Reliving My Youth

Noel catches up with Tessa Niles, who is one of the most talent session and background singers out there. Tessa has worked with the likes of David Bowie, Eric Clapton, The Police, Duran Duran, Tears For Fears and many more! Tessa talks about her experience with Bowie at Live Aid. She was on tour with Clapton when Stevie Ray Vaughan died in that tragic helicopter crash. Tessa's book, Backtrack, came out about five years ago and details her career in music. It's a must read.

Noel catches up with Eric Blakeney. Eric is a director, producer and writer. He is best known for his work on Wiseguy. Eric was the show runner for a time on 21 Jump Street and created its spinoff, Booker. Eric wrote and directed the 2000 film, Gun Shy, starring Liam Neeson and Sandra Bullock. His latest project is called The People's Republic Of Movies

Noel catches up with Angel Mercado, the lead singer of The Original Cover Girls. The trio's hits include "Show Me," My Heart Skips a Beat," and "We Can't Go Wrong." Angel talks about how she joined the band, her exit before the third album, and reuniting with the original members. The Cover Girls were the last musical act featured on American Bandstand.

Noel catches up with the legendary Eric Roberts. There probably is not a harder working actor in the business. Eric was nominated for the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in the 1985 movie, "Runaway Train." He tells the story of how he found out about the nomination. Eric played Maroni in "The Dark Knight" and talks about working with the late Heath Ledger.

Noel catches up with Drew Arnott of Strange Advance, was one of the founding members of the Canadian synthpop band. In Canada, they scored with hits such as "We Run", "Worlds Away" and "She Controls Me". They were nominated for a Juno for "Most Promising Group", and they worked with such legendary talent as Bryan Adams, Bob Rock and Bruce Fairbairn. Find out the Rock and Roll hall of famer who made fun of their name.

Noel catches up with Reed Diamond. The actor is best known for playing detective Mike Kellerman on the TV show, Homicide: Life on the Street. Reed has had roles in 24, Designated Survivor, Franklin and Bash and Journeyman to name a few.

Noel catches up with Sarah Clarke. The actress is best known for her role as Nina Myers on 24. Sarah talks about getting the role and meeting her husband, Xander Berkeley, on set. Sarah had roles in the Twilight movies and Bosch. She also had a recurring role in Xander's show, The Booth at the End.

Noel catches up with Bill Smitrovich. You cannot channel surf without seeing the talented actor's work. Bill is perhaps best known for his role as Drew Thatcher on Life Goes On. Bill starred as Danny Krychek on Crime Story. The Connecticut native guest starred as Webb in the memorable Deep Space Nine two-parter, Past Tense. On the big screen, Bill can be seen in Independence Day, Air Force One, and the Ted movies.

Noel catches up with Ken Harrison and Roberta Carter-Harrison of The Wild Strawberries. The married duo have had multiple hits in their native Canada, including "Life-Sized Marilyn Monroe", "Crying Shame" and "I Don't Want to Think About It". Ken and Roberta talk about how their success did not make it to the states. The band participated in all three years of the Lilith Fair music festival. Currently, the duo have been releasing a song a month through their website and Spotify.

Come celebrate the Reliving My Youth podcast's third anniversary as Noel catches up with Xander Berkeley. The talent actor is best known for his portrayals as George Mason on 24 and Gregory on The Walking Dead. On the big screen, he has been in some of the most memorable movies of the past 40 years, Sid and Nancy, Terminator 2, Apollo 13, and Air Force One. Xander has had his fair share of on-screen deaths, he talks about some of the most dangerous. You can check out his death reel on Youtube. His latest movie, The Maestro, is now available on Amazon Prime. Look for his upcoming movies, The Wall of Mexico and The Dark and the Wicked, in the near future.

Noel catches up with Holly Fields. The actress has had roles in Hull High, Quantum Leap, Charles in Charge and the O.C. to name a few. Holly is an accomplished voice actress, having voiced Nadia Grell in the Star Wars: The Old Republic video games and Princess Fiona in the Shrek games. She talks about voice matching other actors and which voice she used for personal gain. Holly was featured in the controversial Madonna Pepsi commercial and talks about meeting Madonna. She was engaged to the late Corey Haim and reveals a side of him that the public may not know of the actor.

Noel catches up with Toni Hudson, who played Denise in the movie, "Just One of the Guys." The teen comedy is celebrating its 35th anniversary with a new Blu Ray release, featuring commentary by the cast. Toni talks about getting the role, her experience shooting the movie and the rock legend who visited the set. Could a sequel be in the works? Toni gives her predictions on what happened to the characters. The actress also shares stories from her movie "Places in the Heart," starring Oscar-winner Sally Field. Toni guest-starred on some of the most quintessential '80s shows (T.J. Hooker, Knight Rider, The A-Team, The Greatest American Hero and The Love Boat)

Hey Deb Heads, we discuss the career of one of my favorite, Debbie Gibson, with Jackie Clary, who is set to present Zappin’ It To Ya: Debbie Gibson and the Connection between the Once Teen Queen and her Fans at the Pop Conference at the Museum of Popular Culture. Debbie's hit single, "Foolish Beat", made Gibson the youngest female artist to write, produce and perform a Billboard Hot 100 number-one single. She was recognized by ASCAP as Songwriter of the Year, along with Bruce Springsteen, in 1989.

Noel catches up with Lisa Velez, better known as Lisa Lisa. The Hell's Kitchen native is one of ten children. She would sneak out of the house as she started her music career. There, she would meet Mike Hughes and Alex Moseley of Cult Jam and the rest is history. Lisa was the queen of freestyle before it was even a term, with hits such as "I Wonder If I Take You Home", "Can You Feel the Beat?" and "All Cried Out." The band hit the mainstream with their second album, "Spanish Fly", topping the charts with "Head to Toe" and "Lost in Emotion."

Noel catches up with D.B. Sweeney. The actor is best known for his roles as Doug Dorsey in The Cutting Edge and "Shoeless" Joe Jackson in Eight Men Out. D.B. talks about his preparation for each role. Although he's from Long Island, D.B. is a New York Rangers fan. He shares how he is part of the Islanders-Rangers rivalry. The actor starred in two very underrated FOX shows in the '90s, Harsh Realm and Strange Luck, he talks about the demise of each show. His latest project is "Two Dum Micks", which he wrote, directed and co-starred in alongside Sean Astin.

Noel catches up with Justine Miceli, best known for her role as detective Adrienne Lesniak on NYPD Blue. Justine was written out of the show after two seasons without an explanation to the viewers. She talks about getting the news. The actress also had a memorable guest-starring role as Nina on the Seinfeld episode, "The Betrayal." The Queens native reveals the role she originally landed a couple of seasons earlier but was ultimately recasted.

Noel catches up with Rick Roberts, the former lead singer of Firefall and the Flying Burrito Brothers. Rick talks about replacing Gram Parsons in the Burritos and forming Firefall, whose hits include "Just Remember I love You" and "You are the Women". Both bands' heyday were in the 70's, Rick has some amazing stories he shares in the interview and in his books, Songs Stories and Lame Brain.

Noel catches up with Kristin Hersh of Throwing Muses and 50-foot Wave. Throwing Muses is releasing their latest album, Sun Racket, in May. The first single, Dark Blue, is out now. They are best known for their songs "Counting Backwards" and "Bright Yellow Gun" to name a couple. Kristin is also an accomplished solo artist. Her song, "Your Ghost", features REM's Michael Stipe.

We are celebrating the 35th anniversary of one of the biggest albums of the 80's, Songs From The Big Chair by Tears For Fears. Hope Silverman from the music blog, Picking Up Rocks, joins me to discuss the duo's career and shares her thoughts on the TFF album she thinks is the best.

Noel catches up with Jesse Borrego. The actor bursted onto the scene on the TV series, Fame, based upon the movie. Jesse talks about the attention he immediately received from the show. Jesse has also appeared on 24, Dexter and Fear the Walking Dead. He starred in the cult classic Blood In, Blood Out. He talks about why the film failed when it was released in theaters. Jesse's latest film, Phoenix, Oregon, is out March 20.