{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"The Sum of All Wisdom: Conversations on Music, Makers, Meaning & More","title":"Always Almost Famous: Earl Okin on Creativity, Music, Success, and How Craft Matters","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":4252,"description":"What does a lifetime in music actually look like?\nFor singer, songwriter, guitarist, comedian, and raconteur Earl Okin, it begins with a wind-up gramophone at the age of three and unfolds across more than seven decades of listening, performing, writing, and constantly refining the craft.\nIn this conversation, Earl reflects on a remarkable musical journey that has carried him from postwar London to Abbey Road Studios, from touring with Paul McCartney and Wings and Van Morrison to sharing stages with folk, rock, pop, and jazz legends, all while building a career that defies easy categorization.\nAlong the way, he reveals how songs are really written, why Peggy Lee changed the way he hears and performs music, what João Gilberto taught him about bossa nova, and why the greatest artists are often their own harshest critics.\nJoin us for a rewarding conversation about creative persistence, living one step ahead of the cultural curve, how to give your craft the right attention, and what it means to spend a career making, living, and loving music.\nIn this episode\nA postwar London childhood spent with a gramophone and collecting 78s\nDiscovering opera, jazz, and the Great American Songbook\nRecording at Abbey Road in the shadow of Sgt. Pepper\nTouring the UK with Paul McCartney and Wings\nLife on the road with Van Morrison\nHow songs emerge from instinct, craft, and “finding the gold”\nLearning bossa nova from the Brazilian masters\nPhrasing or virtuosity? What matters most?\nPerfectionism, practice, and the lifelong pursuit of better performances\nThe great musicians aren’t always the famous ones\nWriting an autobiography through stories rather than chronology\nContinuing to compose, tour, perform, and create memorable music into his eighth decade\nFeatured Music\nIn order:\n“London Now” \n“Time”\n“Yesterday’s Wine”\nAll music used with permission. \nMemorable Quote\n“You’re playing, and just a lot of clichés come out of your mouth... then suddenly there’s a little bit of gold. You take it,...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/WxYkrFS9xG0iifivgXJ8ULNXdp4ij1PBeHoIXb0qWXE/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8wYjZh/Zjk1NjhmNzU4ZmJi/ZWJmMjI0YWViNmU3/YjEwOS5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}