No pre-planning. No filter.
Just telling it like it was, straight from the hat.
He’s had a career filled with twists and turns as a performer, songwriter, composer for film and TV, and record producer. For Ben Vaughn, the best part of the journey has been the colorful characters he’s encountered along the way.
His friend Laura Pochodylo, who works for Sun Records in Nashville, wrote the names of those characters down and placed them in a hat.
Each episode, she’ll select several names at random and let Ben relive the stories—no pre-planning, no filter—just telling it like it was, straight from the hat.
BEN VAUGHN
Parts Unknown, USA
LAURA POCHODYLO
Nashville, TN
Latest Episodes:
Episode 5: Ween, Nancy Sinatra, The Berlin Wall
Ben saves country music by bringing Ween to Nashville.
Hollywood dreams come true when Ben’s work as a film composer leads to producing Nancy Sinatra.
Drafted as a goodwill ambassador, Ben takes American rock and roll behind the Iron Curtain during the fall of The Berlin Wall.
Episode 6: Roky Erickson, Ruthann Friedman, Alex Chilton
Ben and friends pay a visit to Roky Erickson and assist with an important mission.
Meet Ruthann Friedman, author of one of the biggest pop hits of the 1960s, and that’s only the tip of the iceberg.
Ben remembers the colorful Alex Chilton, one of his close friends and frequent collaborators.
Episode 7: Norma Tanega, Roy Head, Arthur Alexander
Learn about Norma Tanega and the story behind one of the oddest hit records of the 1960s.
Down in New Orleans, Ben meets up with rockabilly wild man Roy Head.
Ben tells the poignant tale of his collaboration with the inimitable Arthur Alexander.
What People Are Saying:
“A must-listen music podcast for both casual fans and knowledgeable obsessives.
In an illustrious career, Ben Vaughn has crossed paths with an amazing cast of rock & roll characters– from massive artists to the influential anti-heroes that shaped the sound of modern music.
Slide into the booth at the all-night diner and join Ben and Laura for amazing insider stories about the surprise guests they pull Straight From the Hat.”
— Greg Harris, President & CEO, Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame & Museum
“Ben has lived 9 lives in this insane business of music. Somehow he continues to have a deep love for the music and weird characters who populate the industry. His stories are wild…and full of heart & soul.
I adore this podcast!”
— Adam Weiner, Low Cut Connie
“Ben Vaughn, always a colorful raconteur, has been stockpiling his amazing and humorous music biz war stories for decades, just waiting for the perfect medium to finally spill his beans.
The Straight From The Hat With Ben Vaughn podcast is simply too good, too entertaining, and too engaging for a music geek like me to keep under my hat."
— Jeff Feuerzeig, Director,
The Devil And Daniel Johnston
“OMG, I love this podcast.
Ben has worked with some of the coolest people in the biz and hearing the behind-the-scenes stories are both informative and mind blowing! It felt like I was hearing my record collection come to life. A fantastic listening experience!”
— Palmyra Delran, Musician, Radio host on Little Steven’s Underground Garage, SiriusXM
“In just four episodes, Straight From The Hat has become my favorite podcast.
Rather than come across as at all name-droppy or self-aggrandizing, Ben’s yarns radiate genuine amazement and gratitude that an oddball kid from New Jersey could follow his musical dreams and wind up with so many hilarious stories and incredible memories to show for it.”
— Dan Epstein, journalist and author, Jagged Time Lapse
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