Whoa. There I was, sitting on the piano bench as he played the hits he was involved in. "I know that song. And that one. I played that one on the radio when I was a DJ!" 

Because if it was a hit, there's a good chance Clarence McDonald had a couple hands in  it - on the keyboard or as producer. James Taylor's "How Sweet It Is," Seals & Crofts' "Summer Breeze," Hall & Oates' "Sara Smile," Bill Withers' "Lovely Day," The Emotions' "Best of My Love." Plus Ray Charles, Nancy Wilson, Erykah Badu, The Jackson 5, Barbra Streisand, Aretha ... just read the liner notes and you'll find his name all over the place.

Clarence, who passed away last year at the age of 76, was an early guest on Off-Ramp, and I caught him at exactly the right time. He'd had a lung cancer scare, had met the love of his life Susan, and was feeling like he oughta get out of his shell and share some of his knowledge ... gained from luminaries like legendary LA music teacher Alma Hightower and Eubie Blake. I was honored he trusted me with his story. 

These two interviews debuted in 2009, and there are more to come.

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live; and bythe Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Off-Ramp theme music by Fesliyan Studios.

When I interviewed Norman Lear for Veterans Day in 2019, I asked for dibs on his 100th birthday interview. He immediately agreed, looked skyward, and said, "Hear that God? I've got a commitment!" 

Then Covid-19 happened. So as Lear turns 100 (on July 27), we'll have to make do with a rerun ... but if anybody should be okay with a rerun, it's Norman Lear, creator of so many groundbreaking TV shows - like "All in the Family," "The Jeffersons," and "Maude" -- that helped America confront its demons.

But mostly, in this interview done for KPCC's Take Two show, we talked about America, the Constitution, the Declaration of Independence and its promise of "the pursuit of happiness," and his service on a B-17 bomber in World War 2.

Support for this podcast is made possible by Gordon and Dona Crawford, who believe that quality journalism makes Los Angeles a better place to live; and bythe Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.

Off-Ramp theme music by Fesliyan Studios.

Corita Kent, world's best-selling artist; Mary Jones, first trained librarian, ousted for a man: Charles Lummis; three women directors find their muse at the L.A. Film Festival.

Mary Jones, the city librarian you should know about; jellyfish get the spotlight at the Aquarium; showering with Sanden Totten;

Visit the youth homeless center that inspired Miley Cyrus's Happy Hippie Foundation ... The Cactus Store, the garden store for the drought-conscious ... Ride with Angelyne!

From knife-wielding performance artist to creator of our Happy Place - may Chris Burden RIP. Win a chance to ride with Angelyne. And why does the sun make you sneeze?

Luke Zamperini and Off-Ramp fly in the last B-24; Temple Grandin and an ABC journalist consider autism; we tour a homeless camp along the Arroyo Seco.

Matching anecdotal evidence with scientific proof of global warming ... Billy the Mime speaks ... Why walk 16 miles of Wilshire Blvd ... Brains On! ... Larry Mantle on The Big Fight

What do you call a 125-pound mountain lion? Anything he wants! Plus, we unmask @LosAngelesRain and visit a small perfume center in Koreatown.

Director of "1915" on growing up with the Armenian genocide as family history; Jane Lynch sings as a candle; Brains On!