell to Earth, Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence and Basquiat. This interview first aired September 4, 2002.

With writer Penny Valentine, Wickham recently published Dancing with Demons: The Authorized Biography of Dusty Springfield. Wickham was a close friend of Springfield's, and managed her for more than a decade. This interview first aired January 2, 2002.

At the dawn of hip-hop, he recorded with the Furious Five. Their hits included "The Message" and "White Lines (Don't Do it)." Nearly 30 years ago, Flash created the "Quick Mix Theory" — the process of blending one music break with another. This interview first aired July 8, 2002.

His repertoire is American popular song. Early in his career he was an assistant to Ira Gershwin. He's also a collector of vintage recordings and musical memorabilia — especially that of the 1920s [through] the 1940s. Recently Rhino Records released an anthology of Feinstein's recordings. This interview first aired July 29, 2002.

They have collaborated on the CD box set, Frank Sinatra in Hollywood (1940-1964) which collects Sinatra's film recordings — many of them rare. Granata is a Sinatra historian and author of Sessions with Sinatra: Frank Sinatra and the Art of Recording.