124 episodes

Join record producer / manager / legendary guitarist & founding member of Twisted Sister JAY JAY FRENCH as he shares stories from five decades in the industry and takes you on a rock star tour through the music business and beyond!

The Jay Jay French Connection: Beyond the Music PodcastOne

    • Music
    • 4.2 • 77 Ratings

Join record producer / manager / legendary guitarist & founding member of Twisted Sister JAY JAY FRENCH as he shares stories from five decades in the industry and takes you on a rock star tour through the music business and beyond!

    Wayne Bjerke

    Wayne Bjerke

    This week's guest on The Jay Jay French Connection, is Wayne Bjerke, joined by Twisted's social media manager, Tor Caracappa! Wayne has been a true old school TS fan all the way back to their club days. He is currently a graphic artist & tattoo artist, who has been friends with Tor for 20+ years.

    Learn why Jay Jay believes that bands are only as good as their fanbase, & hear Jay Jay & Wayne discuss the power & impact that Twisted had in their early club days. Wayne asks questions he’s always had about the band, and shares what the experience was like to watch and be a part of the incredible arch of Twisted’s career.

    • 1 hr 9 min
    Paul Williams

    Paul Williams

    Legendary Hollywood writer, producer & director, Paul Williams, is this week's guest on The Jay Jay French Connection: Beyond the Music! You won't want to miss Paul's stories from his remarkable journey into filmmaking, & talk about his recently published book titled 'Harvard, Hitmen and Holy Men. The book gets into how he is a real-life Forrest Gump - & how his experiences form a unique and often wild constellation of encounters with star power, political power, and spiritual power―a life cycle that led to fame and fortune and to integrity and anonymity. Paul shares stories of his intersecting careers with peers & friends in film, from Francis Ford Coppola to Terry Malick & Martin Scorsese. Hear stories from how Jay Jay came on the set to give Paul advice on portraying the culture surrounding drug dealing when he was working on the film 'Dealing' in the 70s, to Paul playing a pick up basketball game with Fidel Castro. Jay Jay & Paul bond over their overlapping in New York during their upbringings and the beginnings of their careers in film and music. Be sure to check out Paul's book, & don't miss this conversation - only on The Jay Jay French Connection: Beyond the Music! 
    Produced & Edited by Matthew Mallinger 

    • 1 hr 8 min
    Raized Wrong

    Raized Wrong

    This week's guest is 3-in-1 - Guitarist and producer Donny Goldberg, & his 2 sons, join Jay Jay in conversation! Together the 3 of them make up the instagram sensation Raized Wrong. Landon is 13 & his brother Lyric is 12 - together with their father they create online covers of hits from the 80's 90's & more. 
    Hear the story about how Jay Jay found their music online, & why he immediately fell in love with what they were doing. The family discusses their creative process, generational influences, & what it's like playing and recording together as a family. Donny discusses why he finds it so important to encourage kids to get into art & music at a young age, & how he has encouraged both of his kids to do so since day one. 
    Be sure to check out Raized Wrong's project online, & don't miss this conversation, only on The Jay Jay French Connection: Beyond the Music! 
    Edited & Produced by Matthew Mallinger  

    • 39 min
    Tommy Emmanuel

    Tommy Emmanuel

    This week's special guest is true guitar virtuoso & grammy award winner, Tommy Emmanuel! The real-time exuberance Tommy Emmanuel brings to every note of every song he plays is palpable and infectious. His fans are in love with his unbound talent as a guitarist of multitudes, his ability to play three parts at once, always with pure heart and real soul.  
    This conversation is not to miss for guitarists, musicians & music fans alike - as Jay Jay & Tommy get into everything from their roots, developing your own style, navigating the music business, favorite career experiences & the importance of pure live performance. 
    Don't miss this insightful conversation, only on The Jay Jay French Connection: Beyond the Music! 
    Edited & Produced by Matthew Mallinger 

    • 1 hr
    Tommy James

    Tommy James

    Crimson & Clover, Crystal Blue Persuasion, Mony Mony, I Think We're Alone Now, Hanky Panky & Sweet Cherry Wine - these are just a few of the hits written by legendary artist Tommy James, who is this week's guest on the podcast!! Tommy is a renowned musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer, widely known as frontman of the 1960s rock band Tommy James and the Shondells - who is now entering his 51st year in the music industry, actively touring, hosting his radio program GETTIN' TOGETHER WITH TOMMY JAMES, & licensing his music which is featured in over 65 films, 53 tv shows and numerous commercials.

    Jay Jay gets into why he loves Tommy's critically acclaimed autobiography 'ME, THE MOB AND THE MUSIC,' which is listed on Rolling Stone's Top 25 Memoirs, and is now in pre-production to be turned into a film. Tommy shares some amazing stories of his relationship with Roulette Records & Morris Levy (who he found to be the most interesting person he's ever met), & how he learned the business of radio and music in New York during the 60's.

    "It's a small world, so treat people well because you meet the same people on the way up as you will on the way down." This is the advice that Jay Jay will never forget Tommy giving him, as they were sharing a bill at a club in Baldwin, Long Island back in the 80s - tune in to hear the full story, and don't miss their conversation, only on The Jay Jay French Connection: Beyond the Music!

    Edited & Produced by Matthew Mallinger

    • 1 hr 7 min
    Andy Shernoff: The History of Punk

    Andy Shernoff: The History of Punk

    This week's guest is the founder of one of the seminal punk bands, The Dictators! CBGB’s was built on the back of the first of the great legendary NY Punk band The Dictators. Join Jay Jay in welcoming punk legend Andy Shernoff on the podcast! Andy is a musician, songwriter & producer, who is a founding member of The Dictators. Jay Jay & Andy discuss the parallels between the New York bar scene that Twisted was a part of, & the New York punk scene that The Dictators were a part of. They get into the importance of the early years of punk in New York & how those years impacted the landscape of music to this day. They go on to talk about the evolution of radio, sobriety & creative longevity, and share countless memories from the foundations of punk & rock in New York.

    Don't miss this conversation, only on The Jay Jay French Connection: Beyond the Music!

    Produced & Edited by Matthew Mallinger

    • 1 hr 2 min

Customer Reviews

4.2 out of 5
77 Ratings

77 Ratings

Toddzilla1225 ,

Keep up with Pat Boone, Jay Jay!

Excellent show, Jay Jay. I love so many episodes. The one with Pat Boone is a hoot. Sharp as a tack and raring to go! Keep it up, man. Great stuff.

vcvvvvvvvvvvb ,

Pretty good

JJ’s a great host.
Love the fact that he mixes music, business, family and politics and speaks honestly about each. That takes courage. Would love to see him interview some of the people who were on Tipper Gore’s Censorship Committee.

Charger Rod ,

Jay Jay is Still Rocking it at 69 ? LoL

Twisted Sister is awesome and at Jay Jay French is the reason why! He is an excellent entertainer, musician and businessman. His book and podcasts transcends to all business areas. Listen and learn !! Rod’s Random Review of YouTube loves this podcast!! Go Jay Jay !!
Check out his book! You will love it.

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