Episode 014 - From Jimmy Page to Ozzy Osbourne - The Phil Soussan Story
FRIENDS AND LEGENDS WITH SKIP MARTINShow Notes
Friends & Legends with Skip Martin Host: Skip Martin
Summary:
Bassist and songwriter Phil Soussan joins Skip Martin to trace a career that runs from twelve years of classical violin training in London to co-writing one of Ozzy Osbourne's biggest hits. Phil talks through breaking into the London scene via classified ads, the phone call that turned into the Ozzy Osbourne gig after a chance connection with Jimmy Page, and the story behind "Shot in the Dark." He and Skip swap road stories, including the origin of Ozzy's mirrored cape and a run-in with the Finnish police that ended in a Beatles singalong. Phil closes out on why he sees music, like his old restaurant, as a hospitality business, and what's next for Last in Line and his upcoming solo album. Main Topics: ● Early musical roots - falling in love with music before age two, and a nursery rhyme record player from a cousin ● Twelve years of classical violin training and how it shaped his ear for bass ● Choosing bass over piano and guitar, rooted in classical figured bass theory ● The hard conversation with his parents about leaving pre-med for music ● Breaking into the London music scene through Melody Maker classified ads ● The chance connection through Jimmy Page that led to auditioning for, and landing, the Ozzy Osbourne gig ● Co-writing "Shot in the Dark" and the Al Jarreau influence behind its chord progression ● The sheer scale of 80s rock touring, and the story behind Ozzy's mirrored cape ● A run-in with Finnish police that turned into an impromptu Beatles singalong in a stuck elevator ● Life on the road with Steve Lukather, Jimmy Page, John Waite, Billy Idol, Vince Neil and Johnny Hallyday ● Why Phil sees himself as being in the hospitality business, on stage and as a former restaurant owner ● What's next: the Last in Line reunion and his new solo album Intriguing Quotes: ● "I said, Nana, that's what I'm gonna do... I'm gonna make music so that when I die, people will feel like I'm still in the car with them." - Skip Martin (06:30) ● "His response was, anything but that." - Phil Soussan, on his dad's reaction to him choosing music over medicine (05:50) ● "If you find something you love doing, you'll never work a day in your life." - Phil Soussan, quoting his father (05:50) ● "I think I'm in the hospitality industry... we do something that takes people out of their day-to-day problems, their day-to-day issues, just for a short period of time." - Phil Soussan (18:04) ● "Without the fans we'd be nothing." - Phil Soussan (20:00) Key Moments: ● [00:00] Skip welcomes Phil Soussan to the show ● [01:15] The "Odd Couple" - playing with Steve Lukather and Edgar Winter in Finland ● [02:17] Phil's earliest musical memory, a gramophone gift from a cousin ● [03:25] Twelve years of classical violin and how it led him to bass ● [04:46] The moment Phil realized music could be a career ● [05:12] Telling his parents he was quitting pre-med for music ● [07:15] Breaking into the London scene through Melody Maker ads ● [08:16] Playing with Jimmy Page and the phone call that led to Ozzy Osbourne ● [09:56] Co-writing "Shot in the Dark" and its Al Jarreau-inspired chords ● [12:18] Just how massive 80s rock touring was ● [12:51] The story behind Ozzy's mirrored cape, inspired by Diana Ross ● [16:03] The Finland police and the Beatles singalong in a stuck elevator ● [18:04] Why Phil sees music and hospitality as the same gift ● [21:22] What's next for Last in Line and Phil's new solo album Notable Resources: ● Last in Line - Phil's band with Vinny Appice, Andrew Freeman and Vivian Campbell - touring resumes August 2026 ● New solo album "Cosmo Fighters" - signed to BraveWords Records, expected release this fall ● "Shot in the Dark" - Ozzy Osbourne, Billboard Top 100 hit co-written by Phil Connect with Phil Soussan: Website: https://philsoussan.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philsoussan/ X: https://x.com/philso Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com fo
More from FRIENDS AND LEGENDS WITH SKIP MARTIN
Friends & Legends with Skip Martin Host: Skip Martin
Friends & Legends with Skip Martin Host: Skip Martin
Friends & Legends with Skip Martin Host: Skip Martin
Friends & Legends with Skip Martin Host: Skip Martin Summary: Skip Martin sits down with his old friend Denella Ri'chard, the award winning host and executive producer of the nationally syndicated series Traveling with Denella Ri'chard. She grew up in Baton Rouge, caught the travel bug following her mum's bowling tournaments, and found her calling studying abroad in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1994, the year Nelson Mandela became president. A career at Hilton and then as a cruise industry executive ended on 13 March 2020, when she laid off her team of more than 40 and then lost her own job. What started as a one year lockdown project is now filming its ninth season. She takes Skip from a hot air balloon over the Serengeti to a Maasai classroom with no electricity and no running water, Skip shares what he saw in Kenya, and he closes with his C words for success and the goat in the well. Main Topics: Growing up in Baton Rouge and travelling with her bowler mum Studying abroad in Harare, Zimbabwe in 1994 A school project on Nelson Mandela, Steve Biko and apartheid Hilton, the Hampton launch and the cruise industry Inviting Oprah Winfrey aboard as a ship's godmother March 2020: laying off 40 people, then losing her own job Why 9-11 taught her travel always comes back A lockdown prime time slot and the birth of the show From poolside pina coladas to sharks, stingrays and monkeys A hot air balloon over the Serengeti The Maasai children who would match any US kindergarten Skip in Kenya: the water truck comes Thursday Skip's C words for success Intriguing Quotes: "I realized I was sipping more than I was painting." - Denella Ri'chard "When borders open, we're going to travel the world again." - Denella Ri'chard "I would put them against any kindergarten class in the United States." - Denella Ri'chard "Where are the kids? Take me to the kids." - Denella Ri'chard "The water truck will be here Thursday." - Skip Martin "One completed idea is more valuable than a thousand dreams." - Skip Martin "Success is a double-edged sword." - Skip Martin "Just shake it off." - Skip Martin Key Moments: [00:00] Skip welcomes Denella Ri'chard [01:22] Baton Rouge and a mum who bowled tournaments [02:28] Southern University and a semester in Zimbabwe [03:45] 1994, the year Mandela became president [05:03] Hilton, Beverly Hills and the cruise industry [06:07] 13 March 2020 and the ships shut down [07:18] A friend offers a prime time TV slot [08:08] What 9-11 taught her about travel [09:14] Naming Traveling with Denella [10:11] Monkeys, sharks and stingrays [10:52] One year becomes season nine [11:21] Ballooning over the Serengeti [12:37] Take me to the kids [14:58] Skip in Kenya and the water truck [16:45] Soccer on a garbage dump and the Xbox lesson [19:48] Skip's C words for success [22:43] The goat in the well [24:10] Where to watch Denella's show Notable Resources: Traveling with Denella Ri'chard, streaming on YouTube, Tubi and Apple TV+, and on local broadcast TV Connect with Denella Ri'chard: Website: https://www.travelingwithdenella.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travelingwithdenella/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/travelingwithdenellarichard YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@travelingwithdenella LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denella/ Connect with Skip Martin: Website: https://www.skipmartinmusic.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/skipmartinmusic Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skipmartinmusic/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/skipmartinmusic YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/skipmartinmusic
Friends & Legends with Skip Martin Host: Skip Martin Summary: Part 2 of Skip Martin's conversation with Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Warren Moon turns to the part nobody puts on a highlight reel: what a career on the road costs a family. Warren talks about meeting his wife in high school in Los Angeles, marrying at twenty three, raising four kids, and a marriage of twenty seven years that ended without either of them falling out of love. They are still good friends, eleven grandkids later, and still together at Christmas, birthdays and graduations. He is honest about the games and the dance recitals he missed, and Skip matches it with eight months a year on the road and the alienation that can follow a father home. It finishes on Warren's message to young people about phones, noise and keeping your circle small, and Skip's story about a goat in a well. Main Topics: Meeting his wife at Hamilton High and marrying at twenty three Twenty seven years, four kids and eleven grandkids Why a marriage can end without either person falling out of love Staying friends, and still showing up at Christmas Skip on eight months a year with the Dazz Band and Kool and the Gang The appearances, the TV show, the radio show and the foundation The games and the dance recitals Warren missed The alienation of daddy, and only one side of the story getting told Taking his two daughters to the Kentucky Derby for the first time All four kids going to Canton for his twentieth Hall of Fame anniversary Fifty years of the Dazz Band and a street dedication in Cleveland What Warren would tell young people about social media Intriguing Quotes: "We never stopped loving each other. We just kinda outgrew each other." - Warren Moon "It's a tremendous sacrifice." - Warren Moon "I missed some of their games and I missed some of their dance recitals." - Warren Moon "That is the alienation of daddy." - Skip Martin "You never get to tell your side of the story." - Skip Martin "Make that group that you have very small around you." - Warren Moon "Set your goals high, dream big and believe in yourself." - Warren Moon "The goat would just shake it off." - Skip Martin "Use that phone for what it was supposed to be for." - Warren Moon Key Moments: [00:00] Skip welcomes Warren Moon back for part two [02:07] High school sweethearts, San Jose State and the University of Washington [02:35] Twenty seven years, four kids, and why they parted [03:11] Still good friends, still together at Christmas [04:56] Skip on the grind, and what it does to a partner [05:34] Daddy's home, guess where we're going [06:09] Warren on the tremendous sacrifice [07:03] The games and dance recitals he missed [07:31] Skip on the alienation of daddy [08:35] Two daughters at the Kentucky Derby [08:59] Taking all four kids to Canton [12:14] A hundred and thirty legends back in Canton every year [13:12] Fifty years of the Dazz Band in Cleveland [16:16] Warren's message on social media and bullying [17:25] Keep your circle small and set your goals high [18:31] The goat in the well, and how to shake it off [20:40] Skip closes out, don't play no games Notable Resources: Pro Football Hall of Fame, Canton, Ohio, where Warren Moon is enshrined Connect with Warren Moon: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/warrenmoon1/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HWarrenMoon1/ X: https://x.com/WMoon1 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/warrenmoon1/ Connect with Skip Martin: Website: https://www.skipmartinmusic.com/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/skipmartinmusic Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skipmartinmusic/ Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/skipmartinmusic YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/skipmartinmusic