Big Beautiful Bruce Brown Special
This show would not exist without the long, steady, wise guidance and technical prowess of music writer, radio veteran, and mixmaster extraordinaire, Bruce A. Brown. In this special, inside-out episode, we turn the microphone around. Host and podcast co-founder John J. Thompson sits down with Bruce in the “Virtual True Tunes Interview Suite” for a wide-ranging conversation about his life, his work, his passions, and the four-decade friendship behind this podcast.
The conversation comes on the first anniversary of the Big Beautiful Bruce Brown Benefit, a two-hour streaming event held after Bruce's cancer diagnosis, where a slew of artists contributed home-recorded songs and testimonials. Together with Bruce's GoFundMe, the benefit raised roughly $20,000 toward the treatment costs insurance doesn't cover. Woven throughout this episode are clips of music from artists who benefit from friends, including Michael Roe, Terry Scott Taylor, Bill Mallonee, Bill Campbell, Dave Perkins, Glenn Kaiser, Phil Keaggy, Jimmy Abegg, The Choir, Chris Taylor, and others. There’s a lot more music, too!
SUPPORT BRUCE
Bruce's fundraiser remains open — costs have continued to mount in the year since the benefit. If this episode moved you, please consider putting a few bucks in the jar HERE.
If you want to support the show more broadly, please join our Patreon community or drop us a one-time tip via PayPal, and check out our MERCH!
And thank you for doing all the other stuff — leaving us ratings and reviews on Apple Podcasts, signing up for the email list, and subscribing to the weekly Spotify Mixtape. Spotify and Apple are great places to discover new music, but once you discover an artist you love, please support them with your dollars and your attention.
(NOTE: Our friend and long-time supporter, David Bunker, is also in need of help as he is battling Lewy Body Disease. We are helping to host a special tribute event in Nashville on September 12th, and encourage you to give to his GoFundMe Campaign as well. More info can be found HERE.)
MUSIC IN THIS EPISODE
This episode features numerous exclusive musical clips from the “BBBBB” livestream, including:
Jimmy Abegg; Phil Keaggy; Terry Scott Taylor; Michael Roe & Bruce Spencer; Kevin Max; The Choir; Bill Campbell; Phil Madeira Trio; Glenn Kaiser; Dave Perkins; Bill Mallonee
(And a few words from Amy Grant & Steve Taylor)
With additional musical excerpts from:
The Sunshine Boys - We Need A Whole Lot More Of Jesus (And A Lot Less Rock & Roll)
Daniel Amos - Divine Instant (instrumental mix)
David Grisman - Shenandoah Breakdown
Johnny Cash - Hey, Good Lookin’
The George Martin Orchestra - Can’t Buy Me Love
Steve Taylor - Svengali (Remix)
Russ Taff - If II Had My Way
The Seekers (of St. Louis, MO) - Road of Life
The Way - If You Will Believe
Blessed Hope - Something More
Jethro Tull - Bourée
King Crimson - 21st Century Schizoid Man (Instrumental Mix); The Court of the Crimson King (Instrumental Mix)
Daniel Amos - Everyone’s Fallen Down (Live Bootleg ’82 version)
The Osmonds - Down By the Lazy River
The Horace Silver Quintet - Song for My Father
The Monkees - Early Morning Blues And Greens (Master Backing Track)
The Charlie Peacock Jazz Quintet - Promise of Fellowship Kept
Delirious - Deeper
Natalie Bergman - Shine Your Light On Me
Dexter Gordon - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Ella Fitzgerald - Santa Claus Got Stuck In My Chimney
Flo Price - Scene 1: Somewhere In Outer Space Above Planet Earth / It’s the Very Best Time of the Year
Bruce Cockburn - Deer Dancing ‘Round a Broken Mirror; After the Rain
Jacob Collier - You Can Close Your Eyes
Mike Roe - Mercy Seat
Bill Mallonee - Best Seat In the Room (Instrumental)
Chris Taylor - Meditation (Melt Into Morning)
Phil Keaggy - Noah’s Shuffle; Jam In The Side Pocket; Tiger Tail (Super Sessions!)
(And possibly a few notes from Michael Roe & Mark Harmon - Spirits Flying Over Mt. Tamalpais and The Choir - Cool Black Water)
And Licensed music from the Soundstripe Library
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