1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:02,440 Speaker 1: Podcast playground. 2 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:11,720 Speaker 2: We'll hid all of you who love great storytelling. Buzznight. 3 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 2: Here the host of Taking a Walk, Music History on 4 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:18,479 Speaker 2: Foot Today, a guest who wears a ton of hats, 5 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:22,759 Speaker 2: all of them with tons of talent. He's a multi 6 00:00:22,840 --> 00:00:27,000 Speaker 2: Emmy Award winner. He also has been nominated for a Grammy. 7 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:31,120 Speaker 2: An actor, a producer, a singer, a dancer, a songwriter, 8 00:00:31,320 --> 00:00:35,800 Speaker 2: a TV personality. He's even snuck some Broadway on his resume. 9 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:39,120 Speaker 2: You know him from Whose line is it? Anyway? And 10 00:00:39,440 --> 00:00:42,800 Speaker 2: let's make a deal among others. We'll talk with Wayne 11 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:49,920 Speaker 2: Brady next on Taking a Walk. Hi, Wayne, Happy National 12 00:00:50,000 --> 00:00:50,840 Speaker 2: Game Show Day? 13 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:53,240 Speaker 1: Hey, Happy National Game Show Fair. 14 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:56,080 Speaker 3: How are you celebrating in it? Said today? 15 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:00,120 Speaker 1: I will be celebrating it by having folks to it to. 16 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:02,400 Speaker 1: Let's make a deal on CBS. That's the best way 17 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:03,440 Speaker 1: to celebrate my book. 18 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:07,800 Speaker 3: I love it. You are so brilliant when you're you're 19 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:08,800 Speaker 3: put on the spot. 20 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:09,680 Speaker 1: Uh. 21 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 2: In all of your performances, including Who's whose line? 22 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 3: You're almost like a human Shazam. 23 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:21,319 Speaker 2: I think you should compete against Chat GPT on a 24 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:21,880 Speaker 2: game show. 25 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:26,320 Speaker 1: Now, I'll let chat GPT have that. 26 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 2: So, who are some of your favorite game show hosts 27 00:01:29,600 --> 00:01:33,440 Speaker 2: as you were sort of growing up and watching the shows. 28 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:39,120 Speaker 1: I think Bob Barker. He he was kind of the 29 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:42,959 Speaker 1: standard for for game game show hosts at that time. 30 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:46,000 Speaker 1: And and I have to say my all time favorite 31 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 1: was probably Pats Jack. No, no, I'm sorry, nothing against 32 00:01:49,520 --> 00:01:56,400 Speaker 1: Pat say Jack, but Alex Trebek because I love Jeopardy. 33 00:01:56,760 --> 00:02:01,080 Speaker 1: I love it. I've always loved it. I love trivia, 34 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 1: I love the competition. So the cool thing about Alex 35 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 1: Trevek and Jeopardy to me was as a host, he 36 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 1: always made you feel like he knew the answers, but 37 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:19,919 Speaker 1: he wasn't condescending. He made you feel welcome, and you 38 00:02:20,200 --> 00:02:22,960 Speaker 1: always knew that you were going to have a good time. 39 00:02:23,560 --> 00:02:25,800 Speaker 1: And I think that that is exactly what a host 40 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:26,720 Speaker 1: should make you feel. 41 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:30,760 Speaker 2: Did you ever study any of the old Gruccio marks 42 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:33,359 Speaker 2: game show clips? 43 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 1: No? I mean I think for me, at least, being 44 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 1: a game show isn't like it's not a destination. I 45 00:02:43,040 --> 00:02:44,960 Speaker 1: didn't sit to sit at home as a kid and 46 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:48,519 Speaker 1: say I'm going to be you know, I was too busy, say, 47 00:02:48,960 --> 00:02:51,600 Speaker 1: you know, training as an actor and singer and dancer 48 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 1: to you know that that was my thing and still is. 49 00:02:55,600 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 1: But I think what I did do was as a kid, 50 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:03,080 Speaker 1: I watched a lot of the panel shows where you 51 00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:06,080 Speaker 1: would see the stars of the day all compete on 52 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:10,120 Speaker 1: these game shows. And they were witty and they were funny, 53 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:13,520 Speaker 1: and they had something clever to say. And I was 54 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:19,040 Speaker 1: always intrigued by how people thought so quickly and and 55 00:03:19,040 --> 00:03:24,959 Speaker 1: and and moved an audience to to laugh, because the 56 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:27,480 Speaker 1: Groucher marks the march things. I don't know how old 57 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 1: you think. You think I am black, don't crack, but 58 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 1: I'm just fifty. So like you, you're you're talking about 59 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:35,480 Speaker 1: stuff and stuff that's like sixty five years old. 60 00:03:36,360 --> 00:03:37,080 Speaker 3: Now I hear you. 61 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 2: I just look at your brilliant improvisational skills. And I 62 00:03:44,040 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 2: certainly think of grout Show in that regard. 63 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 1: You know, well, it's good to walk in, you know, 64 00:03:50,160 --> 00:03:54,040 Speaker 1: footsteps like that, the groucher marts and and all of 65 00:03:54,080 --> 00:03:59,120 Speaker 1: the you know, even going old school with guys like 66 00:03:59,200 --> 00:04:03,920 Speaker 1: you know, the show show of shows watching. I used 67 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 1: to watch reruns of those old shows on PBS as 68 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 1: a kid, and like I said, I was always intrigued 69 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 1: by people that when they opened their mouths, something funny 70 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 1: and fast came became came out. So I think I 71 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:20,479 Speaker 1: was always drawn to that type of entertainment. 72 00:04:21,800 --> 00:04:27,200 Speaker 2: What drew you to study improvisational skills ultimately early in 73 00:04:27,240 --> 00:04:27,760 Speaker 2: your career. 74 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:32,080 Speaker 1: I think it's something that I just fell into because 75 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 1: I think that my mind just always worked like that 76 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:39,640 Speaker 1: and I love to treat characters and and to uh 77 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:42,680 Speaker 1: do things on the spot. And so I fell in 78 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:45,640 Speaker 1: with a with an improv group, and I was living 79 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 1: living in land Land back back in Orlando, Florida, and 80 00:04:50,240 --> 00:04:53,160 Speaker 1: learned the ins and outs of improv and sketch comedy 81 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:56,760 Speaker 1: and what it took to get on stage and be fearless, 82 00:04:57,120 --> 00:04:59,560 Speaker 1: which is why I think I was always attracted to improv. 83 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:04,400 Speaker 1: Really is a place where most people hate public speaking, 84 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:07,720 Speaker 1: can't stand to get up in public. And I realized 85 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:12,440 Speaker 1: that learning the foundations of improv would give me the 86 00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:16,320 Speaker 1: ability to walk into any room with confidence and have 87 00:05:16,480 --> 00:05:18,560 Speaker 1: something come out of my mouth. And I was very 88 00:05:18,600 --> 00:05:20,600 Speaker 1: much drawn too that you. 89 00:05:20,560 --> 00:05:22,159 Speaker 3: Make it look easy, and I know it's not. 90 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:26,480 Speaker 1: No, it's scary as well every time that I get 91 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:29,359 Speaker 1: up on stage, but I love that type of fear. 92 00:05:30,200 --> 00:05:34,120 Speaker 2: Who are some of your really early musical influences that 93 00:05:34,520 --> 00:05:35,279 Speaker 2: kind of shaped you? 94 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:39,080 Speaker 1: I listened to everything when I was a kid, which 95 00:05:39,120 --> 00:05:41,360 Speaker 1: I think was the advantage of growing up as a 96 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:46,120 Speaker 1: kid in the eighties. Radio wasn't as segmented as it 97 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:48,719 Speaker 1: is now. There's a radio station to every different type 98 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:51,360 Speaker 1: of case. But when we were kids growing up in 99 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:54,839 Speaker 1: the eighties, you could listen and you'd hear Duran, Duran 100 00:05:55,000 --> 00:06:00,520 Speaker 1: next to one, DMC, next to Lionel Ritchie and Send Lapper, 101 00:06:00,800 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 1: Phil Collins and Genesis, and then MTV came became along, 102 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:10,080 Speaker 1: and that was amazing. So I grew up, I think 103 00:06:10,160 --> 00:06:12,880 Speaker 1: with with like this musical pastiche of all of these 104 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:15,800 Speaker 1: different styles. As an early kid, my mom used to 105 00:06:15,839 --> 00:06:19,240 Speaker 1: play Sam Cook in the house where I folks are 106 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:22,359 Speaker 1: from the US Virgin Islands, so not only did I 107 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:26,080 Speaker 1: get soul music, but also I Island music, So I 108 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:28,800 Speaker 1: had a little bit of everything, which I think influences 109 00:06:28,880 --> 00:06:32,400 Speaker 1: the fact that I can improvise musically because I grew 110 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 1: up listening to practically everything. 111 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:39,160 Speaker 2: You did a pretty stellar remake of Sam Cook's Change 112 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 2: is Gonna Come, Sir, I got to tell you that, well. 113 00:06:42,920 --> 00:06:45,080 Speaker 1: Thank you. So that's that's what I was nominated for 114 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 1: a Grammy for. So so that'll always have a big 115 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:52,960 Speaker 1: place in my heart. And Sam is one of those 116 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:59,839 Speaker 1: artists that he I I definitely think that every time 117 00:06:59,880 --> 00:07:02,960 Speaker 1: I sing some something, I writ them off a little 118 00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 1: bit because he has such an amazing soul in his 119 00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:08,640 Speaker 1: ear and and the way that he can move you 120 00:07:08,680 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 1: with his his music. Once I started doing doing comedy 121 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:15,800 Speaker 1: as well, I always thought, wouldn't it be great to 122 00:07:15,840 --> 00:07:19,160 Speaker 1: be able to move people, even with a comedic song, 123 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:23,120 Speaker 1: move them in in a way that they were actually 124 00:07:23,880 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 1: touched by the song and not just laughed at it. 125 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:29,880 Speaker 1: And so he's truly been an inspiration for me. 126 00:07:31,360 --> 00:07:33,120 Speaker 3: Watch when you would. 127 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:40,280 Speaker 2: In the improv scenarios do your Michael Jackson or your 128 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:44,880 Speaker 2: your Prince moments. It feels like you're actually channeling them 129 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:49,160 Speaker 2: when you're you're in that moment, are you well? 130 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:53,240 Speaker 1: I mean, short of any psychic link, I think that 131 00:07:53,400 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 1: because I'm a singer, you know, like a lot of 132 00:07:55,440 --> 00:08:00,600 Speaker 1: impressionist can can it can be. I hear third certain 133 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:04,160 Speaker 1: things and when I do someone in my act, it's 134 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:08,080 Speaker 1: definitely from love. It's never from a malicious place. And 135 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:13,280 Speaker 1: so I just started impersonating the people that I grew 136 00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:13,960 Speaker 1: up and loved. 137 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:19,040 Speaker 3: So what causes are important? To you, Wane that you'd 138 00:08:19,080 --> 00:08:20,200 Speaker 3: like to maybe mention. 139 00:08:21,440 --> 00:08:24,040 Speaker 1: Oh, causes, Well, we'll run off the top of my head. 140 00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:28,920 Speaker 1: I mean, I definitely support organizations like the Ronald McDonald 141 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:34,920 Speaker 1: House because you know, as the father of it. Now 142 00:08:34,960 --> 00:08:38,640 Speaker 1: she's twenty. I'm a father of a beautiful twenty year old. 143 00:08:39,679 --> 00:08:43,000 Speaker 1: I couldn't imagine being in a spot where I could 144 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 1: not help my daughter or support her with the proper 145 00:08:48,559 --> 00:08:52,480 Speaker 1: medical help that she needed. And that's what Ronald McDonald 146 00:08:52,559 --> 00:08:56,680 Speaker 1: House does. And I'm a huge fan of theirs, and 147 00:08:56,679 --> 00:08:59,439 Speaker 1: I've also worked with them in the past, the Alzheimer's 148 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:05,160 Speaker 1: found the Foundation, the Alzheimer's, the Soli Association. Rather, I 149 00:09:05,320 --> 00:09:10,440 Speaker 1: just lost my grandmother who who raised me to to 150 00:09:10,559 --> 00:09:14,560 Speaker 1: Alzheimer's and and dementia a year a year ago, so 151 00:09:14,679 --> 00:09:19,000 Speaker 1: I've been a champion for them. So those are definitely 152 00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:21,679 Speaker 1: some of the causes that that that that moved me. 153 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:25,959 Speaker 1: I'm also a supporter of Glad and brothers and sisters 154 00:09:25,960 --> 00:09:29,640 Speaker 1: in the l g B t Q plus community in 155 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:30,600 Speaker 1: the n W A c P. 156 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:36,000 Speaker 2: And I know at a at a young age, you 157 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:40,640 Speaker 2: faced some real difficult times in the form of of bullying. 158 00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:45,160 Speaker 2: Did you ever run into those schmucks years later. 159 00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:50,800 Speaker 1: Oh, I definitely think that they have been been folks 160 00:09:50,800 --> 00:09:54,959 Speaker 1: that that that I that I've run run across, that 161 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:57,240 Speaker 1: that that I had words with when when I was 162 00:09:57,280 --> 00:09:59,760 Speaker 1: a kid. But but you know, they say that the 163 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:04,000 Speaker 1: best the best revenge is success, and so if I 164 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:08,840 Speaker 1: can be successful doing the thing that I love, then 165 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:12,400 Speaker 1: they have to watch me on TV every single day. 166 00:10:12,080 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 1: So that's the best best version of get back. 167 00:10:17,559 --> 00:10:19,719 Speaker 3: I love that, you know. I feel like. 168 00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:27,199 Speaker 2: You are even more multi talented than sometimes people credit 169 00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:31,000 Speaker 2: you for what is bubbling in your career that might 170 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:33,920 Speaker 2: surprise our audience that they don't know. 171 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:37,160 Speaker 1: Well, I think it's not that people don't give me 172 00:10:37,240 --> 00:10:40,440 Speaker 1: credit for I think that people are very myopic just 173 00:10:40,520 --> 00:10:43,760 Speaker 1: by nature. They see the thing that is in front 174 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:45,560 Speaker 1: of them and they like what they like, which I 175 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:48,840 Speaker 1: completely get. That's just human nature. So if you like 176 00:10:48,920 --> 00:10:52,079 Speaker 1: game shows and you see me on your favorite game show, 177 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:55,200 Speaker 1: you aren't going to know about my broadway work, or 178 00:10:55,240 --> 00:10:57,319 Speaker 1: you are going to know about my recording, or you're 179 00:10:57,320 --> 00:11:01,720 Speaker 1: not going to know about my tour ring and doing 180 00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:05,679 Speaker 1: improv because that's not your special interest. So I completely 181 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:10,240 Speaker 1: so I completely get that. I think one of the 182 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:13,640 Speaker 1: things that I don't talk about at length is I'm 183 00:11:13,679 --> 00:11:16,560 Speaker 1: also a big sci fi and comics fan, and so 184 00:11:16,640 --> 00:11:20,160 Speaker 1: in the past I've written along with my partner Jonathan Mangam. 185 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:23,760 Speaker 1: I've written an issue of Spider Man about six years ago, 186 00:11:25,040 --> 00:11:29,240 Speaker 1: and I've also co written recently a book with my 187 00:11:29,280 --> 00:11:35,200 Speaker 1: writing partner, Ah Gentleman. It's one of the most amazing 188 00:11:35,240 --> 00:11:40,199 Speaker 1: writers that I think I know. A gentleman named Maurice 189 00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:43,800 Speaker 1: brought us. We've written a book together called hard Times, 190 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:46,920 Speaker 1: the sci fi book that'll be that's going to be published. 191 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:49,640 Speaker 1: I can't say by whom whom yet because the dealer 192 00:11:49,679 --> 00:11:52,880 Speaker 1: isn't but they'll surprise people. It's going to be a 193 00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:57,480 Speaker 1: big sci fi book, and I've got something bubbling on 194 00:11:57,520 --> 00:12:02,080 Speaker 1: the horizon with one of the most loved authors in 195 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:05,280 Speaker 1: that genre on the planet. So that's all I can 196 00:12:05,320 --> 00:12:07,800 Speaker 1: say for it right now. But it's definitely a huge 197 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:09,839 Speaker 1: feather in my cap and it's going to surprise a 198 00:12:09,880 --> 00:12:10,440 Speaker 1: lot of people. 199 00:12:11,280 --> 00:12:13,959 Speaker 3: I love the teas. That's fantastic. Wayne. 200 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:18,160 Speaker 2: Happy National Game Show Day. Thank you for the joy 201 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:21,680 Speaker 2: that you bring us with everything you do, and I 202 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:24,360 Speaker 2: appreciate you being on taking a walk well. 203 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:26,160 Speaker 1: Thank you so much. For having me. Thank you, I 204 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:26,960 Speaker 1: really appreciate you. 205 00:12:28,520 --> 00:12:33,800 Speaker 2: Taking a walk with Buzznight is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, 206 00:12:34,280 --> 00:12:36,480 Speaker 2: or wherever you get your podcasts.