Category: Interviews

Go Away With … Al Jarreau

Jae-Ha Kim

“Traveling is a wonderful perk of my job,” says singer Al Jarreau. “I wouldn’t trade it for the world.” A recent tour took him to Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Manila, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Jakarta, but not Tokyo — one of his all-time favorite cities. The seven-time Grammy Award winner in jazz, pop and R&B is best known for his smooth hit singles “Never Givin’ Up,” “Moonlighting” and “After All” and his greatest hits album “Al Jarreau — The Very Best Of: An Excellent Adventure” will be in stores on Sept. 29.

Go Away With … Richard Branson

Jae-Ha Kim

British entrepreneur Richard Branson has been knighted, has assets worth several billion dollars and owns Necker Island in the Caribbean. The founder of Virgin Atlantic Airways also made an impact on pop culture by guest starring on such shows as “Friends” and “Baywatch.” So where does the man who has everything travel to when he wants to take an amazing vacation? South Africa. Branson, 59, loves everything about the country and looks forward to heading back there next year to watch the soccer championship.

Go Away With … Jeffrey Marx

Jae-Ha Kim

He already has a Pulitzer Prize and a New York Times best seller under his belt, but author Jeffrey Marx isn’t resting on his laurels. His latest book — “The Long Snapper: A Second Chance, A Super Bowl, a Lesson for Life” — is a page-turner that succinctly captures the true-life story of football player Brian Kinchen. Marx, who has traveled to more than 20 countries for work and play, says that Italy is his favorite destination. But Greece is one country he can’t wait to visit.

Go Away With … Chris Isaak

Jae-Ha Kim

Chris Isaak has had hit singles (“Wicked Game,” “Baby Did a Bad, Bad Thing”), acted in feature films (“Silence of the Lambs,” “The Informers,” “From the Earth to the Moon”) and toured the world. Now add talk-show host to his resume, as he interviews other musicians on the Biography Channel’s series, “The Chris Isaak Hour.” Born and raised in the Bay Area, the 53-year-old entertainer lived briefly in Tokyo when he was a college student.

Go Away With … James Blake

Jae-Ha Kim

As a child, James Blake suffered from scoliosis. The budding tennis star had two choices: surgery, to correct the curvature of his spine, or a back brace. Because the former meant he would have to give up the sport, he opted for the brace — which he took off only for tennis practice. An economics student at Harvard, Blake dropped out after two years to play on the pro circuit. At 29, he is one of America’s best tennis players. He will compete in the U.S. Open, which runs Aug. 31 through Sept. 13. Blake — who has dabbled in modeling — also collaborated with his sponsor Fila on his new line of clothing, which he named after his late father: Thomas Reynolds. For more information on Blake and his line of athletic wear, visit www.fila.com.

Go Away With … Curtis Stone

Jae-Ha Kim

Born in Melbourne, Australia, chef Curtis Stone, 33, has lived in Los Angeles for the past three years but says he’s a traveler at heart. The star of TLC’s “Take Home Chef,” Stone has a new book in stores called Relaxed Cooking with Curtis Stone: Recipes to Put You in My Favorite Mood (Clarkson Potter). Stone, 33, talks to us about his travels and why America offers so much for visitors to see.

Go Away With … Vineyard Vines’ Shep Murray

Jae-Ha Kim

Shep Murray saw a good chunk of the world early on in his life, thanks to his parents — both of whom were travel writers. Eleven years ago when he and his younger brother, Ian, founded Vineyard Vines — a line of clothing and accessories that evokes a crisp, preppy vibe — the siblings kept their travels in mind.

Go Away With … Sophie Kinsella

Jae-Ha Kim

Best known for her series of “Shopaholic” books, including the bestselling “Confessions of a Shopaholic,” Sophie Kinsella is using technology to promote her latest novel, “Twenties Girl.” The avid traveler is staying put (temporarily) in England to participate in a series of Skype events with fans across the United States. This is a change of pace for the 39-year-old author and fashionista. Whether it’s taking a quick weekend trip to England’s Cornwall, vacationing in exotic Oman or enjoying a margarita at New York’s La Esquina, the former financial reporter is always up for a good trip.

Go Away With … Joan Osborne

Jae-Ha Kim

Ever since her 1995 hit single “One of Us,” Joan Osborne has remained a strong presence in the music world, collaborating with members of the Grateful Dead, participating in the Lilith Fair concerts and appearing in the documentary “Standing in the Shadows of Motown.” The 47-year-old singer-songwriter is now playing dates nationwide to support her latest CD “Little Wild One.”

‘Shopaholic’ creator Sophie Kinsella confesses sometimes she’s ready to chuck it all

Jae-Ha Kim

Madeleine Sophie Townley is known as Mrs. Wickham at her home in England, where she lives with her husband and their three sons. But to fans worldwide, she is known as Sophie Kinsella, author of the best-selling “Shopaholic” books. “Confessions of a Shopaholic” is the best known of that series, thanks in part to the recent film adaptation of the same name.

Rocker Juliana Hatfield reveals her drawn-out battle with depression

Jae-Ha Kim

During the 1990s, Juliana Hatfield was the It Girl for alternative rock. More accessible and cooler than Courtney Love, Hatfield had a knack for penning clever songs with her group Blake Babies. She was an indie sensation that girls wanted to emulate and boys wanted to date. What her fans didn’t know was that Hatfield was battling both an eating disorder and depression. She contemplated jumping out a window — not, she says, to commit suicide, but so that she could escape her depression.

Go Away With … Margaret Cho

Jae-Ha Kim

Margaret Cho knows a thing or two about traveling. After beginning her standup career at 16, she toured the United States nonstop, bringing her unique brand of comedy to venues across the country. At 26, she broke barriers with her short-lived ABC sitcom “All-American Girl,” where she played a fictionalized version of herself. It was the first American television series where all the lead actors were Asian-American. In her standup routines, Cho talks frankly about how producers asked her at times to try to be more — and less — Asian. Now 39, Cho is ready to debut her new VH1 series “The Cho Show.”

Janis Ian has learned the truth: At 57, she tells fans what it was like to be a teenage pop star

Jae-Ha Kim

Four decades before 15-year-old Miley Cyrus caused a media uproar for posing for photographs that implied she was nude, Janis Ian — then also 15 — wrote the critically acclaimed song “Society’s Child.” A thoughtful look at interracial dating, the song was deemed too controversial to play on many radio stations across the country. A few years later, Ian would become a pop star, thanks to her best-known song, “At Seventeen,” which told the universal tale, “Dreams were all they gave for free, to ugly duckling girls like me.”

Henry Winkler: The Fonz writes books!

Jae-Ha Kim

Three decades ago, Henry Winkler was best known for his role as the Fonz on “Happy Days.” These days, the actor has a whole new generation of fans, thanks to his Hank Zipzer: The World’s Greatest Underachiever series of children’s books. Hank, an irrepressible fourth-grader, deals with dyslexia, bullies and a potential love interest in the latest installment — The Life of Me: Enter at Your Own Risk ($5.99, Gosset & Dunlap) — which just hit book stores.

An organized, healthy lifestyle is the key to Marilu Henner’s positive attitude

Jae-Ha Kim

Phoning from her California home after her stint on “Celebrity Apprentice” was completed, Marilu Henner is in a chatty mood. Born and reared in Chicago, the actress best known for her work on “Taxi” gives a verbal high-five to her interviewer, whose accent she immediately recognizes as one from her hometown.