September 2025 – Relatively Famous

September 29, 2025October 5, 2025

Freida Parton, Sister of Dolly Parton

Subscribe or Follow Spotify | Amazon Music

Seems like everyone loves Dolly Parton. She is also one of Vanna’s favorite people and Vanna strives to emulate Dolly’s goodness, kindness and generosity. Plus, Dolly has a fantastic family dinner show in Myrtle Beach, SC called Dolly’s Pirate Voyage Dinner Show.

So when Freida Parton, Dolly’s younger sister responded YES to my request to be a guest I was overjoyed. Including Dolly, Lee and Avie Parton had 12 children. I have struggled to raise just one.

Freida and her twin brother Floyd, who passed away on 12/6/2018, are the 10^th and 11^th children of the Parton Clan., followed by youngest of the siblings Rachel Parton George.

Freida blazes her own path and is amazing to talk with. She has more stories than our time allowed. She recounts writing a song in Hawaii at Dolly’s house on the beautiful white Baby Grand Piano.

Freida has a huge, and I mean huge, catalogue of music. She writes 1-3 songs a day. She told us that Dolly’s even shocked at how many songs she’s written.

Freida has performed, recorded and written music with Dolly, been a regular performer at Dollywood with her sister Stella and has a new LP coming out.

She married young and with her husband co-wrote “Sing for the Common Man” on Dolly’s 9 to 5 LP.

Freida could have been the first Parton to dive head first into Rock & Roll. If you are an 80’s hairband rock fan then you’ll totally rock with Freida’s first album “Two Faced” from 1984. The single’s video, Oriental Doll, played on MTV.

Life has not always been easy for Freida as she’s pursued her musical career. There were some dark roads she had to navigate and demons she had put behind her. She’s tough, talented, and determined to leave her mark on this earth. Freida’s life adventures have produced some great tales to tell, good or bad it’s a life she is happy to share.

https://www.instagram.com/the_real_freida_parton/?hl=en

https://www.facebook.com/FreidaPartonFans

https://www.dollydiscography.com/freida-parton-discography.html

https://www.facebook.com/people/Freida-Parton/61577998989224

https://piratesvoyage.com

#dollyparton #9to5 #Freidapartonb #dollywood #twofaced #contrymusic #rockandroll #hairbands #myrtlebeach #piratesvoyage #orientaldoll #mtv #vannawhite #hawaii #grandpiano #floydparton #twins #twin #rachelparton

September 22, 2025September 22, 2025

Dixie Griffith, Daughter of Andy Griffith

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe or Follow Spotify | Amazon Music

It’s difficult to find someone over 30 that is not a fan of Dixie’s father Andy Griffith, star of Matlock and The Andy Griffith show. Sheriff Andy Taylor is a national treasure in my opinion! I know I have been a fan for at least 55+ yrs of my life.

Andy’s musical talents and recordings have crossed multiple decades. His comedy recording of “What it was, was football” will always be classic comedy gold. I once had signed copy of his comedy LP, Andy Griffith Just For Laughs. It was a prize possession that was stolen from my West Hollywood apartment in 1984. Yeah, I’m still mad at that thief.

Dixie shares her life as a kid when they would spend their summers on the Outer Banks of NC where her father was just Andy to local folks, to life in Toluca Lake, CA where dad was a famous film and tv star.

We chat about the effect that The Andy Griffith show has on people, how being a part of the Mayberry family is so gratifying, the different Mayberry events she has participated in, the films Mayberry Man and The Mayberry Effect.

We talk about how good of an actor father really was and how he should have won an Oscar for the Ella Kazan film “A Face in the Crowd”.

She shares how difficult it was for her brother being compared to Opie by the public and losing him at a young age.

I even ask her about the new Matlock with Kathy Bates!

https://www.themayberryeffect.com

September 15, 2025September 22, 2025

Dean Miller, Son of Roger Miller

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe or Follow Spotify | Amazon Music

Dang Me. I got to have the King of the Road, Roger Miller’s son Dean on the show! Do-Wacka-do is that exciting to me. In 2002 Eve and I saw the Deaf West Production of Big River in LA. The production and the music (though I already knew it from the album) changed my live theater experience for life. I was a fair weather fan of Roger’s until that night. Since then, River in the Rain is probably one of my favorite songs of all time.

Dean responded to a social media message about being a guest, which I’m finding is rare (Dang it). He was game right off the bat and we caught him in the car on the way to his office. Our second in car interview. See Matt Axton episode #38

He has lived a fascinating life, from learning to make his own music and path in the music business. to being a renowned dog trainer. Yeah, dog training was news to me and a fun topic to chat about. I was, “wait, wait a minute you’re a dog trainer? I thought you were a singer, songwriter and producer?” Oo-De-Lally it seemed like he was pranking me at first. He wasn’t.

He talks about how his dad wouldn’t just make a call to the record labels for him, so he had to hustle and prove his talent in order to earn his record deals. Dean is also candid about how if there was a bad deal or move in the record business not to make, or just bad timing and luck, he lived it.

I googled him after our show and Dean is a very talented singer songwriter, yet still honors his father’s legacy and memory by doing some heartfelt covers of his dad’s songs. I also suggest you google Dean Miller songs…

Spending time with Dean is like Walkin in the Sunshine and by the end of the conversation, you feel like Old Friends.

Ok, Dean, I’m sorry about all the corny uses of your dad’s songs in the show notes, but man, they just lend themselves to the great and fun time I had chatting with you! Dean, I can tell ya in This Big Town you’re a Super Star!

Home

https://www.instagram.com/deanmillermusic/?hl=en

https://www.facebook.com/deanmillerpage/

September 10, 2025September 10, 2025

Guest Appearance: The Little Podcast That Could with Mandy and Todd

I had the pleasure of joining The Little Podcast That Could as a guest, and it was such a meaningful conversation. I opened up about my family, what it’s been like having a life connected to the spotlight, and of course, shared some thoughts about my sister, Vanna. It was a chance to reflect, tell a few stories. Check it out here!