In episode two of Bent By Nature, co-producer Bob Carlson explores the life of influential and enigmatic DJ Deirdre O’Donoghue behind the mic. Born in New York City and DJing across the country before landing at KCRW to host "SNAP!", O’Donoghue didn’t talk much about her past or private life — even in the face of personal demons, and eventually, her deteriorating health.
But O’Donoghue’s fierce passion for music manifested in close friendships with those who came through her studio and beyond, from artists like Michael Stipe and Julian Cope, to record store owners, to young station volunteers she nurtured and mentored. Even amidst a kind of self-appointed solitude, O’Donoghue devoted herself to those she chose to let in, coming to the aid of artists in dire straits and offering solace within her record-filled apartment alongside a cup of tea and her cherished pet birds.
Her presence could, and did, change lives. Here, some of O’Donoghue’s closest friends, including Concrete Blonde’s Johnette Napolitano, Tricia Halloran, and the late Pat Fish of Jazz Butcher, reflect on O’Donoghue’s life away from the studio and the many stories they shared.
Nia Andrews & Terrace Martin on Reggie Andrews
Do What You Want To Do: The Legacy of Reggie Andrews
Dear Ruth: How Ruth Dolphin (Re-)Built a Musical Empire
Go with the Flow: Community, Virality, and the Politics of Dancing
Places & Spaces: The Mizell Brothers’ LA Alchemy
Kendrick Lamar and the big samples (from “Switched on Pop”)
Viva Tirado: The South/East LA Connection
My Lady’s Frustration: How Fela Kuti Found Afrobeat in LA
Mojo on Trial: The Seedy, Greedy World of Ruth Christie
The True Story of ‘Tainted Love’
Lost Notes Returns with the True Story of ‘Tainted Love’
Jonathan Demme: 'Stop Making Sense' interview and guest DJ set (1984)
Bent By Nature - Ep. 10: Rollins
Bent By Nature - Ep. 9: Promised Land (with Julian Cope)
Bent By Nature - Ep. 8: Half A World Away (with Michael Stipe)
Bent By Nature - Ep. 7: Ages of You
Bent By Nature - Ep. 6: Crossing Over (with David Lowery)
Bent By Nature - Ep. 5: Haywire (with Kathy McCarty & Brian Beattie)
Bent By Nature - Ep. 4: Almost Magic (with Syd Straw)
Bent By Nature - Ep. 3: Inside Out (with David and Bekki Newton)
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Left, Right & Center
Here Be Monsters
Bookworm
Design and Architecture
All the Presidents’ Lawyers