Pop

Ellie Greenwich is a songwriter known for her pop songs of the 1960s like "Be My Baby" and "Do Wah Diddy Diddy." Greenwich worked with composers Leiber and Stoller, producer Phil Spector, and co-wrote many of her hits with her ex-husband Jeff Barry. During much of the 1970s, Greenwich wrote, produced, and performed commercial jingles before experiencing a career resurgence in the 1980s. A revue of her songs "Leader of Pack," premiered in New York and will go on a national tour.

Michael Bennett won a Pulitzer Prize for the musical "A Chorus Line," which he conceived, choreographed, and directed. He, himself, began his career as a Broadway dancer before choreographing musicals such as "Promises, Promises," "Company," and "Follies." Bennett's latest show is "Dreamgirls."

Cy Coleman started his career as a jazz pianist and club owner before moving on to writing pop songs that were recorded by artists such as Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett. Coleman then started composing Broadway musicals, including "Sweet Charity." Coleman now produces and owns a music publishing company.

Pianist and singer Bobby Short is a master of American popular song, singing classics from the likes of Porter, the Gershwins, Berlin, and Sondheim. He has the been playing at Cafe Carlyle in New York since 1968. He reached a new generation when he was in an ad for Revlon's Charlie perfume.

Cynthia Lennon was married to John Lennon from 1962 to 1968, and is the mother of Julian Lennon. Lennon has managed to make her a own career as a designer.

Lyricist Sammy Cahn is one of the last survivors of the Tin Pan Alley tradition. His popular hits include "Bei Mir Bist du Schon," "Come Fly With Me," "Let it Snow," and "Three Coins in a Fountain," among others. Cahn has also worked extensively with Frank Sinatra. He joins the show to discuss his career.

The singer is one of the foremost interpreters of the American songbook, and he has continued to record classics despite pressure to "give up the old stuff." Bennett joins the show to share and discuss recordings that span his entire career, including discussion of composers such as the Gershwins, Johnny Mercer, Count Basie, and Rodgers and Hart.

Allen grew up in Australia, where he had limited exposure to English and American popular music. After moving to New York, he found success writing songs for other pop stars and with his theatrical concerts.

In contrast to the serious and rebellious attitudes adopted by many contemporary rock acts, Jonathan Richman writes and performs straightforward and often childlike songs with his band, the Modern Lovers.

The pop singer has a new album featuring the songs of Jerome Kern. She performs several tracks from that record with pianist Mike Renzi and bassist David Finck.

New York Times music critic John Rockwell wrote a book about Frank Sinatra's life in music and movies. He and Fresh Air host Terry Gross listen back to some of the singer's early recordings.

The songwriter has written dozens of hits, including several for Frank Sinatra. A veteran of the Yiddish theater, he tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross about his early career and demonstrates his approach to writing lyrics.

Tom Goodkind, Lauren Agnelli, and Bruce Paskow comprise the band The Washington Squares. They play acoustic music that blends parody and socially conscious messages.

Peggy King appears on Fresh Air for the second time since she ended her hiatus from singing. She has a new album called Oh, The Memory We Made--Tonight.

Husband and wife Cecil Womack and Linda Womack are songwriters who have decided to step into the limelight with their album "Love Wars." The child of a gospel singer, Cecil Womack sung with his brothers, including Bobby, as The Valentinos. Linda and Cecil met in the studio. Their album was noted by many critics in 1983.

On this edition of Secret Harmonies, Ken Tucker looks at "City Slicker" by soul musician J. Blackfoot, "Doppelganger" by rock group Kid Creole and the Coconuts, fronted by August Darnell, and "Forget About the Danger Think of the Fun" by rockabilly group The Leroi Brothers. (PARTIAL REVIEW)

The pop singer, who has recently returned to the stage after a decades-long hiatus, is joined by pianist Mike Abene to perform several classic American songs.

The singer and guitar player muses on the origins and definitions of folks music, his approach to writing children's songs, and the rigors of having been a traveling musician for over two decades.

The Philadelphia-based, all-woman punk and new wave band joins Fresh Air to listen to new songs and talk about their stage personas.

Christopher Cerf's educational songs for children are featured on the television show Sesame Street. He tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross about how he chooses his subject material and the popular songs he pays tribute to. An album of Sesame Street music, titled Born to Add, features many songs he wrote and performed.