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.

Remembering Ezat Delijani, 83; bought and saved 4 downtown LA movie palaces ... A Noise Within gets a huge new theatre ... stick-fighting in Hermosa Beach ... Nick Roman remembers covering Cerritos plane crash 25 years ago ...

A different music festival, less likely to be cancelled, comes to LA. Birding with a 15 year old expert, and how to bring a tornado to Long Beach.

The best of five years of Off-Ramp including: Tom Jones ... Heston Remembered at the DWP ... Movies at the Cemetery ... Dog Pee v Skunks ... Rabe as Arnie and Andy ...

CyberFrequencies launches new 9-11 project ... Marvin Hamlisch on writing music for Barbra ... Eat:LA on making goat cheese at home, and eating burgers with Obama ... ArtWalk reacts to the baby tragedy ...

We celebrate TV pioneer Lucille Ball on her Centennial ... Kevin's grandma remembers WW2 and the USS Indianapolis ... The LA Jewish Symphony plays Bible stories at the Ford Ampitheatre ... a trip down Wilshire in 1970s photos ...

Lisa See on "Dreams of Joy," the sequel to "Shanghai Girls ... "Leftover Cuties" live on KPCC's Jam and Banter ... Dinner Party Download makes you 15% smarter, 12% more attractive ... RIP Magu (Gilbert Luhan, founder of Los Four) ...

John Turturro on his Naples music doc Passione ... tour the new dino exhibit at the Natural History Museum ... Kidz Karmen at the Bowl ... The Man Harshes Good Vibe at SaMo Pier Concerts ... CyberFrequencies on Sexting ...

John Turturro talks with Kevin Ferguson about his love of Italian music, especially that of Naples, where his musical documentary takes place.