Dan Markus' Wax Museum

Interviews with artists who contributed to Rock and Pop's formative years.

The 1968 Presidential Election 10/09/2024

The 1968 Presidential Election Rocker Tommy James and comedian Pat Paulsen both had roles in the 1968 Presidential Election. Richard Nixon won the election over Hubert Humphrey and George Wallace. But here are two stories you may not have heard before, one from Tommy James, the other from Pat Paulsen. More at #TommyJamesandTheShondells #PatPaulsen #DanMarkusWaxMuseum #History #1968 /episode/index/show/danmarkuswaxmuseum/id/33397867

Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane of Spanky and Our Gang 07/03/2024

Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane of Spanky and Our Gang Spanky and Our Gang's hits included "Sunday Will Never Be The Same, Lazy Day," and "Like To Get To Know You." They were known for great harmonies and a quirky look. Here, Elaine "Spanky" McFarlane recalls the band's formation-to-first-gig-in-4-days origin, and the name. /episode/index/show/danmarkuswaxmuseum/id/32005567

Three Dog Night 01/21/2024

Three Dog Night Danny Hutton knows why Three Dog Night songs were so popular, and discloses a really stupid reason why one critic chose to pan the band that had 18 consecutive Top 20 hits. #threedognight #dannyhutton #musichistory /episode/index/show/danmarkuswaxmuseum/id/29576833

The Cowsills: New (Christmas) Music 12/14/2023

The Cowsills: New (Christmas) Music The Cowsills have a new 3-song Christmas EP out, and it's a gem! Here, Bob Cowsill chats with Dan Markus about the new EP, and shares a few other interesting Cowsills stories. More on The Cowsills and many other artists from Rock and Roll's formative years at https://www.danmarkuswaxmuseum.com /episode/index/show/danmarkuswaxmuseum/id/29086158

Susan Cowsill 08/01/2023

Susan Cowsill Susan Cowsill has been a rock star since her pre-teen years, and here she talks with Dan Markus about being in The Cowsills with her mother and brothers, and being a part of the 2023 Happy Together Tour. /episode/index/show/danmarkuswaxmuseum/id/27626799

Escaping A Russian Invasion 03/21/2022

Escaping A Russian Invasion What iconic Rock Star escaped a Russian Invasion as a baby when his mother snuck him across a border in the middle of the night? Hear the story from the man it happened to. /episode/index/show/danmarkuswaxmuseum/id/22509284

Chad and Jeremy talk with Dan Markus about their 1965 appearance on the Dick Van Dyke Show 02/06/2022

Chad and Jeremy talk with Dan Markus about their 1965 appearance on the Dick Van Dyke Show Chad and Jeremy, in the first year of The British Invasion, made a very memorable appearance on the Dick Van Dyke Show, playing British musicians plagued by hoards of screaming teenage girls intent on meeting them. The episode (called The Redcoats are Coming) first aired February 10, 1965. Here, Chad and Jeremy talk with Dan Markus about their cherished experience on that show. #chadandjeremy, #dickvandykeshow, #britishinvasion, #historicpodcast /episode/index/show/danmarkuswaxmuseum/id/22041143

Jimmy Pankow of Chicago talks about changing people's perception of what a rock band was. 12/08/2021

Jimmy Pankow of Chicago talks about changing people's perception of what a rock band was. When Chicago first debuted (is that redundant?), some rock purists were hesitant to call it a "rock band" because it had a built-in horn section (Jimmy Pankow on trombone, Lee Loughnane on trumpet, and Walter Parazaider on saxophone and flute). Here, Dan Markus (a trombonist himself-back in the day) brings the subject up with Chicago founding member Jimmy Pankow. /episode/index/show/danmarkuswaxmuseum/id/21416933

The Grass Roots' Rob Grill on a close brush with death 08/26/2021

The Grass Roots' Rob Grill on a close brush with death The Grass Roots' Rob Grill revealed to Dan Markus how he had a close call with death, but switched planes at the last minute. The tragic 1979 plane crash took the lives of everyone on board. #historicalpodcasts #oldies #danmarkuswaxmuseum /episode/index/show/danmarkuswaxmuseum/id/20273423

Steve Cropper 07/02/2021

Steve Cropper Dan Markus talks with one of Rock's greatest guitarists (so-anointed by Rolling Stone Magazine) whose career goes back even before the British Invasion years when he was guitarist in the house band for the TV show "Shindig." He's in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for being a member of the legendary band, Booker T. and The MGs. Perhaps he's most remembered for playing behind Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi in The Blues Brothers (band and movie). In this 10 minute phone interview, Steve and Dan talk about Steve's latest album, Fire It Up, and Steve tells his favorite behind-the-scene story about shooting The Blue Brothers movie. /episode/index/show/danmarkuswaxmuseum/id/19691546

Dan Markus and The Moody Blues' John Lodge 05/17/2021

Dan Markus and The Moody Blues' John Lodge Rock and Roll Hall of Famer John Lodge talks about "The Sun Will Shine," John's new solo song released May of 2021. Hear the song by visiting the Dan Markus' Wax Museum website, . /episode/index/show/danmarkuswaxmuseum/id/19134059

Mary Wilson of The Supremes 02/10/2021

Mary Wilson of The Supremes With the sad passing of Mary Wilson, founding member of the landmark Motown group The Supremes, I went back into my interview vault and selected three brief clips from my 1987 interview with the legendary singer. We discussed how The Supremes crossed-over to a larger audience, and the tour that made the trio Superstars. #marywilson, #thesupremes, #danmarkuswaxmuseum /episode/index/show/danmarkuswaxmuseum/id/17893148

Carl Giammarese of The Buckinghams 01/17/2021

Carl Giammarese of The Buckinghams Carl Giammarese of Chicago's Buckinghams chats with Dan Markus about how the band got a record deal by winning a TV contest. And how Kind of a Drag leapt to Number One in America, yet the band didn't have a record deal. And the times (plural) that The Buckinghams played at Presidential Inauguration Balls in Washington, DC. Plus much more. #thebuckinghams, #carlgiammarese, #danmarkuswaxmuseum /episode/index/show/danmarkuswaxmuseum/id/17579480

Pete Best Talks about John Lennon 12/08/2020

Pete Best Talks about John Lennon On the anniversary of John Lennon's death, here's a brief part of my conversation with Pete Best, The Beatles first regular drummer. I asked him a question, and you can here his affection for John Lennon as he talks about his bandmate. #Beatles, #JohnLennon, #PeteBest /episode/index/show/danmarkuswaxmuseum/id/17107145

Johnny Rivers - the name, and Secret Agent Man 11/08/2020

Johnny Rivers - the name, and Secret Agent Man How Johnny Rivers got his stage name, and by what famous (In-The-Rock-And-Roll-Hall-Of-Fame-Famous) Disc Jockey. Plus how he found one of his most iconic songs while touring Great Britain. /episode/index/show/danmarkuswaxmuseum/id/16725110

Shirley Alston Reeves of The Shirelles 09/13/2020

Shirley Alston Reeves of The Shirelles Shirley Alston Reeves, lead singer of The Shirelles, didn't think Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow would be a hit. Ultimately it spent two weeks at Number One in early 1961. In this clip, Shirley spoke with me by phone about why she really really didn't want to record this composition by a then relatively-unknown Carole King, with a behind-the-scenes look at in-studio discussions about it. /episode/index/show/danmarkuswaxmuseum/id/15995027

Peter Noone 06/22/2020

Peter Noone The lead singer of Herman's Hermits (Mrs. Brown You've Got A Lovely Daughter, I'm Henry VIII, I Am, There's A Kind of Hush) talks with Dan Markus about touring with The Who (and Keith Moon's birthday, um, celebration ... you can imagine ... ), some of the famous studio musicians heard on some of their records, his Sirus XM show Something Good, and much more. /episode/index/show/danmarkuswaxmuseum/id/14911421

Dean Torrence Pt 3 06/21/2020

Dean Torrence Pt 3 Dean Torrence of Jan and Dean talks about /episode/index/show/danmarkuswaxmuseum/id/14643776

Dean Torrence of Jan and Dean conversation 05/08/2020

Dean Torrence of Jan and Dean conversation Dean Torrence talks about ... how he came to sing lead on a big Beach Boys hit AND about the time Jan and Dean showed up for a concert and there were no cars in the venue's parking lot AND why they were banned from the movie set of "Ride the Wild Surf" even though they sang the movie's title track AND what major historical international event had its origins in a Jan and Dean tour (according to USA Today). /episode/index/show/danmarkuswaxmuseum/id/14333444

Two Papas talk about the name "The Mamas and The Papas" 04/04/2020

Two Papas talk about the name "The Mamas and The Papas" Founding members of The Mamas and Papas, Denny Doherty and John Phillips, explain how their rather unusual group name originated. Find more interviews at , and like our Facebook page. /episode/index/show/danmarkuswaxmuseum/id/13848818

An interview with Jim Peterik 03/22/2020

An interview with Jim Peterik Dan Markus talks with Jim Peterik of Ides of March, formerly of Survivor and of .38 Special fame. /episode/index/show/danmarkuswaxmuseum/id/13653389

Kenny Rogers talks about Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town 03/22/2020

Kenny Rogers talks about Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town Country Superstar Kenny Rogers relates how "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town" steered his band, The First Edition, away from Psychedelic Rock and more towards Country. And what 60s Rock Band did The First Edition want to emulate? R.I.P. Kenny Rogers. /episode/index/show/danmarkuswaxmuseum/id/13644920

Remembering Davy Jones on the anniversary of his death 02/29/2020

Remembering Davy Jones on the anniversary of his death If you thought Davy Jones must have been a nice guy, you're right, he was, and here's just one short story offered up as proof. Plus Davy talking about being successful. /episode/index/show/danmarkuswaxmuseum/id/13350503

Dan Markus' Wax Museum interviews Dean Torrence of Jan and Dean 02/26/2020

Dan Markus' Wax Museum interviews Dean Torrence of Jan and Dean Part 1 of Dan Markus' interview with the legendary Dean Torrence of Jan and Dean ("Surf City, "Deadman's Curve," "Sidewalk Surfin'" /episode/index/show/danmarkuswaxmuseum/id/13309538

What the hell does "Jam Up and Jelly Tight" mean? 02/24/2020

What the hell does "Jam Up and Jelly Tight" mean? Tommy Roe had a hit in early 1970 called "Jam Up and Jelly Tight." It was an infectious little song that we all sang along to. But just what were we singing, anyway?! Tommy explains in this exclusive interview with Dan Markus. And for more interviews, visit https://danmarkuswaxmuseum.com. /episode/index/show/danmarkuswaxmuseum/id/13270022

Graham Nash talks about CSN being issue-oriented 01/31/2020

Graham Nash talks about CSN being issue-oriented Crosby, Stills, Nash (and Young) were artists who were not afraid to tackle some of the issues of a turbulent time in the world. In this exclusive interview clip from the mid-80s, Graham Nash tells Dan Markus about the band's willingness to deal with public issues through their music. Visit danmarkuswaxmuseum.com /episode/index/show/danmarkuswaxmuseum/id/12959651

Union whistler on a 1965 Top 5 hit 01/24/2020

Union whistler on a 1965 Top 5 hit What Top 5 hit from the Summer/Fall of 1965 featured a prominent whistling part that no one in the band could perform? Visit danmarkuswaxmuseum.com for more interviews. /episode/index/show/danmarkuswaxmuseum/id/12856103

Arlo Guthrie talks about Alice's Restaurant 01/17/2020

Arlo Guthrie talks about Alice's Restaurant Arlo Guthrie's first record release was the fabled "Alice's Restaurant," released in 1967. It was unusual for several reasons ... most notably that it was 18+ minutes long and mostly narration. Here, Arlo reflects on his debut offering, which became an instant classic. For more stories and interviews, visit website. /episode/index/show/danmarkuswaxmuseum/id/12776069

Did George Harrison play on Donovan's Sunshine Superman? 01/09/2020

Did George Harrison play on Donovan's Sunshine Superman? The rumor has circulated for years ... in 1966 George Harrison recorded a guitar track for friend and companion Donovan's signature song, "Sunshine Superman." Or did he? Dan Markus put the question to Donovan, who in turn puts the rumor to rest once and for all. (For more from Dan Markus' Wax Museum, visit ) /episode/index/show/danmarkuswaxmuseum/id/12671111

Tommy James talks about his first hit, Hanky Panky 01/08/2020

Tommy James talks about his first hit, Hanky Panky Tommy James tells Dan Markus how Tommy's first hit, "Hanky Panky," took years to become a national hit. /episode/index/show/danmarkuswaxmuseum/id/12656264

Dan Markus' Wax Museum

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