Doc Severinsen
In early 2001, I received an assignment from Minnesota Monthly magazine: Interview famous people and ask what they like about Minnesota. It was a fun story to work on! Here is my audio interview with Doc Severinsen, the longtime band leader for Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show, and the resulting story that was printed in the May 2001 issue.
Click on the audio player below to listen to my ten-minute interview with Doc Severinsen.
This illustration of Doc Severinsen and others accompanied the article
Severinsen rose to fame as the flamboyantly clad, trumpet-playing music director of the Johnny Carson-era “Tonight Show.” He is the principal pops conductor of the Minnesota Orchestra, the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, and the Phoenix Symphony.
When I think about Minnesota, two words come to mind. One is “solitude” and the other is “energy.” You have the landscapes of the lake, maybe a snow scene and geese flying, and it’s all very nice and quiet. And then you go to a Minnesota Vikings game. You want to talk about energy? that’s energy, super-plus. I was in Minnesota just before Christmas and it was very cold. I saw a Holidazzle parade and that really boggles my mind, that here they’re having a Santa Claus parade and it’s too cold for Santa Claus.
The Twin Cities has some really great Japanese food. I don’t even know the name of it, but there’s a place I go to in St. Paul that’s fantastic. There’s a very, very good one in the old industrial part of Minneapolis, too.
I’ve met some good friends in Minnesota. Dave Hyslop. the president of the Minnesota Orchestra, is one of my oldest friends. I’ve known him since we were college age. And I have many friends in the orchestra. Connie Evingson, a wonderful jazz singer, has gotten to be a good friend. So has Kenny Holman, a sax player who’s come out on the road with me and the big band. I liked his playing so much that I asked him to come out and perform with the old “Tonight Show” band.
MY POSTS FEATURING MY MINNESOTA MONTHLY AUDIO INTERVIEWS
MY INTERVIEW WITH DOC SEVERINSEN
MY INTERVIEW WITH TOMMY SMOTHERS
MY INTERVIEW WITH PATRICK STEWART
ABOUT PHIL BOLSTA
Phil is the author of Sixty Seconds: One Moment Changes Everything, a collection of 45 inspiring, life-changing stories from prominent people he interviewed, including Joan Borysenko, Deepak Chopra, geneticist Dr. Francis Collins, acclaimed sportswriter Frank Deford, Dr. Larry Dossey, Wayne Dyer, Dan Millman, Caroline Myss, Dr. Christiane Northrup, Dr. Dean Ornish, Dr. Rachel Naomi Remen, Dr. Bernie Siegel, James Van Praagh, singer Billy Vera, Doreen Virtue, Neale Donald Walsch, and bassist Victor Wooten.
Here is a three-minute video that introduces you to Phil and his book. Click here to buy Sixty Seconds. Click here to ask Phil to add you to his e-mail list for updates on his blog and books.
Reading this book is like spending a few minutes face to face with each of the contributors and listening to their personal stories. Click here to read unsolicited testimonials from readers. Learn more by visiting the official Sixty Seconds website.
Sixty Seconds was one of three finalists in the General Interest/How-To category at the 12th annual Visionary Awards presented by COVR (Coalition of Visionary Resources) in Denver on June 27, 2009.
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