Terry Gross

Lomax, along with his father, used portable recording equipment to capture regional American music -- including the songs of African Americans, prisoners, and the legendary Woody Guthrie. This effort eventually led to the founding of the American Folklife Center.

Davidson's act earned him a spot on the sketch comedy show In Living Color, starring the Wayans brothers. He grew up in Washington, DC and began performing at a topless club. Davidson's comedy special will soon air on the Showtime network.

Along with bandmate Stephen Stills -- and occasionally Neil Young -- Crosby and Nash have been writing and recording folk rock songs with distinctive, tight harmonies. Their career began in the 1960s, and has weathered addiction and personal conflict. Crosby, Stills & Nash have a new album called Live It Up.

Commentator Leslie Savan says that American corporations have a vested interest in breaking into Soviet Bloc markets -- and they're spreading their capitalist message through TV ads.

The French Chef, Julia Child. She spent three decades explaining French cuisine to modern American audiences in several Peabody and Emmy Award-winning PBS shows. Child is also the author of several cookbooks, including her newest, "The Way to Cook."

Journalist Randy Shilts just returned from the latest International AIDS Conference in San Francisco. He says there is a revitalized push for the development of new drug treatments and a vaccine. Yet there have been protests against the volunteer-based model of AIDS outreach and treatment. After eight years, Shilts plans to stop reporting on the disease.

Film critic Owen Gleiberman says the original Die Hard succeed in part because it was tightly plotted and plausible -- for an action movie. But it's hard to imagine Bruce Willis's John McClane fighting terrorists throughout the sprawl of Washington, D.C.

Kane says his inspirations for the iconic superhero included drawings by Leonardo da Vinci and Zorro. He designed Batman to be more relatable than Superman; Bruce Wayne may be rich and strong, but he's also mortal. Kane recently worked as a consultant on Tim Burton's new film adaptation, and has a new autobiography, called Batman & Me.

Vaughn is strongly influenced by the rock and roll of the 1950s. In addition to his career as a musician, he is an avid record collector. His new album is called Dressed in Black.

Lee says his substantial height kept him from landing leading man roles. During his long-running career, he's appeared in over 150 films. Lee made a name for himself in horror, playing both Dracula and Frankenstein's monster. He's starring in the forthcoming sequel to Gremlins.