This is an iHeart Podcast. Hey, it's Bobby from the Bobby Bone Show. I had an incredible time at this year's iHeartRadio Music Festival and even got the chance to hang out with Diplo and Bailey Zimmerman while I was there. How did Ashes come together, Diplo? I pulled up real quick.
He was about to leave on tour. You're about to jump in your tour bus, and we had like three hours. It was really cool. He literally just like randomly showed up to my house. I'm like, oh, hey, Diplo, what are you doing?
He's like, I have a song that I want to show you. And I was like, okay. You can listen to the full episode out now wherever you get your podcast. And big shout out to my friends at Hyundai for making this possible. At a blast, cruising around the festival weekend in the all-new Palisade Hybrid.
I turned off news altogether. I hate to say it, but I don't trust much of anything. It's the rage bait. It feels like it's trying to divide people. If we got clear facts, maybe we could calm down a little.
NBC News brings you clear reporting. Let's meet at the facts. Let's move forward from there. NBC News reporting for America. Hey, what's up?
It's Mario Lopez. Back to schools, an exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming and kids may feel isolated, a vulnerability that human traffickers can exploit. Human trafficking doesn't always look like what you expect. Everyday moments can become opportunities for someone with bad intentions, whether you're a parent, teacher, coach, or neighbor. Check in.
Ask questions, stay connected. Blue Campaign is a national awareness initiative that provides resources to help recognize suspected instances of human trafficking. Learn the signs and how to report at dhs.gov/slash blue campaign. I'm Scott Hanson, host of NFL Red Zone. Lowe's knows Sundays hit different when you earn them.
We've got you covered with outdoor power equipment from Cobalt and everything you need to weatherproof your deck with Trex decking. Plus, with lawn care from Scotts and of course, pit boss grills and accessories, you can get a home field advantage all season long.
So get to Lowe's, get it done, and earn your Sunday. Lowe's, official partner of the NFL. This is Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang from Los Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang. JBL Tor Pro 3 earbuds are for those who don't conform to the standard. Yeah, I mean, if you want to get into some touchscreen technology, how about the smart charging case, clear sound?
These are not standard things. You're only going to get them with the JBL Tor Pro 3, baby. And I love the sound of JBL when it goes, ooh, boo. These earbuds are packed with innovation because you can't stand out by following others. Touchscreen smart charging case for one-touch control, instant EQ customization, true adaptive noise canceling, and the one-of-a-kind audio transmitter, which can plug and play with everything from game consoles to in-flight entertainment.
What more could you want? First doesn't follow. Grab a pair at jbl.com. And we continue with our American stories. Previously on our show, we've heard from Steve Stollier.
Who, as a UCLA student in the mid-70s, convinced Universal Pictures to re-release the classic Marx Brothers movie Animal Crackers? It's a terrific story, by the way. Go to ouramericanstories.com. and take a look. Stollier would then go on to be Groucho Marx's personal assistant and historian for the final years of The Legend's life.
Today, we hear from Steve again. Still in show business, but excited as ever to be surrounded by stage and screen legends. Here's Steve. Groucho Marks was just at the top of my pantheon of most admired entertainers, but running a close second, was Fred Astair. Frederick Austerlitz.
Of Omaha, Nebraska. He doesn't seem as if he would have come from. Middle America like that because he's known for the top hat and white tie and tails, but in fact, he's one of Those erudite fellows that came from Nebraska. along with Johnny Carson and Dick Cavott and Marlon Brando and a number of other people. I would have given anything to be able to meet him.
And in fact, when I was working at Universal Studios in the late 70s, after Groucho died, I got a job working in the Steno pool from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day. And I would be typing episodes of the Rockford Files and Kojak and Beretta and so on. But I loved working at Universal because on lunch breaks Or before or after work, I could go wandering around.
You know, there wasn't much security at the time. It isn't like now. Plus, I was an employee. And I was always nosing around because of the history of the place. I loved the universal horror films and all that sort of stuff.
The classics by Man Godfrey and So, I would keep track of who was guest starring on different shows and if they were filming on the lot. And if I was lucky, sometimes I would be able to cross paths with them. And then, of all the unlikely things, I found out that Fred Astair was going to be guest starring on Battlestar Galactica. Apparently, his. Grandson, his favorite T V show, was Battlestar Galactica.
And he said, Grandpa, will you be on that? That would be cool. And so Astaire figuring, well, I can't deny my own grandson a request like that.
So he got in touch with the producers and they wrote. a part for him where he played Dirk Benedict's Con man father. On a lunch break, I wandered over to the set and I watched him shoot a scene. Inside the spacecraft, and then during a break, he was just sauntering around the sound stage with his hands in his pockets. And I happened to have with me an original still of him in Swingtime, 1936 film.
And so I went over and introduced myself And I said, I just want to thank you for all of the magical moments. From flying down to Rio to A Family Upside Down and everything in between. Family Upside Down was a TV movie he had just done. co starring opposite Helen Hayes.
So at the time that was sort of like thanking him for his whole film career. And he said, Oh, well, my goodness, thank you And he was happy to sign my photo. And so for one brief shining moment I got to meet one of my all time heroes.
So that was in 78. In nineteen eighty three, five years later I had moved to New York the previous year to write for Dick Cavett. whom I met Through my Groucho connection, and who hired me away from Universal to write for him at HBO on a short-lived show called HBO Magazine. But then I continued to live in New York and write for Cavot and other things. A stair and Gene Kelly had both been honored by the Kennedy Center.
You see the edited-down specials on TV where they have someone from dance and music and literature and they salute them. And the Kennedy Center had a policy where After you've been saluted, they would appreciate it if you would sit down for an interview, not to be released or broadcast, but just for their library, for the Kennedy Center's official library, to have that for people to be able to access.
So Astair said. That would be fine with him but only if Dick Cavett does the interview because he had had good experiences when Cavett had his A B C show. and he felt comfortable conversing with him.
Okay. I was friends with and writing for Cavett. And he knew what a an aster fanatic I was, a as was he. and the Kennedy Center Scent Cave it. the list of questions they wanted him to ask.
And luckily, he gave those to me. to rework because They were asking thesis questions on, you know, compare and contrast. The development of tap as an art form from The Irish clog through vaudeville and the influence of the African American experience. and I knew from previous experience that a stare is a tough interview subject. and he hates analyzing His art He was very much a I just do it kind of guy.
So what I did was I very carefully chopped up their essay questions into more conversational bites.
so that Cavot could ask him and get Information You know, his answer on how a certain sequence happened, the dance director Hermes Pan would come up with an idea and I'd try it out in front of a mirror and Sure. Great. That would be how he would discuss How a dance step came to be. Kelly, because he was a director and choreographer, Kelly was the opposite. If you said hi, Gene Kelly would say, Dance is a three-dimensional medium, and film is a two-dimensional medium.
So, as a director or choreographer, you have to take in that distinction and frame the image such that the two-dimensional you know, he gave those kind of dissertation answers, but for a stare, it was just Well, sure. Great. Let's do it. which doesn't make for, you know, compelling Listening. I flew out to LA with Cavett.
To interview both Astaire and Kelly. We were in a limousine. I was in the front seat with the chauffeur, which is just as well because I tended to get nauseated sitting in the back of limousines. And we stopped by Astaire's house on San Yucidro in Beverly Hills. He got in the car.
And Astair looked at me and he said, Have we worked together before? You look familiar. And I don't know whether he was confusing me with someone else or if he really did remember from when I met him on the set of Galactica, but.
So on the way to the studio, I'm listening. To Cavot and Astair talking, and Astair said, Dick, did you look over these questions? And I'm thinking, he he he. And Astair said, Some of them are asinine. What was I doing in vaudeville?
I mean, for heaven's sakes, that was 50 years ago. I mean, it's ridiculous. And I'm, you know, mentally slinking down in the front seat, thinking, oh God, you should only know what these questions were like before I made them. sanitized for your easy digestion. And you've been listening to Steve Stollier.
talk about his brush with greatness again. when we come back more. of the story of Fred Astaire and Steve Stollier here on Our American Stories. Let's be real. Life happens.
Kids still, pets shed, and accidents are inevitable. Find a sofa that can keep up at washable sofas.com. Starting at just $699, our sofas are fully machine washable inside and out.
So you can say goodbye to Stains and hello to worry-free living. Made with liquid and stain-resistant fabrics. They're kid-proof, pet-friendly, and built for everyday life. Plus, changeable fabric covers let you refresh your sofa whenever you want. Neat flexibility, our modular design lets you rearrange your sofa anytime to fit your space, whether it's a growing family room or a cozy apartment.
Plus, they're earth-friendly and trusted by over 200,000 happy customers. It's time to upgrade to a stress-free, mess-proof sofa. Visit washablefas.com today and save. That's washablefas.com. Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply.
Hey, what's up, it's Mario Lopez. Back to schools, an exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming and kids may feel isolated, a vulnerability that human traffickers can exploit. Human trafficking doesn't always look like what you expect. Everyday moments can become opportunities for someone with bad intentions, whether you're a parent, teacher, coach, or neighbor. Check in.
Ask questions. Stay connected. Blue Campaign is a national awareness initiative that provides resources to help recognize suspected instances of human trafficking. Learn the signs and how to report at dhs.gov/slash blue campaign. I turned off news altogether.
I hate to say it, but I don't trust much of anything. It's the rage bait. It feels like it's trying to divide people. If we got clear facts, maybe we could calm down a little. NBC News brings you clear reporting.
Let's meet at the facts. Let's move forward from there. NBC News. Reporting for America. Hear that?
That's what it sounds like when you plant more trees than you harvest. Work done by thousands of working forest professionals, like Adam, a district forest manager who works to protect our forests from fires. Keeping the forest fire resistant, synonymous with keeping the forest healthy. And we do that through planting more than we harvest and mitigate those risks through active management. It's a long-term commitment.
Visit WorkingForestsInitiative.com to learn more. I'm NFL linebacker TJ Watt and this is my personal best. YPB by Abercrombie is the active wear I'm always wearing. That's why I reached out to co-design their latest drop. I worked with designers to create high-performance activewear that holds up to my toughest workouts.
Shop YPB by Abercrombie in store, online, and in the app. because your personal best is greater than anything. And we're back with our American stories and Steve Stolier's story of the time he had the privilege of meeting and working with Fred Astair. Steve was working for Dick Cavot at the time, and Astair had just been selected to be honored by the Kennedy Center. Cavett was going to interview Astair.
and had asked Steve to rewrite the Kennedy Center's questions. And even so, Astaire still found Stolly's versions of the questions Atsinine. Let's get back to Steve.
So I was sort of on edge after that because I thought it was going to be this wonderful time, and now he's attacking the questions and all that. And I didn't let on that I'd had anything to do with them because I didn't want to be the target of his annoyance. But we got to the studio. And As a Favour to a stare to show respect They had him go into the makeup room first before Cavett. to get ready for the cameras.
So then he came out. In makeup, and then it was Cavit's turn. And the director said to me, Will you sit down with Fred and talk to him until Dick is ready? And I thought, oh dear, um, er, yeah, sure, I. The next thing I knew, I was sitting in a director's chair next to a stair in his director's chair and trying to make pleasant conversation.
With someone who had just torn apart the questions I had carefully crafted. And who was notoriously difficult to draw out. But one of the things I brought up was. You know, this was in 83. It was the same year.
That the musical My One and Only had opened on Broadway, and I had seen that with Tommy Toon and Twiggy and Honey Coles. And it was basically a loose reworking. of the Gershwin Show. Funny Face, which Fred and his sister Adele had starred in in nineteen twenty seven. And I loved it and I felt like seeing Tommy Toon do do some of those intricate tap numbers was as close as I was gonna get to seeing a stair dance.
And I mentioned that Even though the show is filled with a lot of standards, The song my one and only Was semi-obscure, but I knew it because I had a record of Astair and Adele singing that from Funnyface. And I said, So it's interesting because now that song is getting well known by the average public because of this new Broadway show.
So we started talking about. new releases of classic songs. and we got around to putting on the writs. And He He mentioned He said Last year there was that version by that German fellow, and I must say I didn't care for it. The German fellow was a guy named Tom.
Taco. And it was sort of a synthesized Mechanized version of putting on the writs that got a lot of airplay in 1982. But Astare said The way he does it is just Boom, boom, boom. Putting on the writs, boom, boom, putting on the writs. I didn't care for it.
He said, Now when Irving wrote it, meaning Berlin, He wrote it like this and Astair started tapping his foot Da da da da da da da da da da da da da. Da da da. Da da da. And I'm thinking. Fred Astaire is tapping and singing, putting on the writs.
To me, Only me, this special moment just from Me, I would say, dancing as fast as I could verbally to keep him occupied until Kava came out, but it ended up being this wonderful little pocket of conversation. And then Cavett came out. And they started taping. And Actually Between my having Cut the questions up and Cavett's brilliance as an interviewer and conversationalist He was able to draw Fred Astaire out in that interview. and actually got him to talk about a lot of things.
That were essentially things that I had wondered about that I would have asked Fred Astare if I ever had the chance.
So I put them through Dick Cabot's mouth. And he ended up You know, at one point he said something like, Gosh, Dick, you're You're making me remember things I hadn't thought about in 40 years, which I took as very gratifying because it was unlocking some of these old memories. One of my questions was. Did he ever have an understudy? Because you think about Broadway shows and how unique a stair was.
Was there someone who, if he was sick, would have gone on in the way Yeah. Cabot asked it was He said, for instance, if you were under the weather, Did the manager come out before the show and say, We're very sorry, Mr. Astaire can't be here tonight. Instead, please enjoy Leonard Crunchman. That was the name he came up with on the spot, Leonard Crunchman.
And Esther said, Oh no, I never had an understudy. I just. No matter what, you just went on, you know. And it was that kind of trooper mentality. And he said, I remember one time in London.
I I had a boil removed from my From my head, and the doctor bandaged it, but I still went on that night. and I had my top hat and and this bandaged head, and uh nobody explained anything. And I guess the people in the audience were thinking, Oh, I suppose the old fellow broke his skull or something. And every time I put the top hat back on top of my head, it hurt. But, you know, you just went on.
So it turned into this really fascinating conversation. I mean, Astair was in his mid-80s at the time and just beginning to slow down a bit. I mean, he wasn't as lively as he was on the ABC Cabot shows. And, you know, there was no audience, there was no band. It was just this conversation.
Then the following day We went over to Gene Kelly's house. And he was the absolute opposite because he was able to dissect and come at. his films and The dance sequences and the combination of ballet and tap and the athleticism and the choreography. Because I had researched him when I was in New York, HBO at the time was located in the Time Life building, so I had access. To Uh Time and Life magazine's archives And they would have bulging manila folder files with stretched out.
rubber bands trying to keep them from exploding. And inside would be old clippings and old photos and stuff. You know, it was like a morgue of. of old newspaper and photographic Things from previous stories. This was, you know, I hastened to add before Google, so you couldn't just go to IMDb or Wikipedia or something.
But I had this rare access, and in the file for Gene Kelly was a story. About when he was working on the 1942, oh, Cover Girl, with Rita Hayworth. The music was by Jerome Kern.
So there was one news story that said that after filming was completed, Jerome Kern presented. Gene Kelly with a silver piece. plate. and that was engraved to GK from JK. in honor of Cover Girl.
And so after Cabot had finished interviewing Gene Kelly, Uh I thought this'll floor him that I know this bit of trivia. And so I said, uh Do you still have that plate that uh changed? Jerome Kern gave you after CoverGirl. And I expected him to laugh or something, and instead, he's got this scowl on his face. And he said, Where did you hear about that?
That was stolen from me some years back. And I've never seen it. There was a theft at my house. How do you know about that? And all of a sudden, I was like, you know, sitting in a chair with the cops going over me with a third degree and a bright light.
And I said, it was in your file at the Time Life archive of the thing. And then I. And I think he was placated. But it was a strange note to end on because I don't know that he ever completely got over. That trace of suspicion, that the thing, the one thing I brought up that I thought would put a smile on his face instead triggered his Irish anger.
But it was still A great afternoon to be sitting at the feet of Gene Kelly and listening to him talk about his career. And only one day after spending the afternoon with Fred Astaire, so I had. In one visit back to LA from New York, I had managed to spend time with two of obviously two of the greatest dancers uh that have ever appeared on film. And great job as always by Robbie on the production. And everything else.
It's a terrific story in Steve Stollier. My goodness, what a great storyteller. Steve Stollier's Story His Two Brushes With Greatness Here. on our American story. Hey, it's Bobby from the Bobby Bones Show.
I had an incredible time at this year's iHeartRadio Music Festival and even got the chance to hang out with Diplo and Bailey Zimmerman while I was there. How did Ashes come together, Diplo? I pulled up real quick. He was about to leave on tour. You're about to jump in your tour bus and we had like three hours.
It was really cool. He literally just like randomly showed up to my house. I'm like, oh, hey, Diplo, what are you doing? He's like, I have a song that I want to show you. And I was like, okay.
You can listen to the full episode out now wherever you get your podcast. And big shout out to my friends at Hyundai for making this possible. At a blast, cruising around the festival weekend in the all-new Palisade Hybrid. Hey, what's up? It's Mario Lopez.
Back to schools, an exciting time, but it can also be overwhelming, and kids may feel isolated, a vulnerability that human traffickers can exploit. Human trafficking doesn't always look like what you expect. Everyday moments can become opportunities for someone with bad intentions, whether you're a parent, teacher, coach, or neighbor. Check in. Ask questions.
Stay connected. Blue Campaign is a national awareness initiative that provides resources to help recognize suspected instances of human trafficking. Learn the signs and how to report at dhs.gov/slash blue campaign. Get ready to power up your play with Nintendo Switch 2. Power up the visuals with 4K support and a bigger, more vivid screen.
Power of the fun with exclusive new games like Mario Kart World. And Donkey Kong Bonanza. Nintendo Switch 2, all together, anytime, anywhere. Games rated E to E10 Plus, games and systems sold separately, compatible TV required for 4K display. With the new IHOP value menu, $6 is all it takes to go to your happy plates, where stacks of pancakes with bacon and eggs are just $6 every day.
French toast, sausage, and eggs are, you guessed it, $6. And fluffy omelets come with a side of pancakes and only cost $6. Go to your happy place every day at IHOP. $7 in some locations. Available every day for a limited time at participating restaurants in the U.S.
Hours may vary, no substitutions. Not valid with other discounts or promotions. Prices may vary. This is what the market used to sound like now. Pretty complex.
But today, with iShares by BlackRock, Investing is easier. With over 450 ETFs, iShares gives you easy access to countless market opportunities. iShares by BlackRock. The market is yours. Visit www.ishares.com to view perspectives, which includes investment objectives, risks, fees, expenses, and other information that you should read and consider carefully before investing.
Risk includes principal loss prepared by BlackRock Investment's LLC member Finreaux. This is an iHeart podcast.
