Families across America are having heart-wrenching conversations about how to spend the upcoming holidays. People want to have their loved ones around them, but many recognize that gathering for this year’s holidays just isn’t safe. So how do we have meaningful, memorable, joyous celebrations together? Renae Baker says, “Traveling and gathering may be on hold for this December, but holiday spirit doesn’t have to be.” Affectionately known as Mrs. Christmas, Baker has managed a professional caroling company for decades and this year she’s bringing live carol sing-alongs to virtual holiday spaces. The “I’ll Be Zoom for Christmas” and “Zoom Gali” parties feature professional Broadway carolers taking real-time requests. Baker and her carolers have been featured on Fox News Chief Religion Correspondent Lauren Green’s “Mighty Christmas” special and many more media outlets. She’s the author of “Defeating Scrooge: How to Harness the Power of Christmas Carols to Revive Your Spirit Anytime of the Year” and the Defeating Scrooge Spirit Saver Calendar. Contact her at (917) 509-9022; ismileny@gmail.com
Category: Entertainment, Show Biz
December 8 – 40th Anniversary of John Lennon’s Murder
It’s hard to “Imagine” what John Lennon would be like as an 80-year-old. After all, he was only 40 when he was murdered by Mark David Chapman outside Lennon’s Manhattan apartment house 40 years ago, on Dec. 8, 1980. For a fascinating show that celebrates Lennon’s legacy invite Susan Shumsky to discuss John, the Beatles, and their relationship with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of Transcendental Meditation (TM.) You’ll hear why Lennon was the Beatles’ unofficial leader, leading the way in all things, including their love affair with psychedelics and their spiritual seeking. Learn the hidden significance of the Lennon-penned song “Across the Universe,” why Lennon fell out with Maharishi, and the devastating remark Maharishi made when he tried to reconcile. Susan spent 22 years in the ashrams and six years on the personal staff of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. She’s appeared on more than 1,200 programs and is the author of 18 books including “Maharishi & Me: Seeking Enlightenment with the Beatles’ Guru.” Contact her at (917) 336-7184; SShumsky@rtirguests.com
Mourning Alex Trebek, Wishing Al Roker Well
As the nation was processing the election results word came that Alex Trebek, iconic “Jeopardy” host, had succumbed to pancreatic cancer while beloved TV weatherman Al Roker announced that he had an aggressive form of prostate cancer. But even with this sad news, there are lessons to be had in how Trebek lived his life since his diagnosis last year and how Roker is living his, lessons understood by Kipp Harris, who has been struck by a rare form of cancer three times. With celebrity news bringing these issues to the fore and perhaps encouraging people to go for screenings, Kipp can share what he learned from his journey. Including the importance of living fully, recognizing the many lives we touch every day, and even finding joy during chemotherapy. Kipp’s latest book is “Improbable Joy: A 3-Time Cancer Survivor’s Journey to Finding Joy in Unexpected Places.” Contact Kipp at (701) 638-4051; Kharris@rtirguests.com
‘This Is Us’… How Hollywood Depicts Memory Loss
How accurate has the entertainment industry been when telling stories of forgetfulness, early-onset Alzheimer’s, and caregiving for loved ones with memory loss? On Tuesday, the new season of “This Is Us” debuted with a powerful storyline that tried to mirror real-life for millions of families stricken by Alzheimer’s. Interview Carlen Maddux for a reality check. His late wife Martha was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at age 50. Not unlike the characters in the popular “This Is Us” TV drama and the movie “Still Alice,” Carlen watched his spouse decline while in the prime of life. Ask this author of “A Path Revealed” for his insights about what it would take for Hollywood to portray memory loss accurately and how families can cope. Contact Carlen Maddux at (727) 351-8321; CMaddux@rtirguests.com
Does ‘Meeting the Beatles in India’ Tell the Whole Story?
With the release of the filmmaker Paul Saltzman’s new documentary, “Meeting The Beatles in India,” now is the time to meet Susan Shumsky, who spent 22 years in the ashrams and six years on the personal staff of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of Transcendental Meditation (TM). This multi-award-winning author exposes the complete, uncensored, unapologetic, behind-the-scenes story of the Beatles in India. Susan’s fascinating version of events digs deeper to unearth much more than Saltzman’s film. Produced by David Lynch (founder of the TM-based David Lynch Foundation), the film paints TM as the hero. In contrast, Susan, a rare insider, spills stunning, behind-the-curtain secrets about what it was really like at the ashram, and how Maharishi influenced the Beatles and their song lyrics. She has participated in more than 1,200 interviews including for the Sunday Express of London, L.A. Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, GQ, Woman’s World, and Fox News with Alan Colmes. Susan has 18 books in print in English, 36 foreign editions, and has won 40 prestigious book awards. Reach her at (917) 992-5175; divinerev@aol.com
Do a Show on TV Legend Lucille Ball
Celebrate the life and career of Lucille Ball, who for years was the most Emmy-garlanded woman, winning six and being nominated (if you count lifetime awards) a whopping 15 times! Her last Emmy award was given posthumously in 1989. Darin Strauss, author of “The Queen of Tuesday: A Lucille Ball Story,” will share fascinating facts about Lucy and how she transformed the TV industry and became the world’s first female media mogul — all while suspected of being a communist and navigating the public outcry over her interracial marriage to Cuban co-star Desi Arnaz. Strauss is the author of several books. His latest, “The Queen of Tuesday,” is a blend of history, fiction and memoir that imagines his grandfather having an affair with Lucille Ball — whom his grandfather actually did meet at a ceremony held by Donald Trump’s father, Fred Trump, in 1966. Contact Lissa Warren at (617) 233-2853; LissaWarrenPR@gmail.com
Comedian Michael Ian Black on Raising Better Men
Michael Ian Black is many things: actor, comedian, screenwriter, award-winning children’s book author, essayist, memoirist, and podcaster. He is also a man and the father of a boy on the cusp of manhood himself. In his new book, “A Better Man: A (Mostly Serious) Letter to My Son,” Black offers a thoughtful and personal appraisal of the complicated meaning of masculinity in our times. Written in the form of a letter to his son as he gets ready to leave for college, the book is based on both personal experience and thoughtful observation of the rapid changes taking place in society. Black also shares stories of his complicated relationship with his own father, who died when he was a child, and his upbringing in an often-contentious lesbian household. Invite Black on your show to discuss coming-of-age in a time when boys were routinely told to “act like a man,” with no direction on how to do so — or even what those words meant; why we need to challenge the outdated assumptions our society continues to impose on boys about their place in the world; and how boys of the rising generation can navigate that change to become more evolved men. Contact Johanna Ramos-Boyer at (703) 991-8328; jboyer@rtirguests.com
Interview the Host of PBS’ ‘Simply Delicious Living’
As the host of PBS-TV’s “Simply Delicious Living,” Maryann Ridini Spencer inspires her viewers to live their bliss and best life every day. Invite her to share her top mood-boosting solutions, simple strategies to get happier and healthier, and how to find balance in your life both personally and professionally. She can also share her top five tips for simply delicious living and how gratefulness can lead to happiness. She is a TV/film producer, screenwriter, and the author of the award-winning Kate Grace Mystery books, “Lady in the Window” and “The Paradise Table.” Her work has appeared on “Hallmark Hall of Fame” (CBS-TV), the Hallmark Channel, CNN, USA, SyFy, Showtime and many other outlets. Contact Maryann Ridini Spencer at (818) 492-9135; mspencer@rtirguests.com
You Say It’s His 80th Birthday … John Lennon’s Legacy Lives on
October 9th is John Lennon’s birthday. It’s hard to “Imagine” what Lennon would be like as an 80-year-old. After all, he was only 40 when he was murdered by Mark David Chapman outside Lennon’s Manhattan apartment house 40 years ago. Whether Lennon would have been cranky or inspiring as a senior and what he might have to say about current events, we’ll never know. But there’s still plenty to talk about Lennon — namely his enduring legacy in what seems like a lifetime after his death. From baby boomers to millennials, Lennon and the Beatles remain a favorite. So why not devote a show on his birthday on Oct. 9? For proof of the Fab Four’s appeal, look no further than the Beatles’ “White Album,” which made it into the Billboard Top 10 – 50 years after its release. The Fab Four wrote this album while on retreat in Rishikesh, India, with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, founder of Transcendental Meditation (TM). Susan Shumsky is that rare insider who spent 22 years in the ashrams and six years on the personal staff of Maharishi. Her tell-all memoir, Maharishi & Me: Seeking Enlightenment with the Beatles’ Guru, which has received 13 prestigious book awards, reveals hidden information about Maharishi’s influence on the Beatles. Susan Shumsky has 18 books in print and has proven to be an enthralling guest during more than 1,200 media appearances. Contact her at (917) 336-7184; SShumsky@rtirguests.com
Does ‘Meeting the Beatles in India’ Tell the Whole Story?
With the release of the filmmaker Paul Saltzman’s new documentary, “Meeting The Beatles in India,” now is the time to meet Susan Shumsky, who spent 22 years in the ashrams and six years on the personal staff of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the founder of Transcendental Meditation (TM). This multi-award-winning author exposes the complete, uncensored, unapologetic, behind-the-scenes story of the Beatles in India. Susan’s fascinating version of events digs deeper to unearth much more than Saltzman’s film. Produced by David Lynch (founder of the TM-based David Lynch Foundation), the film paints TM as the hero. In contrast, Susan, a rare insider, spills stunning, behind-the-curtain secrets about what it was really like at the ashram, and how Maharishi influenced the Beatles and their song lyrics. She has participated in more than 1,200 interviews including for the Sunday Express of London, L.A. Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, GQ, Woman’s World, and Fox News with Alan Colmes. Susan has 18 books in print in English, 36 foreign editions, and has won 40 prestigious book awards. Reach her at (917) 992-5175; divinerev@aol.com