Terry Gross

Singer and pianist Ray Charles. He was born in Albany, Georgia. Charles created a new sound when he merged country, blues, R&B and gospel music. His hits include classics such as I Got a Woman, Unchain My Heart, Georgia on My Mind, and Ruby. He has won 12 Grammy Awards.

We begin with a rare interview with the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin. She's won fifteen Grammy awards and is the first woman to be inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. She was born and grew up in Detroit. The state of Michigan has proclaimed her voice a natural resource. Her hits include "Respect," "I Say a Little Prayer," and "You Make me Feel Like a Natural Woman."

Rock musician NEIL YOUNG. In 1966 he joined the L.A. rock band Buffalo Springfield; they split up 3 albums later due to inter-band fighting and their lack of commercial success. YOUNG then meandered from band to band, including "Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young," while doing a lot of solo work as well. He's been called the "Godfather of Grunge" and "The king of punk."

Author Elizabeth Gitter. Her book is The Imprisoned Guest: Samuel Howe and Laura Bridgman, the Original Deaf-Blind Girl. (FSG) Gitter came upon the story of Laura Bridgman and was fascinated by this forgotten chapter of history. Bridgman learned to read and write, but her fame was eclipsed by the more charming and attractive Helen Keller. Gitter is a professor of English at the City University of New York John Jay College. She specializes in the Victorian era.

Dancer and actress Marge Champion starred in some of the great musicals of the 1950s, including the films Show Boat and Mr. Music, as well as several stage productions and television shows, along with her partner Gower Champion. She acted in some notable films, including The Swimmer (1968). Her career spans many decades and she was most recently in a Broadway revival of Follies. Champion teaches classes at Jacob Pillow Dance Festival.

Actor Dominic Chianese plays Uncle Junior on the hit HBO series The Sopranos. He been nominated for an Emmy. He had roles in TV shows such as Kojak, Law and Order, and films including Dog Day Afternoon, and The Godfather Part II. At the age of 70, he is now launching a singing career. His new album is called Hits (Madacy Entertainment Group). He brings his guitar to the studio.

Dana Wechsler Linden and Mia Wechsler Doron, M.D., authors of the book, Preemies: the Essential Guide for Parents of Premature Babies. Linden and Doron are sisters, both personally interested in providing information to the public about premature babies. Ms. Linden gave birth to premature twins, and is a journalist. She is also a former senior editor at Forbes Magazine. Dr. Doron is a neonatologist at the Newborn Critical Care Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Dr. Peter Nathanielsz, author of The Prenatal Prescription, (Harper Collins). Dr Nathanielsz explains what happens to the fetus while in a mother womb. He claims that the environment created in the womb affects a person throughout life, especially in areas of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and mood disorders. Nathanielsz is the director of the Laboratory for Pregnancy and Newborn Research at Cornell University.

Stacey and Doug Loizeaux are niece and uncle, and are part of the family-owned demolition company, Controlled Demolition, of Maryland. They are experts at imploding buildings. The buildings theye brought down include the Seattle Kingdome, the Sands Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas(which was brought down spectacularly with a fireworks display), and the bombed federal building in Oklahoma City. Doug father pioneered the techniques of implosion nearly 60 years ago.