Now I've Heard Everything

Now I’ve Heard Everything brings you conversations about the turning points that shape extraordinary lives. Hosted by veteran interviewer Bill Thompson, the show features memoirists, biographers, artists, survivors, and cultural figures sharing the moments when everything changed, for themselves or for the people they’ve studied. With more than 30 years of intimate interviews behind him, Bill guides guests into the stories behind their stories: the choices, shocks, breakthroughs, and revelations that define a life.

Now I've Heard Everything is a arts podcast hosted by Bill Thompson, with 758 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Bill Thompson hosts Now I've Heard Everything, a arts show with 758 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #33

  How a 50-Year-Old Widow Secretly Built a Favorite American Brand

  Aug 28, 202631 minS8

  When her husband died in 1908, 50-year-old Rose Knox inherited America's largest manufacturer of unflavored gelatin. For a respectable woman then, running a national factory was unthinkable, so for six years she ran the Knox Gelatin company invisibly. Rachel Greenfield, a Harvard MBA searching for trailblazers before the "firsts" of the 1960s, found Rose's papers hidden in an attic. But she didn't just find a forgotten CEO, but the inventor of modern influencer marketing, decades before Betty Crocker. It's a story of marketing, reinvention at 50, and the woman who proved you could check the icebox at night and run the boardroom by day. Get your copy of Rose Knox by rachel Greenfield As an Amazon Associate, Now I've Heard Everything may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.Chapters:02:39 - The Evolving American Consumer 05:35 - Running a Business in Secret 07:29 - Emerging into the Public Eye 10:21 - From Bone-Boiling to Instant Gelatin 13:36 - Knox vs. Jell-O: A Marketing Masterclass 16:26 - Pragmatism Over Politics 18:28 - The Legacy of Rose KnoxGuest Informationrachel Greenfield Website Social: Facebook 2003 interview with Dexter Scott King 1994 interview with Dolly Parton For more intriguing and engaging interviews each week, subscribe now on: Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube

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  Episode #32

  The Storyteller CEO

  Aug 21, 202625 minS8

  What does a biotech CEO who has brought eight orphan drugs to market have in common with a bestselling novelist? In this case, they are the same person. Today's guest is Fredric Price, who writes award-winning fiction as David Hirshberg. His newest novel "Crossing the Bronx" completes a trilogy that began with "My Mother's Son" and continued with "Jacobo's Rainbow." Price is living proof that remarkable lives show up everywhere. He’s been a CEO for decades, founded a biotech firm after he thought he had retired, is a book publisher, and only started writing fiction past middle age. In this conversation we talk about why storytelling is the real skill behind both raising millions for a drug and writing a novel, the unforgettable 30-second video he showed the FDA that changed everything, why he uses 1952 and 1955 to talk about 2026, and why he has no desire to write a pharma thriller. This is an episode about second acts, about never actually retiring, and about the idea that the technical details are just the skeleton — story is the muscle, flesh, and eyes. Get your copy of Crossing the Bronx by Fredric Price As an Amazon Associate, Now I've Heard Everything may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.Chapters:00:00 Introduction and Guest Background 01:51 Fredric Price's Diverse Career and Passions 05:00 The Skeleton and Flesh of a Good Story 07:41 Using History to Reflect the Present 11:11 Themes of Family and Rivalry in His Novels 13:24 Writing Without Being Handcuffed by History 14:45 Comparison of Satisfaction: Novels vs FDA Approval 16:13 Recognition and Success in Writing and Pharma 17:35 Future Projects and Reinventions 18:47 Closing Remarks and AppreciationGuest InformationFredric Price Website 1999 interview with Barry Gibbons For more intriguing and engaging interviews each week, subscribe now on: Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube

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  Episode #31

  How Four Musicians Outwitted the KGB With a Secret Musical Code

  Aug 14, 202637 minS8

  In this episode of Now I've Heard Everything, host Bill Thompson interviews Merryl Goldberg (saxophonist, educator, and activist) and Vince Houghton (NSA Intelligence Historian and author) about their remarkable book, Notes of Deception. In 1985, four young American klezmer musicians from Boston traveled into the Soviet Union on tourist visas. Their covert goal: meet with refusniks—dissidents, activists, and marginalized religious minorities denied emigration—and bring their stories, addresses, and urgent petitions back to the Western world. To bypass strict KGB surveillance and prevent retaliation against the dissidents, Goldberg created a brilliant steganographic music cipher. By encoding Cyrillic and English letters directly into sheet music that visually resembled 12-tone modern classical compositions (such as Bartók or Schoenberg), the team successfully smuggled volumes of vital human rights intelligence past Soviet border control right under the noses of the KGB. Get your copy of Notes of Deception by Merryl Goldberg & Vince Houghton As an Amazon Associate, Now I've Heard Everything may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.Chapters:00:00 Introduction to the covert musical operation 02:06 What is a refusnik and why they sought to leave the USSR 03:54 The idea of using music as a secret code 06:13 Creating and disguising the cipher in musical notation 07:57 The security and risks of embedding messages in music 10:00 The story of the Phantom Orchestra and their mission 11:55 The role of the KGB and how the cipher was hidden 14:00 The emotional impact and bravery of the musicians 16:00 Post-mission reflections and the fate of refusniks 18:05 The debate over publicity and safety for refusniks 20:07 The influence of family history and activism 21:47 The story of Pavel and the legacy of the mission 24:07 The mysterious Kevin, the KGB officer 26:10 The enduring importance of trust and human connection 28:01 Conclusion and the legacy of covert art in espionageGuest InformationMerryl Goldberg & Vince Houghton Website Social: Instagram Dr. Vince Houghton National cryptologic Museum Social: X 1995 interview with Luba Brezhneva For more intriguing and engaging interviews each week, subscribe now on: Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube

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  Episode #30

  The Myth of "Normal": A Neurodivergent Mom Championing Neurodivergent Kids

  Aug 7, 202633 minS8

  In this episode of *Now I've Heard Everything*, host Bill Thompson sits down with author, law professor, and creative writing instructor **Katie Rose Pryal** to discuss her book, *Your Kid Belongs Here: An Insider's Guide to Parenting Neurodiverse Children* (Johns Hopkins University Press). Drawing from her personal journey of growing up with undiagnosed ADHD and autism, as well as her experiences raising two neurodivergent children, Pryal examines the systematic exclusion of neurodivergent youth from public life—and how we can rebuild environments where every child thrives. Together, they explore the nuance between identity-first and person-first language, why neurodivergence shouldn't be reduced to a "superpower" or a deficit, and practical guidelines for parenting publicly without compromising a child's dignity or privacy. Get your copy of Your Kid Belongs Here by Katie Rose Pryal As an Amazon Associate, Now I've Heard Everything may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.Chapters:00:35 Who Is the Book For? 00:55 Personal Experience with Neurodivergence 03:11 Origins of the Book: Essays and Society 04:35 Systematic Exclusion of Neurodivergent Kids 06:12 The Evolution of Neurodiversity in Public Discourse 08:10 Language: Autist vs. Person with Autism 09:42 The Strengths and Struggles of Neurodivergence 11:43 Neurodivergence and Creativity 13:09 Diagnosis Challenges for Adults 15:03 Supporting Strengths and Acknowledging Struggles 16:43 Identity-First vs. Person-First Language 20:00 Parenting Rules and Social Media 22:45 Supporting Neurodivergent Children in Society 24:39 Reflections on Parenting and SocietyGuest InformationKatie Rose Pryal Website Social: YouTube Facebook Instagram 1995 Barack Obama interview For more intriguing and engaging interviews each week, subscribe now on: Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube

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  Episode #29

  The Secrets Behind Adassa's Success: Music, Miracles, and Faith

  Aug 1, 202629 minS8

  In this deeply inspiring episode, host Bill Thompson sits down with singer, songwriter, and voice actress Adassa (the voice of Dolores in Disney’s "Encanto") to discuss her memoir, "Love Keeps Showing Up: Music, Miracle and Messes."Adassa shares her journey through the high-stakes music industry, starting from her childhood performing in Honduras and receiving a record deal at age 17, to facing severe financial struggles, rejection, and a near-fatal illness right before her big break with Disney. Grounded in deep faith, gratitude, and resilience, Adassa’s story proves that remarkable lives aren't defined by fame or wealth — they are forged through perseverance, purpose, and showing up every single day. Get your copy of Love keeps Showing Up by Adassa As an Amazon Associate, Now I've Heard Everything may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.Chapters:00:00 Introduction and Adassa's Background 02:01 Early Life and Health Challenges 04:03 Music as a Language of Expression 06:54 Early Career and Lessons Learned 10:02 Faith, Resilience, and Opportunities 15:11 Facing Health Crises and Personal Reflection 18:12 Living with Gratitude and Purpose 19:59 Growth, Change, and Future AspirationsGuest InformationAdassa Website Social: YouTube Facebook Instagram TikTok 1990 intervioew with Ronnie Spector For more intriguing and engaging interviews each week, subscribe now on: Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube

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