Me and All My Friends: Recent Episodes
Ben Oddo
You must be 70 or older to ride.
An interview podcast with older folks about love, life, and joint pain. Hosted by Ben Oddo and produced in partnership with Blakeford Senior Life in Nashville. New episodes every other Thursday.
Name: Blakeford Book Club
Members: Sylvia Dupre, Mary Laura Philpott, Ben Oddo
Ages: 89, 47, 32
What fruit would each member be?:
Mary Laura: "Maybe a grapefruit. I like grapefruit a lot. It looks a lot like an orange but it's a little more complex. It's a little bitter. Also I think its name is funny. Grape-fruit. It's not a grape. A grapefruit has a sense of humor."
Sylvia: "Can I be a vegetable? A zucchini. They are versatile. You can make zucchini bread. You can have a zucchini soufflé. You can have a zucchini salad. It's just versatile. Easy to grow. Plays well with others."
Ben: "I think I would be a plantain. You think I'm a banana, but I'm a plantain, you know what I mean?"
Check out Mary Laura's latest book, Bomb Shelter, which hits shelves April 12th, 2022!
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Sponsor
Blakeford Senior Life – With more than 25 years as a nonprofit provider of senior living solutions, we are the premier choice in Nashville, TN. Visit us at Blakeford.com
Music by John McHugh
Photography by Warner Tidwell
Name: Blakeford Book Club
Members: Sylvia Dupre, Mary Laura Philpott, Ben Oddo
Ages: 86, 47, 32
What fruit would each member be?:
Mary Laura: "Maybe a grapefruit. I like grapefruit a lot. It looks a lot like an orange but it's a little more complex. It's a little bitter. Also I think its name is funny. Grape-fruit. It's not a grape. A grapefruit has a sense of humor."
Sylvia: "Can I be a vegetable? A zucchini. They are versatile. You can make zucchini bread. You can have a zucchini soufflé. You can have a zucchini salad. It's just versatile. Easy to grow. Plays well with others."
Ben: "I think I would be a plantain. You think I'm a banana, but I'm a plantain, you know what I mean?"
Check out Mary Laura's latest book, Bomb Shelter, which hits shelves April 12th, 2022!
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Sponsor
Blakeford Senior Life – With more than 25 years as a nonprofit provider of senior living solutions, we are the premier choice in Nashville, TN. Visit us at Blakeford.com
Music by John McHugh
Photography by Warner Tidwell
Name: Abraham Lincoln
Age: 213
Hometown: Kentucky
Did You Know?:
"Of all the images that were taken of me - and they tell me there are fewer than three-hundred today - there are only four where I even have the top hat on, and they were taken at the same place. It was just a different pose."
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Sponsor
Blakeford Senior Life – With more than 25 years as a nonprofit provider of senior living solutions, we are the premier choice in Nashville, TN. Visit us at Blakeford.com
Music by John McHugh
Photography by Warner Tidwell
Name: Abraham Lincoln
Age: 213
Hometown: Kentucky
Did You Know?:
"Of all the images that were taken of me - and they tell me there are fewer than three-hundred today - there are only four where I even have the top hat on, and they were taken at the same place. It was just a different pose."
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Sponsor
Blakeford Senior Life – With more than 25 years as a nonprofit provider of senior living solutions, we are the premier choice in Nashville, TN. Visit us at Blakeford.com
Music by John McHugh
Photography by Warner Tidwell
For 25 years, Steve Young was a writer on my favorite show, Late Show with David Letterman. More recently, he was the star of the documentary Bathtubs Over Broadway (Netflix, Amazon, iTunes) directed by Dava Whisenant. I have no business talking to him, yet here we are.
On today's episode, we discuss industrial musicals, Steve's photo project "Celebrigum," and the relationship between art and commerce. He is not over the age of 70.
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Links
Bathtubs Over Broadway
Celebrigum
Steve Young World
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Sponsor
Blakeford Senior Life – With more than 25 years as a nonprofit provider of senior living solutions, we are the premier choice in Nashville, TN. Visit us at Blakeford.com
Music by John McHugh
Photography by Warner Tidwell
For 25 years, Steve Young was a writer on my favorite show, Late Show with David Letterman. More recently, he was the star of the documentary Bathtubs Over Broadway (Netflix, Amazon, iTunes) directed by Dava Whisenant. I have no business talking to him, yet here we are.
On today's episode, we discuss industrial musicals, Steve's photo project "Celebrigum," and the relationship between art and commerce. He is not over the age of 70.
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Links
Bathtubs Over Broadway
Celebrigum
Steve Young World
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Sponsor
Blakeford Senior Life – With more than 25 years as a nonprofit provider of senior living solutions, we are the premier choice in Nashville, TN. Visit us at Blakeford.com
Music by John McHugh
Photography by Warner Tidwell
Name: Adrienne Ames
Age: 81
Hometown: Washington D.C.
No Longer Operates: An automobile.
"I can't drive anymore. My bossy nurse friends approached me and told me that they did not like to see me driving anymore. They thought that I needed to give it up and sell my car."
"How did you take that?"
"Well, it was like 'whoa.' 'Cause you know that always is for everybody that freedom and that independence and so forth...And so I thought about it, and I thought, 'you know what? I see what they mean, that I don't have the reactions that I used to.' So I said, 'okay, I'm going to do it. I'm going to give it up.' So I did it."
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Sponsor
Blakeford Senior Life – With more than 25 years as a nonprofit provider of senior living solutions, we are the premier choice in Nashville, TN. Visit us at Blakeford.com
Music by John McHugh
Photography by Warner Tidwell
Name: Adrienne Ames
Age: 81
Hometown: Washington D.C.
No Longer Operates: An automobile.
"I can't drive anymore. My bossy nurse friends approached me and told me that they did not like to see me driving anymore. They thought that I needed to give it up and sell my car."
"How did you take that?"
"Well, it was like 'whoa.' 'Cause you know that always is for everybody that freedom and that independence and so forth...And so I thought about it, and I thought, 'you know what? I see what they mean, that I don't have the reactions that I used to.' So I said, 'okay, I'm going to do it. I'm going to give it up.' So I did it."
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Sponsor
Blakeford Senior Life – With more than 25 years as a nonprofit provider of senior living solutions, we are the premier choice in Nashville, TN. Visit us at Blakeford.com
Music by John McHugh
Photography by Warner Tidwell
Name: Morey Hill
Age: 31
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Is Not: A resident of Blakeford Senior Life.
"Well, I mean, I get it. You've interviewed nine people over 70, and there's only so many."
"Well, you know, this is called 'Me and All My Friends.' Morey is my really good friend, and I can interview whoever I want."
"Anybody."
"Anybody, yeah."
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Sponsor
Blakeford Senior Life – With more than 25 years as a nonprofit provider of senior living solutions, we are the premier choice in Nashville, TN. Visit us at Blakeford.com
Music by John McHugh
Photography by Warner Tidwell
Name: Morey Hill
Age: 31
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Is Not: A resident of Blakeford Senior Life.
"Well, I mean, I get it. You've interviewed nine people over 70, and there's only so many."
"Well, you know, this is called 'Me and All My Friends.' Morey is my really good friend, and I can interview whoever I want."
"Anybody."
"Anybody, yeah."
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Sponsor
Blakeford Senior Life – With more than 25 years as a nonprofit provider of senior living solutions, we are the premier choice in Nashville, TN. Visit us at Blakeford.com
Music by John McHugh
Photography by Warner Tidwell
Name: Carney Farris
Age: 89
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Claim to Fame: Operated a Christian commune in the 70's and 80's on a farm west of Nashville.
"If daddy came back from work or was out driving somewhere, he would just pick up hitchhikers. They both picked up hitchhikers. Those hitchhikers would end up in our basement sleeping or in one of the farm houses. And they were not all good characters. So I think that's where the concern for the danger came from, but it also taught all of us an appreciation that everybody has a story."
Due to some memory issues for our interviewee this episode, Carney's two daughters were there as a support to help distill and make sequential the story of Mrs. Farris' full and varied life.
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Sponsor
Blakeford Senior Life – With more than 25 years as a nonprofit provider of senior living solutions, we are the premier choice in Nashville, TN. Visit us at Blakeford.com
Music by John McHugh
Photography by Warner Tidwell
Name: Carney Farris
Age: 89
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Claim to Fame: Operated a Christian commune in the 70's and 80's on a farm west of Nashville.
"If daddy came back from work or was out driving somewhere, he would just pick up hitchhikers. They both picked up hitchhikers. Those hitchhikers would end up in our basement sleeping or in one of the farm houses. And they were not all good characters. So I think that's where the concern for the danger came from, but it also taught all of us an appreciation that everybody has a story."
Due to some memory issues for our interviewee this episode, Carney's two daughters were there as a support to help distill and make sequential the story of Mrs. Farris' full and varied life.
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Sponsor
Blakeford Senior Life – With more than 25 years as a nonprofit provider of senior living solutions, we are the premier choice in Nashville, TN. Visit us at Blakeford.com
Music by John McHugh
Photography by Warner Tidwell
Ben sets out with a microphone to hear what residents and staff of the Blakeford think about the podcast so far. The results are conclusive: "Me and All My Friends" is a show some people have heard of.
Plus: holiday gift recommendations, whether Ben is a fraud, and other unrelated topics.
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Sponsor
Blakeford Senior Life – With more than 25 years as a nonprofit provider of senior living solutions, we are the premier choice in Nashville, TN. Visit us at Blakeford.com
Music by John McHugh
Photography by Warner Tidwell
Name: Joe Bandy Jr.
Age: 90
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Did you know?: Bandywood Drive in Nashville is named after his family.
"There was a fellow that worked in my dad's office named Woodcock, C.C. Woodcock. And one day he came in and said, 'Joe, I've got a problem. I'm trying to develop that property that I own and the city has already turned down three names for the street, and I've got to get a name for the street.' And my dad thought a minute - so he tells me - and said, 'name it after us: Bandywood.' And that's how it came about."
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Sponsor
Blakeford Senior Life – With more than 25 years as a nonprofit provider of senior living solutions, we are the premier choice in Nashville, TN. Visit us at Blakeford.com
Music by John McHugh
Photography by Warner Tidwell
Name: Joe Bandy Jr.
Age: 90
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Did you know?: Bandywood Drive in Nashville is named after his family.
"There was a fellow that worked in my dad's office named Woodcock, C.C. Woodcock. And one day he came in and said, 'Joe, I've got a problem. I'm trying to develop that property that I own and the city has already turned down three names for the street, and I've got to get a name for the street.' And my dad thought a minute - so he tells me - and said, 'name it after us: Bandywood.' And that's how it came about."
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Sponsor
Blakeford Senior Life – With more than 25 years as a nonprofit provider of senior living solutions, we are the premier choice in Nashville, TN. Visit us at Blakeford.com
Music by John McHugh
Photography by Warner Tidwell
Name: Wine Group
Members: Jean Oldfield, Ann Walling, Frances M. Edwards, Ben Oddo
Ages: 92, 81, 91, 32
What would they think of Ben if they met him in the 60s?:
Frances: "Back in those days you would have been somebody that I would've thought was interesting, and I'd like to know what you had to offer."
Jean: "Maybe I would wonder what you did for a living. I guess because the way you're dressed maybe."
Ann: "My mother would have thought you were poorly dressed."
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Sponsor
Blakeford Senior Life – With more than 25 years as a nonprofit provider of senior living solutions, we are the premier choice in Nashville, TN. Visit us at Blakeford.com
Music by John McHugh
Photography by Warner Tidwell
Name: Wine Group
Members: Jean Oldfield, Ann Walling, Frances M. Edwards, Ben Oddo
Ages: 92, 81, 91, 32
What would they think of Ben if they met him in the 60s?:
Frances: "Back in those days you would have been somebody that I would've thought was interesting, and I'd like to know what you had to offer."
Jean: "Maybe I would wonder what you did for a living. I guess because the way you're dressed maybe."
Ann: "My mother would have thought you were poorly dressed."
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Sponsor
Blakeford Senior Life – With more than 25 years as a nonprofit provider of senior living solutions, we are the premier choice in Nashville, TN. Visit us at Blakeford.com
Music by John McHugh
Photography by Warner Tidwell
Name: Leon Tonelson
Age: 87
Hometown: The Bronx, New York
Member of: The 8730 Club
"It's a very exclusive club. Your body is 87 years old - it has to be, otherwise you can't be in that club - and your mind has to be at 30. You can't have an 87 year-old body and an 87 year-old mind. You're not in the club."
"That's the 8787 Club."
"That's the 8787 Club. That's one club you don't want to be in."
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Sponsor
Blakeford Senior Life – With more than 25 years as a nonprofit provider of senior living solutions, we are the premier choice in Nashville, TN. Visit us at Blakeford.com
Music by John McHugh
Photography by Warner Tidwell
Name: Leon Tonelson
Age: 87
Hometown: The Bronx, New York
Member of: The 8730 Club
"It's a very exclusive club. Your body is 87 years old - it has to be, otherwise you can't be in that club - and your mind has to be at 30. You can't have an 87 year-old body and an 87 year-old mind. You're not in the club."
"That's the 8787 Club."
"That's the 8787 Club. That's one club you don't want to be in."
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Sponsor
Blakeford Senior Life – With more than 25 years as a nonprofit provider of senior living solutions, we are the premier choice in Nashville, TN. Visit us at Blakeford.com
Music by John McHugh
Photography by Warner Tidwell
Name: Steve McHugh
Age: 86
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Number of Steve-isms Used During this Episode: 3
"I didn't give a great big o' fuzzy gray rat's ass."
"I played a little tennis, wasn't very good at that. Every time the ball came over the net it looked like a new moon rising."
"Just enough garlic to gladden the heart of a Roman."
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Sponsor
Blakeford Senior Life – With more than 25 years as a nonprofit provider of senior living solutions, we are the premier choice in Nashville, TN. Visit us at Blakeford.com
Music by John McHugh
Photography by Warner Tidwell
Name: Steve McHugh
Age: 86
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Number of Steve-isms Used During this Episode: 3
"I didn't give a great big o' fuzzy gray rat's ass."
"I played a little tennis, wasn't very good at that. Every time the ball came over the net it looked like a new moon rising."
"Just enough garlic to gladden the heart of a Roman."
--
Sponsor
Blakeford Senior Life – With more than 25 years as a nonprofit provider of senior living solutions, we are the premier choice in Nashville, TN. Visit us at Blakeford.com
Music by John McHugh
Photography by Warner Tidwell
Name: Frances M. Edwards
Age: 91
Hometown: Tupelo, Mississippi
Did you know?: "Lions are the only multi-orgasmic male beasts."
"Wow."
"That's why I have that picture over there."
"Oddly enough, a tiger with a human. There's a woman - a lounging woman - on the tiger, knowing for a fact he's a multi-orgasmic beast."
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Sponsor
Blakeford Senior Life – With more than 25 years as a nonprofit provider of senior living solutions, we are the premier choice in Nashville, TN. Visit us at Blakeford.com
Music by John McHugh
Photography by Warner Tidwell
Name: Frances M. Edwards
Age: 91
Hometown: Tupelo, Mississippi
Did you know?: "Lions are the only multi-orgasmic male beasts."
"Wow."
"That's why I have that picture over there."
"Oddly enough, a tiger with a human. There's a woman - a lounging woman - on the tiger, knowing for a fact he's a multi-orgasmic beast."
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Sponsor
Blakeford Senior Life – With more than 25 years as a nonprofit provider of senior living solutions, we are the premier choice in Nashville, TN. Visit us at Blakeford.com
Music by John McHugh
Photography by Warner Tidwell
Name: Dr. Gene Regen
Age: 91
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Boxing Record: 1-0
"I only had one TKO, and that was John Jay Hooker."
"John Jay Hooker, the political gadfly."
"Yes, uh-huh. And he had had a lot of private training and I was scared to death of him. So I only threw one punch. I went out, dashed around a little bit, faked a left above his head, and unloaded everything I had in my right hand right in his solar plexus. He flopped back on the mat and wouldn't get up."
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Sponsor
Blakeford Senior Life – With more than 25 years as a nonprofit provider of senior living solutions, we are the premier choice in Nashville, TN. Visit us at Blakeford.com
Music by John McHugh
Photography by Warner Tidwell
Name: Dr. Gene Regen
Age: 91
Hometown: Nashville, Tennessee
Boxing Record: 1-0
"I only had one TKO, and that was John Jay Hooker."
"John Jay Hooker, the political gadfly."
"Yes, uh-huh. And he had had a lot of private training and I was scared to death of him. So I only threw one punch. I went out, dashed around a little bit, faked a left above his head, and unloaded everything I had in my right hand right in his solar plexus. He flopped back on the mat and wouldn't get up."
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Sponsor
Blakeford Senior Life – With more than 25 years as a nonprofit provider of senior living solutions, we are the premier choice in Nashville, TN. Visit us at Blakeford.com
Music by John McHugh
Photography by Warner Tidwell
Name: Vera Burriss
Age: 84
Hometown: Berlin, Germany
Drink of choice: "Uh, tonight I'll probably have a gin and tonic with ice cubes."
"What else do you drink? You drink Martinis?"
"Friday night's Martini night."
"Go on."
"Sunday night is...are you sure this--"
"No, we're gonna keep this all in."
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Sponsor
Blakeford Senior Life – With more than 25 years as a nonprofit provider of senior living solutions, we are the premier choice in Nashville, TN. Visit us at Blakeford.com
Music by John McHugh
Photography by Warner Tidwell
Name: Vera Burriss
Age: 84
Hometown: Berlin, Germany
Drink of choice: "Uh, tonight I'll probably have a gin and tonic with ice cubes."
"What else do you drink? You drink Martinis?"
"Friday night's Martini night."
"Go on."
"Sunday night is...are you sure this--"
"No, we're gonna keep this all in."
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Sponsor
Blakeford Senior Life – With more than 25 years as a nonprofit provider of senior living solutions, we are the premier choice in Nashville, TN. Visit us at Blakeford.com
Music by John McHugh
Photos by Warner Tidwell
“Me and All My Friends” is an interview podcast that shares the stories of older folks in a way that is entertaining and restorative. It is a show for anyone who wants to connect with octogenarians and septuagenarians (but not sexagenarians - too young). Unlike most shows about aging or geriatric matters, our project will transcend generations while treating our subjects with the vibrancy, humor, and dignity they deserve.
Hosted by Ben Oddo and produced in partnership with Blakeford Senior Life in Nashville, each episode will try to answer the fundamental question: how old do you feel when you look in the mirror, and can we get that person to come on out?
Visit
meandallmyfriendspod.com
instagram.com/meandallmyfriends/
Credits
Thank you to Julie Dowd and Brian Barnes at Blakeford Senior Life
Music by John McHugh and ProleteR ("April Showers" from Free Music Archive)
Photography by Warner Tidwell
Logo by Hanna Luck