Episodes

International Best Selling Author Hannah Mary McKinnon talks about the imminent release of her latest suspense thriller ONLY ONE SURVIVES [‘sharing the spotlight can be murder!’], how a professional crisis saw her pivot from high-powered business executive to becoming an author [‘I’ve read a lot of books, so shouldn’t I be able to write one??’], aligning herself with the OTHER author Mary McKinnon, admiring Roger Moore from afar but Jeffrey Archer from up-close, why she’s a ‘plotter’ who intervi...

Winnipeg Jets/NY Rangers Swedish superstar Ulf Nilsson talks about his jump to the WHA’s Winnipeg Jets in 1974, why The Golden Jet Bobby Hull was both such a great player AND a great teammate, why The Hot Line [Hedberg/Nilsson/Hull] SHOULD be enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame, winning faceoffs against Gordie Howe in Houston, the behind-the-scenes maneuvering [collusion? racketeering?] that saw him and Anders Hedberg jump to the NHL’s NY Rangers as free agents, the ‘Potvin Sucks’ legacy of his...

The ‘Father of Vehicle Return Insurance’ Vince Beretta talks about his trademarked/copyrighted WALKAWAY protection, his Jerry Maguire-like bedtime epiphany following an enlightening meeting with car dealer Michael Croxon, the product blowing up for Hyundai USA after Jeff Bridges’ voiced-over TV commercials aired in prime time, Nav Bhatia jumping aboard with his FOUR point play [even better than a trey!], his entrepreneurial partnership with Robert Varga, and a passionate defence as to why the au...

Chef Guy Rubino talks about Toronto’s 'fraternal foodies' The Rubino Brothers [along with past podcast guest Michael], starring in/producing 39 episodes of Made To Order on The Food Network [24hrs of footage shot got trimmed to 24min on TV], working out on a treadmill alongside Madonna, his first proper kitchen job at Nobu in NYC, his interactions with Sir Richard Branson/David Bowie/Natalie Portman/Sting/Oasis’ Gallagher brothers, an ugly misunderstanding with Nelly Furtado’s posse [you did NOT...

Toronto International Festival of Authors Director Roland Gulliver talks about the 'multifaceted monster' that is TIFA, their MOTIVE crime and mystery festival coming up in June, their flagship Fall festival coming in September, making his career move from Edinburgh to Toronto just 3 weeks before the pandemic shut everything down, Linwood Barclay as a celebrity author [and former Toronto Star columnist], and why he STARTS a lot of books with the best of intentions!


The third annual MOTIVE Cri...

Television news anchor and journalist Kevin Newman talks about retirement after a 40 year career, his tough decision to choose between attending Hamburger or Western University, interviewing Leonard Nimoy for UWO’s CHRW campus radio, his first job getting coffee for the late great Peter Truman, his work at CBC/Global/CTV in Canada, heading to the Big Apple to join ABC World News [and subsequently Good Morning America], inspiring times working with Peter Jennings and Ted Koppel, his respect for P...

Toronto Maple Leafs legend Inge Hammarström connects from the South of France to talk about being discovered [with Borje Salming] by Leafs scout Gerry McNamara, leaving Sweden to join the Leafs lineup in 1973, their first practice at Maple Leaf Gardens in front of owner Harold Ballard [shooting on a 50 year old Johnny Bower!], Bobby Orr wishing them well while others were literally threatening to kill them on the ice [and taking slapshots at their unprotected calves from behind], great times wit...

Wang Chung’s Jack Hues implores everybody to have fun tonight...everybody Wang Chung tonight!!


Jack talks about his 40+ year partnership with Nick Feldman, why he chose to use a pseudonym [J'accuse, get it?], changing the band name from its original Huang Chung, huge tours with The Cars and Tina Turner, scoring the 1985 film To Live and Die in L.A., meeting his idols Tony Banks and Paul McCartney, hanging out with Willem Dafoe, and their imminent return to North America with the Abducted by t...

Former owner of the Vancouver Canucks/Grizzlies and GM Place Arthur Griffiths talks about his family ties to Dr Ballard’s dog food empire, how his Mom convinced his Dad to purchase the Canucks, his reverence for the late great Pat Quinn, that incredible 1994 Canucks’ playoff run, getting involved with the concrete pour at GM Place, negotiating Bryan Adams as the first event at the new building, how a meeting to discuss acquiring an arena football team with Jerry Colangelo planted the seeds for i...

Former Maple Leafs/Flyers tough hombre Jay Rosehill talks about his 13 year pro career, learning he was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning while exiting the shower, living away from home for the first time while playing for the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs, his NHL debut being thwarted by Nikolai Khabibulin’s poor paperwork, memories of his 1st NHL paycheque/game/goal, being mentored by Colton Orr as a teammate but later having to chuck knuckles with him as an opponent, memorable expe...

Glass Tiger’s Sam Reid talks about how Tokyo became Glass Tiger after opening for Boy George & Culture Club at Maple Leaf Gardens, teaming up with Bryan Adams’ songwriting partner Jim Vallance, shooting TWO videos for Don’t Forget Me, opening on monster tours for Journey and Tina Turner, interesting Juno and Grammy ceremony experiences, giving Sir Rod Stewart vocal suggestions, getting dissed by Roger Hornsby and mistaken for David Hasselhoff, collaborating with Rik Emmett, and why almost 40 yea...

Actor Sergio Di Zio talks about FLASHPOINT being shot in Toronto, his over 100 credits in TV/film/theatre, working the stage with Megan ‘Anne of Green Gables’ Follows, his movie debut in National Lampoon’s Senior Trip with Jeremy Renner & Tommy Chong, his interactions with Russell Crowe/Ron Howard/Jeff Daniels, why he is NOT a huge fan of AI, and who he sometimes gets mistaken for!


Sergio stars with Megan Follows in “Four Minutes Twelve Seconds" until May 12 at Tarragon Theatre’s Extraspace.....

Thompson Twins' Tom Bailey talks about the 40th anniversary of Into The Gap, keeping in touch with his former bandmates Alannah Currie and Joe Leeway, the exposure that came with Top Of The Pops and MTV, opening for The Police while at the height of their fame [and dysfunction], playing 1985's Live Aid backed by Madonna, Howard Jones and Thomas Dolby encouraging him to resume touring Thompson Twins' music after a 27 year break, and seeing first-hand David Bowie's shockingly smooth stage entrance...

Toronto Argonauts historian & author Paul Woods takes us back to 1991’s Year of the Rocket, with great stories revolving around Raghib 'Rocket' Ismail, Wayne Gretzky, John Candy, Bruce McNall, Adam Rita, Mark Rypien, Dan Aykroyd, Matt Dunigan, Ricky Foggie and Michael 'Pinball' Clemons...with bonus stories about the Foot Stomp, the Flying Beer Can, Ricky Williams, Doug Flutie, former team president Keith Pelley’s return as CEO of MLSE, whether Joe Montana could have been an Argo [!!], and why Mc...

The CBC’s Steven D’Souza talks about his 24 years at the CBC, his path from Richmond Hill to Ryerson to the Toronto Sun to the Canadian Press to the CBC, getting good advice from Tom Harrington and Peter Mansbridge, how covering Mayor Rob Ford prepared him for covering President Donald Trump, travelling the globe to cover the 2017 eclipse/George Floyd protests/World Cup soccer/Parkland school shooting/the papal conclave/Beijing Olympics/numerous hurricanes, sometimes getting mistaken for Ian Han...

Martha and the Muffins co-founder Mark Gane [currently the sole Muffin] talks about being in their 47th year as a band, how they chose that name [and why it temporarily changed to ‘M Plus M’], interactions with a flirty Prime Minister Trudeau [Dad of our current PM] at the 1980 Juno Awards, ‘Echo Beach’ co-winning the Juno for Song of the Year, the boost they got from CHUM-FM/CFNY/The New Music/The Garys, hanging out with Virgin’s Sir Richard Branson, touring with Roxy Music/Eurythmics, and work...

Elite Hockey Stength & Conditioning Coach Sean Skahan talks about his son Will’s expectations at the upcoming NHL Entry Draft, his 19 years of NHL S&C coaching with the Anaheim Ducks and Minnesota Wild [as well as with the elite college hockey programs at U Minnesota/U North Dakota/Boston College/Boston U], meeting Cuba Gooding Jr and the Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger, the importance of getting Paul Kariya to buy into training as a team rather than as individuals, getting his name on the Stan...

The CBC’s Claude Feig talks about his Venezuelan roots, his emigration to North York, learning tv/radio while shooting hoops at Seneca College, working on ‘Sportsline’ for Jim Tatti and Mark Hebscher, covering the first-ever games for the Toronto Raptors franchise, interacting with 'Dr J' Julius Erving and the late great Burt Reynolds, interviewing his childhood idol Pele not once but twice, and shares the inside story on how he got the nickname Pele [and why his real name wouldn’t have fit on a...

Honeymoon Suite’s Derry Grehan talks about their first new full length studio album in 16 years, playing live on American Idol with his daughter Leah Marlene and Katy Perry, how winning the Q107 Homegrown Contest launched their career, meeting Bob Dylan/Steven Tyler/Sir Rod Stewart at the 1986 Juno Awards [where they won Group of the Year], meeting Eddie Van Halen at Pearson airport, ‘acting’ as a guitarist in a Pepsi commerical, having their songs used in Miami Vice and Lethal Weapon, how he us...

43 year CBC all-star Tom Harrington talks about his Newfoundland origins, getting his CBC television start on The Tommy Hunter Show at age 7 [and later on Reach For The Top], starting university at 16 [!!!], working the sales floor at Tip Top Tailors [which lead to his start in the media], experiencing Montreal Canadiens Stanley Cup Fever in 1986 & 1993, calling Atlanta Olympics late-night softball solo off a monitor, the myth that ALL the CBC personalities know and hang out with each other, hos...

Author Jon Finkel talks about his new biography on the Macho Man Randy Savage! He shares the transformation from Randy Poffo>>Randy Savage>>Macho Man, the influence of his wrestling father Angelo and brother Leapin’ Lanny, his real-life marriage [and divorce] with Miss Elizabeth, his up and down relationships with Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon, the ongoing power of his Slim Jim meat stick endorsement, and visiting the site of Randy Savage's untimely death in Seminole, Florida.


MACHO MAN: THE U...

NHL sniper Chris Kontos talks about his crazy hot 1989 playoff scoring run for Gretzky’s LA Kings, scoring FOUR goals in Tampa Bay Lightning’s inaugural game in 1992, winning an Olympic Silver Medal for Canada at the 1994 Lillehammer games, meeting Sylvester Stallone at the Fabulous Forum, his man-crush on Ron Duguay, and his amazing international hockey experiences playing in Finland/Sweden/Italy/Germany/Switzerland!


For everything Chris Kontos, please go to https://www.chriskontos.com/
TORO...

Breakfast Television's Frank ‘Frankie Flowers’ Ferragine talks about his Holland Marsh origins, running into the Stavros/Longos/Fortinos families at the Ontario Food Terminal, getting his TV start on CKVR because he was the only Ferragine who talked without swearing, giving gardening tips to George Clooney/Sir Richard Branson/Dr Mehmet Oz/Kardinal Offishall/Dion Phaneuf/Elisha Cuthbert, declares whether Anthony Farnell & Mark Cullen are friends/enemies/frenemies, shares stories from 299 Queen St...

Bloom CEO Ben McCabe talks about his entrepreneurial journey, removing the stigma from reverse mortgages/equity releases, marking the transition from accumulation to decumulation of wealth in the retirement savings journey, and whether Bloom needs a boffo spokesman to combat their competition’s use of Kurt Browning/Peter Mansbridge/Tom Selleck!


For more on Bloom, please visit https://www.bloomfin.ca/
TORONTO LEGENDS is hosted by Andrew Applebaum at andrew.applebaum@gmail.com
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