Episode 016 - Riding High, Winning Grammys - The Keith Harrison Story (Part 1)
FRIENDS AND LEGENDS WITH SKIP MARTINShow Notes
Friends & Legends with Skip Martin Host: Skip Martin
Summary:
Skip Martin sits down with longtime friend and Dayton funk royalty Keith Harrison (Faze-O, Heatwave, the Dazz Band) for part one of a two-part conversation: the Dayton dance-band scene, balancing the U.S. Air Force with music, Faze-O's discovery by Ohio Players' Clarence Satchell and “Riding High,” Heatwave with Rod Temperton, and the call to join the Dazz Band and cut “Let It Whip.” They revisit the Dazz Band's tied Grammy win with Earth, Wind & Fire, trade backstage stories on Grace Jones, Prince, Stevie Wonder and Rick James, and Keith opens up on his memoir and what music means to him. Part two continues next episode.
Main Topics: ● Keith Harrison's career arc across Faze-O, Heatwave and the Dazz Band ● Recruited into the Dayton dance-band scene as a teenager ● Balancing a U.S. Air Force career with music ● Faze-O's discovery by Ohio Players' Clarence Satchell and making “Riding High” ● Joining the Dazz Band and driving to Cleveland to record “Let It Whip” ● Playing alongside Heatwave's Rod Temperton and drummer Ernest “Bilbo” Berger ● The night the Dazz Band tied Earth, Wind & Fire for the Grammy ● Backstage stories: Grace Jones, Prince, Stevie Wonder and Rick James ● What music means to Keith — songwriting as an emotional outlet ● Keith's in-progress memoir and the Dazz Band's Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame induction (25 July)
Intriguing Quotes: ● “Music to me is universal — it's the harmony of the world.” — Keith Harrison [06:33] ● “I make a lot of music because I get depressed after I finish a song — like a postpartum. So I write another one.” — Keith Harrison [10:36] ● “Each one of these songs you do is like a child. You let it go into the world and let it prosper.” — Keith Harrison [10:36]
Key Moments: ● [00:14] Skip introduces Keith Harrison for a wide-ranging look back at his career ● [03:34] Keith gets word, while overseas recording with Heatwave, that a band is looking for a second keyboard player ● [06:33] Keith's definition of music: “universal harmony” ● [12:07] Turning down a football scholarship and enlisting in the U.S. Air Force ● [13:38] Faze-O's discovery by the Ohio Players and recording “Riding High” ● [15:38] The Dazz Band's historic tied Grammy win with Earth, Wind & Fire ● [18:39] Backstage: Grace Jones's wicker dress, Prince, Stevie Wonder and Rick James ● [20:39] Keith reveals the cover of his upcoming memoir ● [21:09] The Dazz Band's Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame induction, 25 July ● [23:09] Reggie Andrews and the studio moment behind “Let It Whip” ● [26:11] Skip and Keith wrap up, teeing up Part 2
Notable Resources: ● Keith Harrison's in-progress memoir, “My Journey with Faze-O, Heatwave, and the Dazz Band” (unreleased) ● Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame induction, 25 July — Heatwave, Class of 2026 ● “Riding High” — Faze-O (1977), with Ohio Players' Clarence Satchell ● “Let It Whip” — The Dazz Band (1982), Reggie Andrews & Ndugu Chancler, Grammy winner
Connect with Keith Harrison: Facebook: search “Keith Harrison” Instagram: search “Keith Harrison” (Personal website/email given verbally came through garbled in the transcript — flag for a listen before publishing.)
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 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
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