How Louis Armstrong became the first Black pop star
Author Ricky Riccardi says Armstrong's innovations as a trumpeter and vocalist helped set the entire soundtrack of the 20th century. His new book about Armstrong's early life is Stomp Off, Let's Go.
A Young Doctor Turns Detective In 'The Unknown Girl'
A woman turns up dead the day after a doctor, Jenny, ignores the woman's after-hour visit to her clinic. Jenny's sense of guilt pushes her to conduct her own investigation.
'Top Of The Lake: China Girl' Takes You Places Cop Shows Usually Ignore
The TV series' second season takes place four years after its first, and begins with an unknown Asian woman's body washing up (in a suitcase) on a beach near Sydney.
Actress Pamela Adlon Says 'Better Things' Is Dedicated To Her Daughters
Adlon's FX series is based on her own experience raising three girls as a single mom. Her daughters are very much a part of the show, she says. Originally broadcast Sept. 6, 2016.
Two High-Profile Creators Pass The Baton From 'Twin Peaks' To 'The Deuce'
David Lynch's perplexing 18-hour revival just ended on Showtime, and David Simon's latest ambitious drama is about to begin on HBO.
Loudon Wainwright III Opens Up About The 'Exes & Excess' That Inform His Music
Wainwright has written remarkable songs about family, and how we hurt and heal each other. Now he details his life as a husband, father, son, philanderer and musician in the memoir Liner Notes.
Billy Bragg On Skiffle, The Movement That Brought Guitar To British Radio
The singer describes skiffle as "a bunch of British school boys in the mid '50s playing Lead Belly's repertoire ... on acoustic guitars." Originally broadcast July 19, 2017.
Fresh Air Weekend: Director Elia Kazan; Singer Ronnie Spector; Novelist John Updike
We commemorate Fresh Air's 30th anniversary as a nationally syndicated show with interviews from our first years on air. Kazan and Spector spoke to Terry Gross in '88. Updike's interview is from '89.
After Harvey Hit, A Houston-Based Novelist Forged Floodwaters To Reach His Mother
Though Mat Johnson's home wasn't flooded in the recent hurricane, the roads around him were. He had to pass these roads to make sure his elderly mother got the care she needed.
Celebrating 30 Years Of 'Fresh Air': Rocker Joey Ramone
The Ramones helped launch the punk rock scene in the mid 1970s with songs that were short, fast and loud. In 1988, lead singer Joey Ramone spoke to Terry Gross about the band's history.