Terry Gross

Rhythm and Blues singer Ruth Brown. She got her start in the 1940s, and influenced a whole generation of singers including Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Little Richard and Bonnie Raitt. Her hits include "Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean" and "Teardrops From My Eyes." Later she appeared in John Water's film "Hairspray" and in the Broadway hit "Black and Blue." In 1996 her autobiography was published, "Miss Rhythm"(Donald Fine Books) and this year she has a new CD, "R + B = Ruth Brown"

Director John Woo grew up in Hong Kong and directed numerous films there before coming to Hollywood. He has established himself as a master of action thrillers and is known for his elaborate action scenes. Woo also directed the American films “Broken Arrow,” and “Hard Target." "Face/Off," his newest blockbuster film starring John Travolta and Nicholas Cage is out in video. (REBROADCAST from 7/10/97)

Jazz musician Bob Dorough, musical director of the 1970s educational TV series, "School House Rock" and composer of the popular song "Three is a magic number". The CD, "Schoolhouse Rock Rocks", was released with contemporary artists such as Blind Melon, Lemonheads and Pavement, playing the old songs. Also, "School House Rock: The Official Guide". (Hyperion Books) by the creators of the series, Tom Yohe and George Newall. Dorough's latest CD is "Right On My Way Home" (Blue Note) (REBROADCAST from 5/9/96)

Songwriter and pianist Charles Brown. He turned 75 this year. Recently he was one of the recipients of the Heritage Fellowship Award given by the National Endowment for the Arts for excellence in the traditional arts. Charles Brown is one of the most original artists in blues history. He's credited with creating an expressive style of blues that blended rough Texas blues with the soft glamour of Hollywood. This approach was dubbed "Club Blues." Between 1946 and 1952, Brown recorded 20 hits, nine on his own, the rest as part of Johnny Moore's Blazers.

Iyunolu Osagie (EE-yewn-oh-lu oh-SAW-GEE-ay) an Assistant Professor of English at Penn State University in Pennsylvania. She has researched and written the events of the Amistad slave rebellion and the trial that followed. She is a native of Sierra Leone where the Amistad story begins and ultimately ends.

Charlie Haffner wrote "Amistad Kata-Kata" a play based on the Amistad story. As a native of Sierra Leone, Haffner is critical of the new film “Amistad” now showing in theaters. He says the story neglected many significant events that occurred in Sierra Leone. Haffner currently lives in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

Azeezaly Jaffer is Executive Director of Stamp Services for the U.S. Postal Service. This branch has introduced the popular stamp collecting program which features pop-culture icons on the stamps. Some of the Post Office’s most popular stamps include: Elvis Presely, Marilyn Monroe, and Bugs Bunny.

Historian Hugh Thomas has written a new major work on the history of slavery, "The Slave Trade: The Story of the Atlantic Slave Trade: 1440-1870" (Simon & Schuster). It's based on his thirty years of research in archives and libraries throughout the world. His book includes written accounts, published for the first time, and an examination of the traders and the countries who profited most. Kirkus Reviews calls the book "A masterful survey." Thomas is a former professor of history and Chairman of the Centre for Policy Studies in Britain.

A 1995 study by the American Psychiatric Association reports that families play a significant part in the recovery of depressed people. Mary Wallace and Rose Styron are the wives of journalist Mike Wallace and writer William Styron, who both suffered from bouts of depression. They'll talk about what it was like to help their husbands thru depression. Mike Wallace and William Styron will appear in the upcoming documentary "Dead Blue: Surviving Depression"

Michael Barson is the author of the new book "Teenage Confidential: An Illustrated History of the American Teen (Chronicle Books, illustrated by Steven Heller). The book traces the evolution of the "teen" and the concept of the "teenager" which didn't exist before World War 2. The book also collects teenage artifacts, like movie posters, magazine covers, and advertisements.