How We Heard It
Veteran entertainment journalists, music columnists and longtime friends Wayne Bledsoe and Chuck Campbell host ”How We Heard It,” a breezy and sometimes offbeat take on how music and movies got to where they are today and where it’s all going.
They break down who are the most promising Generation Z singers one minute and the next they debate who are the most overrated acts from the past. Sexy songs, soundtracks, controversies and weird movies find their way into the discussion, and they also weigh in with recommendations on who to hear and what to see in music and film from the past and present.
Wayne and Chuck have more than 65 years of experience in professional journalism between them, but they don’t waste time indulging in scholarly breakdowns of their institutional knowledge. Instead, they share behind-the-scenes stories about their odd, funny, inspirational and embarrassing encounters with celebrities, managers, fans and readers. And they laugh at themselves and each other. A lot. Because being an entertainment journalist does that to you.
An important third voice in the ”How We Heard It” podcast is engineer John Baker, himself a musician and producer who reins in Wayne and Chuck when they need it. John’s tastes are a little bit Wayne and a little bit Chuck, and he’s a friendly sort.
Wayne’s primary role in his nearly four decades at the Knoxville News-Sentinel was his work as an entertainment writer and critic. He currently hosts ”The Six O’Clock Swerve” weekly radio show on WUTK, 90.3 FM in Knoxville, he’s a former Grammy nominee, and he’s an organizer of the annual concert series ”Waynestock: For the Love of Drew and Rylan.” He’s also an artist and unconventional garden writer - see more at www.waynebledsoe.com.
Chuck started his career in journalism at the Daytona Beach News-Journal in Florida before joining the staff in Knoxville. He has reviewed more than 5,500 albums, and his column was distributed by the New York Times, Gannett, Cox News Service and the Scripps Howard News Service. He was an entertainment and travel editor in both Florida and Tennessee and a regional news planner for Gannett’s South Region.
”How We Heard It” is a Taral Productions podcast recorded at The Arbor Studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. Send requests, comments and suggestions to [email protected]
- Update frequency
- every 7 days
- Average duration
- 77 minutes
- Episodes
- 63
- Years Active
- 2024 - 2025
Stop watching those stale Christmas shows!
You might enjoy a couple of those old Christmas movies and TV shows that you watch every year, but let's face it: Most of that stuff is looking awfully dusty these days.
It's time for a reset.
In thi…
Best debut albums?
The debut album is a monumental accomplishment for a music artist. It's an announcement that you've arrived, an introduction to your heart and soul that just anyone can explore.
But debut albums aren…
Here's some holiday music you'll like for a change
As another Christmas rolls around, you might want to enjoy something more than the same stale songs you hear every year.
This episode Chuck and Wayne dig through a sleigh full of albums to find the r…
Best breakup songs!
There are breakups and there are BREAKUPS songs.
If you've ever been through a BREAKUP, and even if you haven't, you know nothing gets you through drama like the right breakup song.
But what is the r…
Why aren't they bigger?!? (Acts you may have missed)
We all wonder how some performers made it big. We question their talent, their fans and the world in general when we see their enduring popularity, and frankly we've had enough of them.
On the flipsi…
'Nepo babies' in music: the good, the bad and the unexpected
Hollywood is full of "nepo babies"- so much so that you might wonder if every famous actor today is the child of a famous actor or producer.
The same is true in the music industry, and you might be s…
Here are the cover songs that got it right (and wrong)
You might be surprised to find out how many of your favorite hits are actually cover songs - from Aretha Franklin's "Respect" to Sinead O'Connor's "Nothing Compares 2 U."
This week Wayne and Chuck di…
How to use music to get what you need
Music can change your mood instantly. It can bring you joy or sorrow, and it can make you feel weird in ways you can't explain.
Music will make you remember someone you lost, it will remind you of pl…
Songs we never want to hear again!
Veteran music journalists Wayne Bledsoe and Chuck Campbell have heard tons of terrible songs over the years.
These are the worst of the worst.
Creepy songs need love too
There are love songs, breakup songs and party songs ... But on this episode, Wayne and Chuck spotlight disturbing music.
Whether or not these artists intended to chill their audiences, they somehow g…
Horrors! Have you missed these scary movies?!
Fans of scary movies have their favorite go-to films, but let's be real: There are so many new ones constantly coming out that it's easy to miss some.
With that in mind, Chuck and Wayne share some of…
Taylor Swift vs. Beyonce again? Get ready for more Grammys drama
Taylor Swift has had another groundbreaking year in music, but are voters for the Grammy Awards feeling Taylor-Swift burnout?
Beyonce has won more Grammys than any artist, but never for Best Album. W…
How MTV and YouTube changed culture forever
The power of music videos was fully harnessed when MTV debuted in 1981, opening the world to new genres in popular music while diminishing the influence of record labels and the old guard performers.
…
'Big stupid shirtless men' and other stories
This week Chuck and Wayne talk about some random weird moments they've had, from chance meetings with celebrities to the singer who REALLY wanted to party.
Also, Chuck talks about the mistake he made…
The gritty world of concerts, from Madonna to Tool
Music-journalist veterans Wayne Bledsoe and Chuck Campbell have been to their share of concerts, for better and worse, and in this episode of "How We Heard It" they share stories from the trenches.
H…
Sexy songs! When does music turn us on?
Sex can be both primal and complicated, and sexy songs can be just as complex.
We break it down with songs and artists who can sell sex - and some who can't. Our choices might surprise you.
Behind the scenes with Dolly Parton, Liam Hemsworth, Kristen Stewart, Joan Jett, Randy Travis, Tanya Tucker and more!
Veteran entertainment journalists Chuck Campbell and Wayne Bledsoe have done their share of interviews with a wide variety of celebrities over the years. In this episode of "How We Heard It" they sha…
Score! How soundtracks bring music nerds and movie geeks together
Although the movie industry and the music industry have both continuously morphed and transformed, the two have been teaming up for almost a century with soundtracks. The impact of good movies paired…
Don't take this the wrong way
There's no one way to be a music critic, and this week veteran entertainment journalists Wayne and Chuck talk about how they each found their way in the field - what they got right, what they got wro…
Guilty pleasures
This week veteran music journalists Wayne Bledsoe and Chuck Campbell open themselves up to judgment by confessing their guilty pleasures - types of entertainment that give them comfort and inspiratio…