Tribute/Appreciation

World music critic Milo Miles offers a tribute to South African singer "Mahlathini". He died last week at the age of 61. Simon Nkabinde Mahlathini (nicknamed "the Lion of Soweto") was best known for his lead vocals for the group Mahlathini and the Mhaotella Queens after emerging on the international stage with the 1985 sampler The Indestructible Beat of Soweto.

Novelist, screenwriter and biographer A.E. Hotchner. His memoir "Papa Hemingway" (Carroll & Graff) about his friend and colleague, Ernest Hemingway has just been republished. Hotchner met Hemingway when he was a 20-something journalist, on assignment to interview Hemingway for Cosmopolitan magazine. That first interview in 1948 developed into a 14 year friendship.

We remember one of America's great lyricists, Yip Harburg. He wrote over 500 songs including, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," "Brother Can You Spare a Dime," and "It's Only a Paper Moon." We talk with his son, Ernie Harburg and his wife Deena Rosenberg. They have collaborated on the new show "Somewhere Over the Rainbow: Yip Harburg's America" which is showing this week in Philadelphia. Rosenberg worked closely with Yip Harburg for nearly a decade including working with him on the early concept of this show. Yip Harburg died in 1981.

Film director Stanley Donen (DAH-nen) talks about directing Fred Astaire in "Funny Face," and "Royal Wedding." Last year, Donen received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Motion Pictures. His other films include: "Singin' in the Rain" (1952) "It's Always Fair Weather" (1955) "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" (1954) and "Charade" (1963)

Today marks the Centennial of Fred Astaire's birthday. First, we'll hear from Will Friedwald on Astaire's singing ability. He says while Astaire didn't have the best voice, he was still wonderful to listen to. Friedwald is author of several books on Singers including: The Tony Bennett autobiography "The Good Life," "Sinatra! The Song is You: A Singer's Art," and "Jazz Singing :America's Great Voices from Bessie Smith to Bebop and Beyond"

Pianist Peter Mintun talks about how Fred Astaire's movies impacted his career. Mintun is considered one of today’s leading interpreters of popular songs composed between the two world wars which he calls classic melodies that transcend time.

To complete our celebration of the centennial of Duke Ellington's birth (April 29th, 1899) a talk with music critic Gary Giddins. He won the National Book Critics Circle award for criticism for his new book "Visions of Jazz: The First Century." (Oxford Press). Giddins has written for The Village Voice for 25 years.

Dave Brubeck talks about Duke Ellington.

Crime novelist Evan Hunter talks about writing the screenplay for Alfred Hitchcock's classic film "The Birds". In 1997, he wrote "Me and Hitch" detailing his working relationship with Hitchcock. He is the author of "The Blackboard Jungle," and "Privileged Conversation." Under the pseudonym Ed McBain, he is the author of a series of mystery novels for which he won the British Crime Writers Association's highest award, the Diamond Dagger, and the Mystery Writers of America's Grand Master Award.

Actress Janet Leigh talks about working in Alfred Hitchcock's most infamous film "Psycho". She starred as Marion Crane who was Norman Bates kills in the infamous shower scene. Leigh wrote about the film in the 1995 book "Psycho: Janet Leigh Behind the Scenes of The Classic Thriller" Also The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) next month will feature the exhibit "Alfred Hitchcock: Behind the Silhouette".