"American Idol" winner Abi Carter called in to talk about her appearance on PBS's "A Capitol Fourth," her new album, and her upcoming appearance in Chicago at the Beat Kitchen on October 23rd.ABI CARTERBIO After...

Gordon Korman is a household name in the middle grade space. With over 100 titles to his name, he’s written a book for every kind of reader in this age group—from reluctant to voracious and all the shades in between. We discussed his bra...

One of my all-time favorite ballplayers, Dave "Cobra" Parker passed away June 28th at age 74.  Dave's numbers speak for themselves and he should be in the Hall of Fame.  We revisit our conversation from April 12, 2021.Original ...

New York Times culture reporter, best-selling author, and Twitter superstar Dave Itzkoff dialed into the show to talk about his new book Robin: The Definitive Biography and Untold Story of Robin Williams. We discussed why fans felt such a conne...

Justin “MR. FASCINATE” Shaifer is nationally renowned as one of the top advocates for science education in the nation. He is a LinkedIn Top Voice in Technology, Science Communicator, popular TV host and producer wh...

Chicago Fire star Joe Minoso joined the show to talk about tonight's crossover episodes of Chicago Fire and Chicago PD, beginning tonight at 8 CT on NBC-5 Chicago. Joe and I also discussed the stupidest Chicago winter ever and his roots in the ...

Debi Mazar called it to talk about her new series, “Arde Madrid: Burn Madrid Burn,” which is streaming on the Megahertz choice service. Debi plays Ava Gardner in 1960.  We also discussed meeting Frank Sinatra with Madonna, her battle with ...

Jonathan McHugh is the director of a new documentary, “Long Live Rock: Celebrate the Chaos,”  now available on demand.  (From 3-12-21)Jonathan McHugh has been producing, directing and music supervising films and TV for d...

Chef Marcus Samuelsson called in to give me some tips on putting a new spin on the 5 dishes I can semi-successfully make, including getting out my olive oil rut and exploring avocado oil.  Plus: Marcus talks about his new restaurant and gi...

Best-selling author Joanna Ho makes her 5th appearance on the show and earns the coveted prize as we talk about her fun new book "Becoming Boba."Joanna Ho is the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of many...

The Award-Winning Story of Illegal Drugs and Famous Baseball Stars On DVD and Digital Platforms on June 4, 2019"Another masterpiece of wild and woolly Floridiana from Florida's documentarian laureate." - Vincent Mancini, FILMDRUNK...

Paul Rees is an award-winning writer who has been covering rock and roll for three decades.  His new book is “The Ox: The Authorized Biography of The Who’s John Entwistle.” (From 4-29-20)

(From 5-17-20) It was nice to welcome Clive Standen back to the show for a chat about his new show "Council of Dads."  Will there be new additions to the circle?  Will Tom Everett Scott return to the show as a ghost? Listen for the sp...

May is National Water Safety Month, which makes it the perfect time for parents and caregivers to contact their local Y and sign their children up for a Safety Around Water program or swim lesson. The YMCA’s Safety Around Wate...

Ben Cohen joined us to discuss his new book "The Hot Hand: The Mystery and Science of Streaks."  We talked about the lack of Michael Jordan on NBA Jam for Sega Genesis, the difference between "hot hand" and "dumb luck," how to write songs ...

Will Vought has joined the cast of the multiple Emmy Award-winning "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel."  We discussed his character (an Army Major who wants to be Bob Hope), the accuracy and detail of their 50s setting and re-creation of the era's...

Mark L. Walberg is the long-time host of "Antiques Roadshow" on PBS, and is also hosting "Temptation Island," which is headed toward the two-part season 2 finale this Thursday (12/12/19) on USA Network.  We discussed some of the events of ...

Kate Black is the co-author, along with June Diane Raphael, of the book "Represent: The Woman's Guide to Running for Office & Changing the World."  We had a lively discussion about her inspiration for the book, her collaboration with J...

Pete Correale called in to the show for a chat about his new stand-up album "For Pete's Sake."  We talked about the adventures of being a marathon spectator, listening to classic comedy albums, and juggling a show from city to city.  ...

It was an honor to have Pulitzer Prize-winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin on the show to discuss her book "Leadership in Turbulent Times," which is now out in paperback.  I think I managed to not sound like a dullard in the interview, whi...

Cybercrime is evolving as consumers and businesses – from healthcare to finance to manufacturing --- are facing increasingly sophisticated threats. Now, Verizon’s 18th Annual Data Breach Investigation Report has analyzed ...

The Great Barrier Reef is a jewel of Australia and a designated UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site. The Reef is alive and thriving and now people around the world are signing their support to recognize this treasure as part of the United Nation...

Chrissy Metz returned to The Big Wakeup Call to talk about her new movie, "Breakthrough." We discussed the challenges of playing a character based on an actual person, how she prepared to play a mom, and how she's working on recording some tune...

After a lengthy absence, Ed Begley Jr. called in to the show for a chat about Earth Day and what we can do to help take care of our planet as we take care of ourselves.  (From 4-20-20)

Garrett Morris called in to talk about his new movie "Granddaddy Day Care" and share stories about working in Chicago, his time on SNL and owning a comedy club. (From 1-31-19)