Nineteen sixties
Fairport Convention band cofounder Richard Thompson looks back on his life in music
The British singer/guitarist talks about his formative years, and about pioneering a new musical genre that blended rock with traditional music of the British isles. Thompson's new memoir is Beeswing.
Remembering Ronnie Spector, lead singer of the Ronettes
Spector, who died Jan. 12, was part of the 1960s girl group that gave us "Be My Baby." She left the music business for some years but returned to recording in the 1970s. Originally broadcast in 1988.
Edgar Wright tells a different kind of ghost story in 'Last Night in Soho'
His latest film, Last Night in Soho, is set in the present day and tells the story of a young woman named Eloise who is transported in her dreams into the swinging '60s of London, where she lives out the life of another woman.
Tom Jones Remembers When Audiences Threw Underwear And Room Keys At Him
Jones became a pop star and sex symbol in the 1960s with "It's Not Unusual," "Delilah," and "What's New Pussycat?" His new album is Surrounded by Time. Originally broadcast in 2003.
'Hiding In Plain Sight' Corrects The Record On Lady Bird Johnson
The first lady is often remembered as a genteel Southerner who promoted highway beautification, but author Julia Sweig says archival records show Lady Bird was also a savvy political strategist.
Loretta Lynn Traces Her Roots From 'Coal Miner's Daughter' To Country Stardom
Lynn, who married when she was in her teens, later created controversy by singing about divorce and birth control. Her new album is Still Woman Enough.
Originally broadcast on Nov. 10, 2010.
Ben Harper And Mom Ellen Reflect On A Lifetime Immersed In A Folk Music 'Wonderland'
Ellen and Ben Harper both grew up in the Folk Music Center in Claremont Calif., which Ellen's parents founded in 1958. They join Fresh Air to discuss Ellen's new memoir, Always a Song.
Bernice Johnson Reagon On Leading Freedom Songs During The Civil Rights Movement
In the 1960s, Reagon was a founding member of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee's Freedom Singers. In 1988, she spoke to Fresh Air about the songs she sang as an activist.
The CIA's Secret Quest For Mind Control: Torture, LSD And A 'Poisoner In Chief'
Stephen Kinzer's new book 'Poisoner in Chief' is about the CIA's secret experiments with LSD in the 50s and 60s in search of a drug that could be weaponized to control the minds of enemies. It's also about the man who who led it.
'Cities Are Resilient,' Says Baltimore Crime Novelist Laura Lippman
Baltimore is the setting for Laura Lippman's noir novels, including her popular Tess Monaghan series, and her new stand-alone novel 'Lady in the Lake.' Her new novel is set in the mid 60s but deals with issues that are still with us like racism, sexism, and homophobia.