Introducing: Amplify Color

Charlamagne Tha God. Wendy Williams. Robin Quivers. The names are familiar, but the stories of their trials and triumphs in the radio industry may …

Ron “Pigpen” McKernan” Episode 10: Good, Old, Grateful, and Dead

Ron “Pigpen” McKernan’s lifelong devotion to drinking wasn’t the cause of his medical issues – chalk those up to a genetic disease. But no matter how …

Ron “Pigpen” McKernan” Episode 9: Conquering Europe, Wasting Away, and Making a Last Stand

Against doctor’s orders, Ron “Pigpen” McKernan hit the road one more time with the Grateful Dead. The band’s 1972 tour of Europe is legendary. But at …

Ron “Pigpen” McKernan Episode 8: Turning off the Love Light, Long-Awaited Redemption, and a Deadly Diagnosis

A dark cloud of death hung over the Grateful Dead as they went into the studio to make what is arguably their masterpiece, American Beauty. Janis …

Ron “Pigpen” McKernan” Episode 7: Busted Down on Bourbon Street, Workingman’s Dead, and Riding that Train

Busted down on Bourbon Street. Fleeced by a member of the family. Plastered on a runaway train barreling through the Canadian countryside. As the …

Ron “Pigpen” McKernan (Episode 6): Coming Down from One Long Strange Trip, Awakening to a New Nightmare, and Shooting up a Led Zep Photo Shoot

Though Ron “Pigpen” McKernan continued to feel like he was being pushed out of the Grateful Dead’s creative circle, he could still make an …

Ron "Pigpen" McKernan Episode 5: Biting the Hand that Feeds You, Fired from the Band, and Drinking the Dosed Coffee

As Haight-Ashbury devolved from a counterculture mecca to a commodified tourist haven, and the Grateful Dead searched for the perfect sound to …

Ron “Pigpen” McKernan Episode 4: Rushed in the Studio, A Midnight Hour Secret, and Busted Down on Ashbury Street

As the Grateful Dead’s star continued to rise, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan felt he would rather be a dark star, invisible to the world. But he couldn’t …

Ron “Pigpen” McKernan Episode 3: Soundtracking the Scene, Caught in the Lovelight, and Unknowingly Dosed

Ron "Pigpen" McKernan wonders if he's the only person not tripping inside a warehouse in the burned-out Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, where the …

Ron “Pigpen” McKernan Episode 2: A Life-Changing Car Crash, Mind Experiments, and Hanging onto the Blues

Ron "Pigpen" McKernan could already feel his influence in the band waning from early on. Even back when the Grateful Dead were still known as the …

Ron “Pigpen” McKernan Episode 1: Fueled by Thunderbird, Taught by a Nine-Fingered Wizard, and Saving Woodstock

Ron "Pigpen" McKernan was the primary figure and driving force at the core of the Grateful Dead's origin story. He was an old soul, a digger of deep …

Ron "Pigpen" McKernan Episode 0: 27 Club Season 5 Official Trailer

Get ready for Season 5 of the 27 Club to take the strange and not-so-long trip of Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, a founding member of the Grateful Dead. …

Amy Winehouse Episode 10: What Really Happened to Amy Winehouse?

When Amy Winehouse died on July 23, 2011 at the age of 27, the world mourned. For many, the grim reality was far from surprising. What was …

Amy Winehouse Episode 9: A Long Day’s Journey into an Eternal Nightmare

Five years had passed since her last album. Her ex-husband was facing jail time for burglary. But Amy Winehouse chose to focus on the positive. She may not have been entirely sober, but she …

Amy Winehouse Episode 8: A Cocaine Overdose in the Bathtub, a Body in the Mirror, and Hacked by the Press

One of Amy Winehouse’s final collaborators was Tony Bennett, who, unbeknownst to her, had his own stories to tell about struggling with addiction and …

Amy Winehouse Episode 7: The Only Rule Is That There Are No Rules

Amy Winehouse wasn’t sure exactly what she was getting into when she accepted a £1million offer to play a private show for an anonymous Russian …

Amy Winehouse Episode 6: Nursing Rodents, Mortifying the Fairy Godmother, and Hitting the Harder Stuff

Amy Winehouse gravitated towards trouble like a moth to a flame. She hung out with the libertines of London’s seedy society, which regularly left her …

Amy Winehouse Episode 5: First Impressions with Mark Ronson, Hitting the Paparazzi Where It Hurts, and an Out of Control Hurricane

When Amy Winehouse first met with producer Mark Ronson, their candid conversation would become a musical legend. That fateful meeting led to a …

Amy Winehouse Episode 4: Booed from the Stage, a Brawl with a Burlesque Dancer, and an Effigy in a Pool of Blood

Amy Winehouse made music that sounded like alchemy, thanks in large part to collaborators like producer Salaam Remi. Alchemy was something that …

Amy Winehouse Episode 3: A Punch-Up at Glastonbury, Heroin on Tour, and Calls for Help from the Pub Bathroom

There were two sides to Amy Winehouse. One side was triumphant. The other side was a disaster. Two consecutive appearances at the Glastonbury Festival made that crystal clear; one presented …

Amy Winehouse Episode 2: A Bruised and Bloody Chase, Perverting the Course of Justice, and a Backdoor Police Raid

Amy Winehouse didn’t compromise her sound for anyone. She had her creative vision under control. Meanwhile, her personal life spiraled out of …

Amy Winehouse Episode 1: Rehab, Camden Town Ain’t Burning Down, and a Violent Night of Bar Brawls and Street Fights

Amy Winehouse fused the past with the present to make music for the future. Her own future was compromised by a series of escalating challenges that coincided with the worldwide success of …

Amy Winehouse Episode 0: Season 4 Official Trailer

Listen to Season 4 of the 27 Club to hear the insane details behind the life of one of rock's greatest icons — Amy Winehouse. With a voice that seemed to come from another time and an …

Janis Joplin Episode 12: Who Killed Janis Joplin?

When Janis Joplin turns up dead in her room at the Landmark Motor Hotel in Hollywood on October 4th, 1970, the pressure is on to walk backwards …

Janis Joplin Episode 11: Racing on the PCH, Brawling with the Killer, and Late to the Last Session

The final months of Janis Joplin’s life are a chaotic blend of ups and downs. She starts a relationship with a drug dealer she just met. She gets into a fight with Jerry Lee Lewis backstage …

Janis Joplin Episode 10: Cry Baby, Angels and Devils, and Playing for the Cheap Seats

Janis’ relationship with the Hell’s Angels continues to sour. A violent altercation erupts during a show she’s headlining for the San Rafael chapter …

Janis Joplin Episode 9: Waiting for the Man, Cold Turkey in Rio, and the Great Tequila Boogie

Janis discovers that kicking a habit is easier said than done. She escapes to Rio during Carnival and has an auspicious meeting with someone who helps her through the worst of her …

Janis Joplin Episode 8: Me and Bobby McGee, Hunted by the FBI, and Hiding in Plain Sight

J. Edgar Hoover digs into the Janis Joplin file on his desk. One of her bandmates goes missing with G-Men hot on his tail. The rest of the band is forced to don homemade disguises. And in …

Janis Joplin Episode 7: Revolution in Detroit, Disappointment in New York, and Breakdown in Minneapolis

Tensions rise in the ranks of Big Brother and the Holding Company as it becomes increasingly obvious that Janis is looking to strike out on her own. …

Janis Joplin Episode 6: San Antonio’s Narcotics Squad, Fighting Heroin Addiction, and Going Full Frontal in the Canyon

In her quest to become a true boss like one of her musical idols, Etta James, Janis Joplin and her band cut the fat and hire a visionary manager. He …

Janis Joplin Episode 5: Shaking Off the Feds, Hustling the Locals, and Kicking the Habit

As Janis continues to find herself in her pre-fame days, she flirts with romantic relationships with both men and women, winds up under FBI …

Janis Joplin Episode 4: The Man with the Scar on His Heart, the Devil on the Blues Highway, and the Freaks Come Out at Night

It took a few attempts before Janis Joplin’s relocation from Texas to California became permanent. It took secret road trips under the cover of darkness. And visits by tough bikers looking …

Janis Joplin Episode 3: Otis on Acid, the Liberation of Chocolate George, and a Beatle in the Haight

The Summer of Love reaches its boiling point in the summer of 1967. Janis has an epiphany watching Otis Redding while on acid. Her bond with the local chapter of the Hell's Angels is …

Janis Joplin Episode 2: The Pontiac Was Full of Grass, the Kool-Aid Was Full of Acid, and “Summertime” Was Just Beginning

In 1966, the seeds of a new “Summertime” were being planted. Harvesting grass on the side of a Nebraska highway. The square judgment of hippie-hating midwestern cops. Acid tests. Freak …

Janis Joplin Episode 1: Getting the Dead Drunk, Passing Jimi by, and Hanging with Austin Outlaws

When Janis Joplin died in 1970 at the age of 27, she was at the height of her musical powers and her rock ‘n roll fame. That summer she headlined a …

Janis Joplin Episode 0: Season 3 Official Trailer

Listen to Season 3 of the 27 Club to hear the insane details behind the life of one of rock's greatest icons — Janis Joplin. From her roots as a …

Introducing Dear Young Rocker Season 3

Dear Young Rocker Season 3 launches April 7th, 2021. Tune in for a music-themed audio memoir podcast where musicians tell the stories of their teenage struggles and triumphs and how they …

Angie and David Bowie: The Prettiest Star

In the summer of 1969, people all over the world were gripped by space fever in the wake of NASA’s Apollo 11 mission, which would successfully land …

Jim Morrison Episode 12: Who Killed Jim Morrison?

In the basement of the Rock ‘n Roll Circus in Paris, Jim has a few revelations, including one about someone very close to him. But it may be too …

Jim Morrison Episode 11: Falling out of Windows, Rioting in the Streets, and Descending into Darkness

Jim Morrison’s supposedly relaxing sojourn to Paris is more tumultuous than he had planned. He gets caught up in the heroin that Pam procures from …

Jim Morrison Episode 10: The Doors Go Out with a Whisper, the Chilling Tale of Billy Cook, and the City of Lights Beckons 

In New Orleans, Jim Morrison plays his final show with The Doors. He knows the band is done. But he’s not thinking of The Doors. Instead, he’s thinking of one of the most chilling murder …

Chapter Two: Phil Spector and Ronnie Spector

Leader of the Ronettes, voice behind “Be My Baby,” and the former wife of Phil Spector, Ronnie Spector peels back the curtain to expose the darker side of one of the most infamous couples …

Chapter One: Phil Spector and Lenny Bruce

Phil Spector’s own personal Socrates, Lenny Bruce, reminisces on the unforgettable time he spent with the Tycoon of Teen. Lenny’s tales involve …

Jim Morrison Episode 9: Woke Up This Morning and Got Myself a Beer...and Some Cocaine, a Little Blood, and Murder

Jim Morrison seeks to escape the fallout of the trial verdict by ramping up the hedonism, no matter who gets hurt in his wake. One girlfriend is pregnant while another disappears to Paris, …

Jim Morrison Episode 8: Making a Scene at Ahmet Ertegun’s Party, Shooting Pool with Creedence Clearwater Revival, and a Secret Wedding Ceremony

As his trial for indecency continues in Miami, Jim Morrison stays busy walking the line between fantasy and reality. He takes part in a secret wedding ceremony that feels like a waking …

Jim Morrison Episode 7: The Anti-Jim Morrison Movement Gains Steam, The Rock Star Life in Mexico City, and an Airplane Ride that Leads to Arrest

30,000 people gather in Miami to protest Jim Morrison’s indecent antics and to shut down his fantasy for good. Meanwhile, rumors of Jim’s death in …

Jim Morrison Episode 6: The Miami Show that Shocked the World, and Visions of Death in Jamaica

Jim Morrison arrives in Miami to kick off The Doors’ biggest tour with transcendence and liberation on his mind. What happens next not only shocks …

Jim Morrison Episode 5: Vietnam and the Unknown Soldier, the Fists of Dennis Wilson, and Charles Manson Crashes the Party

Jim Morrison continues to run through the jungle of his mind, as the Vietnam war rages on and Charles Manson plots a homegrown war of his own. And as The Doors prepare for their biggest …

Jim Morrison Episode 4: Biting the Hands of Ed Sullivan & Andy Warhol, Eating a Fistful of Mace, & The Blue Lady Out of Control

As the Doors get more and more famous, Jim Morrison rides the coattails of his band to ever greater infamy. His run-ins with Ed Sullivan and Andy …

Jim Morrison Episode 3: Jim Turns Obscene and Destructive, While Iggy Pop Sees the Future.

As the peace-and-love revolution starts to sweep the nation, Jim Morrison counters with a revolution of his own. He calls the hippies’ bluff with …

Jim Morrison Episode 2: Los Angeles Is on Fire, and Jim Morrison Returns from the Desert with a Killer Tale.

While L.A.’s Watts neighborhood erupts in riots, Jim Morrison fights a riot in his own mind. His internal struggle between reality and fantasy leads …

Jim Morrison Episode 1: Prelude to a Riot, a Highway Soul Transference, and the Wrath of Janis Joplin

Jim Morrison died mysteriously at the age of 27 after a life of confrontation and chaos. He actively tried to cause riots from the stage. Dared cops to arrest him. Became someone else on …

Jim Morrison Episode 0: Season 2 Official Trailer

Introducing season 2 of the 27 Club. Twelve episodes on Jim Morrison of the Doors, his life, and his mysterious death. Listen to hear the insane details behind Jim Morrison's music, the …

Jimi Hendrix Episode 12: Who Killed Jimi Hendrix?

In the final episode of season one, conspiracy theories run rampant in the wake of Jimi’s untimely death at the age of 27. Was he murdered? Was he left for dead? Or was it something else?

Jimi Hendrix Episode 11: Hide the Drugs, There's a Body in Here

In the penultimate episode of 27 Club season 1, Jimi Hendrix’s search runs head first into a hard bop extortion effort by Miles Davis, too much red …

Jimi Hendrix Episode 10: Mick Jagger’s Bloody Finger, A Stage Burning Down, and Otis Redding’s Ghost

Jimi Hendrix’s life is spinning dangerously out of control. He’s jealous of Mick Jagger. Collapsing on stages. Escaping anarchy in Germany, realizing …

Jimi Hendrix Episode 9: Secret Agent Manager, UFOs & a Lovechild

The secret life of Jimi’s tough-as-nails manager, Michael Jeffrey, becomes increasingly harder to keep secret. His skeletons are bursting from his closet, his hands are getting dirtier all …

Jimi Hendrix Episode 8: A Band of Gypsys and Bad Acid Trips

Following the end of The Experience, Jimi forms a new power trio with Buddy Miles and Billy Cox. Fueled by blues and R&B, Band of Gypsys promises …

Jimi Hendrix Episode 7: Stealing Trucks with Neil Young/Haunted by a Rolling Stone

With the drug trial in Toronto weighing down on him, Jimi Hendrix feels like he’s losing his grip. He’s late to Woodstock, the three-day music festival he’s supposed to open. Overworked and …

Jimi Hendrix Episode 6: Upstaging God, Playing with Fire & Breaking the Mold

London proves to be the place where Jimi Hendrix will break on through. But his sudden rise in popularity doesn’t come without some shock to the …

Jimi Hendrix Episode 5: Hired and Fired by Little Richard and Jimi’s first trip on LSD

Jimi Hendrix’s early days as a guitar player on the Chitlin Circuit put him on stage with a who’s who of R&B royalty. The Isley Brothers. Solomon …

Jimi Hendrix Episode 4: Stolen Cars, Broken Taboos, and the Search for Billy Davis

Before he broke down musical barriers with his virtuoso talent, Jimi Hendrix broke the monotony of teenage life by breaking the law––stealing cars––and when he saw Little Richard perform …

Jimi Hendrix Episode 3: Harlem Shakedowns, Drug Kingpins, and Restless Crowds

Jimi Hendrix was the most famous guitar player on the planet but on the streets of Harlem, none of that mattered. He had to navigate dope slingers, gangsters, semi-crooked hype men and a …

Jimi Hendrix Episode 2: Wannabe Wise guys, Mobbed-Up Club Muscle, and the Night Jimi Hendrix Went Missing.

Jimi Hendrix was missing and his mobbed up manager wasn’t about to let him stay that way. One night after a show in New York City, Jimi’s go-with-the-flow attitude got him in with the wrong …

Jimi Hendrix Episode 1: A Forgotten Heroin Stash, a Very Drunk Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin Saving the Day.

Jimi Hendrix died mysteriously at the age of 27 and in addition to being the greatest guitar player on the planet, he was a busy guy. Busy trying to smuggle heroin across the Canadian …

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Start listening to Introducing: Amplify Color
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