A Prairie Home Companion from American Public Media

Special Guests
Saturday, June 6, 2009

Martin Sheen

Growing up in Dayton, Ohio, Martin Sheen (born Ramón Gerardo Antonio Estévez) always wanted to be an actor. His father thought otherwise, but undeterred, Sheen finally borrowed a few bucks from a local priest and headed for New York. That was in 1959. Over the years, he has piled up Emmys, Golden Globes and other accolades for his performances in movies such as Badlands, The Subject Was Roses, Apocalypse Now, The Departed and Bobby, and on television for "Kennedy," "Blind Ambition" and his seven seasons in the role of President Josiah Bartlet on NBC's "The West Wing." For his work as a tireless activist for social and environmental causes, he has received numerous honors, including the César E. Chávez Spirit Award.

k.d. lang

Vocal powerhouse k.d. lang was raised in a small town in Alberta, Canada, the youngest of four kids who all studied classical piano. She started singing when she was five and took up guitar a few years later. By the time she finished college, interest in the singer was growing, and early albums like 1984's Truly Western Experience (Bumstead) drew more attention. Major-label recordings followed, and a 1987 duet with Roy Orbison on his song "Crying" gave k.d. the first of four Grammy Awards. (The others came by way of her song "Constant Craving" and albums Absolute Torch and Twang and A Wonderful World, with Tony Bennett.) These days, the singer/songwriter/producer/arranger makes her home in Los Angeles. Watershed (Nonesuch) is her most recent album.

Sheryl Crow

Singer/songwriter Sheryl Crow has always had music in her life, starting with her childhood in Kennett, Missouri. Her parents did big band work — her dad, a lawyer, played trumpet; her mom sang and played piano. After earning a degree in voice and piano from the University of Missouri, Sheryl taught elementary school in the St. Louis area and sang in local clubs. But when she got the chance to do a McDonald's jingle, everything changed. She moved to California, became a backup singer for Michael Jackson, then launched a spectacular solo career with albums like Tuesday Night Music Club — which included her smash hit "All I Wanna Do" — The Globe Sessions and Wildflower. The latest recording from this nine-time Grammy winner is 2008's Detours (Interscope/A&M Records).

Heather Masse

Heather Masse grew up in rural Maine and currently makes her home in New York. She has appeared on A Prairie Home Companion a number of times, often with her band the Wailin' Jennys. Now, while the Jennys take a break from touring, Heather is keeping busy with other projects. She performs regularly with her Brooklyn-based outfit, Heather and the Barbarians — a group that first formed when the members were students at the New England Conservatory of Music. Their album Tell Me Tonight was released in 2007. Heather's solo EP is titled Many Moons (Heather Masse Music). Look for a full-length album from her later this year.

The Guy's All-Star Shoe Band

Richard Dworsky, who week in and week out leads A Prairie Home Companion's Guy's All-Star Shoe Band, is a classically trained pianist and composer who rocks, swings, plays great blues and gospel, tears it up on Hammond B3 organ, and keeps up with world-class pickers playing his unique "bluegrass piano" style. He writes all APHC's script themes and underscores, and during his 16-year stint, he has accompanied guests from James Taylor to Renée Fleming. His latest CD is So Near and Dear to Me (Prairie Home Productions).

Chet Atkins called Pat Donohue (guitar) one of the greatest finger pickers in the world today. And he writes songs too — recorded by Suzy Bogguss, Kenny Rogers and others. Freewayman (Bluesky Records) is the most recent of Pat's nine albums.

Gary Raynor (bass) has performed with the Count Basie band, Sammy Davis Jr. — with whom he toured for several years — and the Minnesota Klezmer Band. He teaches jazz bass at the McNally Smith College of Music in St. Paul.

Peter Johnson (percussion) has played klezmer music with Doc Severinsen and jazz with Dave Brubeck. He was a drummer for The Manhattan Transfer and for Gene Pitney. He has toured the world, but he always comes back to home base: Saint Paul.

Andy Stein (violin, saxophone) definitely has far-flung musical leanings. He collaborated with Garrison Keillor to create the opera Mr. and Mrs. Olson, and he has performed with artists such as Itzhak Perlman, Eric Clapton, Smashing Pumpkins, Billy Joel, Tony Bennett, Ray Charles and Bob Dylan.

The Greek Theatre

In December of 1896, Griffith J. Griffith, who had made a fortune in gold mine speculation, gave Los Angeles an extraordinary gift: He donated 3,015 acres to be made, as he specified, "a place of recreation and rest for the masses, a resort for the rank and file, for the plain people." In 1912, Griffith offered another gift to the city: funds to be used for an observatory and an outdoor theater in the park. Although the city declined, Griffith ultimately had his way. In his will, he left money to be spent on these projects. Built in 1929, the Greek Theatre has been used for dozens of school graduations, as the backdrop for numerous movies and TV shows, as Army barracks during World War II, and — best of all — as a place to enjoy live music under the stars, in the heart of Los Angeles.