Hollywood – Relatively Famous

April 21, 2025April 21, 2025

Episode 37 – Linda Gail Lewis (Jerry Lee Lewis – Sister)

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Linda Gail is the younger sister of Rock & Roll Legend Jerry Lee Lewis. She is also a cousin to the late country music star Mickey Gilley and tv evangelist Jimmy Swaggart. That’s a whole lot of talent and fame from one family out of the little ole’ town of Ferriday, LA. Linda Gail now lives in Austin, TX and still performs locally and around the world. She started her career singing and playing with her brother Jerry Lee at age 14. Together they toured the world, wrote hit songs and cut records as a duet. She and Jerry Lee had a wonderful brother sister relationship that extended way beyond just performing together. This is evident in the song she wrote to her brother after his death and the video for “I Knew That You Were Leaving”.

A friend of mine happen to catch Linda Gail playing at the famed Gruene Hall in Gruene, TX one Saturday. He told her of the podcast, got her number and the next thing know she’s an amazing guest on Relatively Famous. She even forgave me when I made a very bad faux pas about Jerry Lee. Thank you Linda Gail!

Because she toured with Jerry, Linda Gail has met some of music’s biggest stars including Elvis Presley and developed a friendship with Tom Jones that she still fondly cherishes to this day.

https://www.lglmusic.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEu437j_-is
https://www.instagram.com/officiallindagaillewis/?hl=en
https://open.spotify.com/artist/4Bj9FwLkEXYhZRgskLhvDX

March 3, 2025March 3, 2025

Episode 33 – Gabriel Cannon (Nick Cannon – Brother)

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While researching potential guests I ran across a post on Nick Cannon’s brother Gabriel Cannon winning the TV show Claim to Fame. Having worked with Nick early in his career on the Nickelodeon show Snick House. I knew I had to ask Gabriel if he would be a guest on my podcast. During our interview I discovered Gabriel is an amazing young man who has stood in the Hollywood limelight with his brother, toured with Mariah Carey, has music in his blood and knows the value of giving back in-order to live a fulfilled life. He stepped away from the Hollywood hustle, went to Bible college, now mentors some of societies most troubled youth and has plans for a youth camp to help these kids who went down or are on the wrong path. I promise you Gabriel’s enthusiasm for life will lift your day and make you ask yourself, what can I do to help America’s lost kids?

February 24, 2025February 24, 2025

Episode 32 – Scott Cooper (Leonard Nimoy – Cousin)

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Scott Cooper is not only Spock’s cousin, he is an amazing and successful artist who spent years hiding the family claim to fame. What tales Scott has of growing up a poor white art student in a tough black – Puerto Rican neighborhood of NYC. His childhood was literally where the film Warriors was based on. Scott moved to Los Angeles to ply his craft on the cartoon He-Man only to arrive in LA and discover there was no job waiting. All the animation had moved to Korea.

He is a master at adapting, learning and teaching new technology in the art world, think photoshop and 3D printing before photoshop was a household word and 3D printers were east to access.

Scott also spend those Hollywood years rubbing elbows with his Rock & Roll heroes where his wife ran a well know rehearsal studio. His art hangs in homes and galleries around the world. We were lucky to have Scott in the Nelco Comics podcast studio to share his story before he moved to Vietnam where he’ll teach art and technology to rising Vietnamese art students. He also had one of the premiere Star Trek memorabilia collections. In this episode Scott will fill you in on his Trekkie journey and how he just can’t escape the Nimoy legacy. https://www.behance.net/Inknstein

February 3, 2025February 3, 2025

Episode 29 – Jennifer Dornetta (Jimmy McGuire – Sister)

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Answer: Jennifer Dornetta – Question: Who is Jimmy McGuire’s sister…Answer; Jennifer Dornetta…. On this episode of Relatively Famous I hark back to my days of producing Jeopardy! Clue Crew segments. Jimmy McGuire was one of the original Clue Crew members and remained a world traveling member of the Jeopardy! Clue Crew for 21 seasons. He may not be a household name or face, BUT to 25 million Jeopardy! viewers he’s super famous. When I saw Jimmy wish his sister Jennifer a Happy Birthday on Facebook I knew I had to ask her to be a guest. Jimmy said she’s shy and may say no. Well, she’s lived in the shadow of an overprotective (their words not mine) big brother, from toddlers, high school and into adulthood, but he’s always been there for her. Oh yeah, she wasn’t allowed to date his friends. Their love for each other is unconditional. Jennifer loves her hometown of #Pittsburgh, being a mom and her career as a nail tech. Meet a very nervous, funny and loving Jennifer Dornetta.

https://www.jeopardy.com/jbuzz/tagged/clue-crew

Jennifer Dornetta and Jimmy McGuire as kids

January 27, 2025January 26, 2025

Episode 28 – Bellamie Blackstone (Harry Blackstone Jr. – Daughter)

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Since starting this podcast I have been stunned by the connections Wheel of Fortune has provided. Here I have the honor of interviewing the granddaughter and daughter of renowned Master Illusionist Harry Blackstone and Harry Blackstone Jr, Bellamie Blackstone. She is not only an amazing TV Producer, she’s also the Producer of Wheel of Fortune. Her grandfather Harry was known to rival Houdini and her father Harry Jr was not only a master of stage illusion he was known for guest starring on primetime tv shows like Hart to Hart. This episode is pure magic, pun intended…

Bellamie Blackstone posing in green suit

https://www.emmys.com/bios/bellamie-blackstone

January 13, 2025January 13, 2025

Episode 27 – Carlo Mendez (Eva Mendez – Brother)

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It’s always fun and interesting to me when I meet another brother of someone
famous and on this episode we met the brother of actress Eva Mendes. Carlo
Mendez is as handsome as his sister is beautiful. Eva may have retired from acting but Carlo is just starting his acting journey. Carlo talks about his career, growing up in Miami, going to Hollywood and keeping his relative close to the chest. He also opens up about the loss of their older brother Carlos. He proves he’s a great brother by keeping true to Eva & Ryan’s desire for privacy.

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2709554/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

https://people.com/celebrity/eva-mendes-older-brother-carlos-mendez-dies-of-cancer-at-53

https://www.digitaljournal.com/entertainment/interview-carlo-mendez-talks-about-starring-in-the-film-demise/article

https://people.com/eva-mendes-brother-carlo-mendez-says-she-ryan-gosling-amazing-parents-8629883

January 6, 2025January 13, 2025

Episode 26 – Charlie McCord (Billy Vera – Son)

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Thanks to social media I was able to reconnect with Charlie McCord’s father. I first meet Charlie’s father in the Green Room of The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. Vanna was a guest and his dad was promoting his hit song “At This Moment”. Charlie is the son of Billy Vera, one the most amazing singers I know, with a career that expands over 60 yrs. Like his father Charlie is a singer and musician, had a band with his brother and also produces for video productions. I really enjoyed learning about Charlie’s music career and what it’s like being the son of a Hollywood musical legend.

www.CharlieMcCord.com

https://www.instagram.com/listencharles

December 2, 2024December 22, 2024

Episode 22 – Keith Coogan (Jackie Coogan – Grandson)

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On this episode of Relatively Famous we meet Keith Coogan, the grandson of Jackie Coogan, the first child star in Hollywood and the man responsible for protecting child actor’s income with the Coogan Law. Keith has an amazing acting resume, ponders films, tv and streaming future, his mom and Hollywood, his incredible work ethic, time with his grandfather and growing up with other Hollywood celebrity kids.

Keith Coogan and Kristen Shean — Screenshot

November 25, 2024December 22, 2024

Episode 21 – Kimber Eastwood (Clint Eastwood – Daughter)

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This episode’s interview came out of left field for me. I’ve spent the last 50 yrs quoting lines from her father’s films with my friends only to discover she has been a makeup artist of Wheel of Fortune for 20 yrs. Yep Clint Eastwood’s daughter Kimber Eastwood Midkiff has been an actor like her father but prefers being behind the camera producing and doing makeup. She doesn’t live the Hollywood highlife you’d expect of an Eastwood and love to drive the country with her husband and dogs.

Scott Eastwood Family Siblings Half Sister Kimber Eastwood Midkiff 1 768x615