Season 2 - A Drink With - Detroit (Allee Willis)

In the sixth episode of “A Drink With - Detroit” you’ll meet one of the most legendary and influential songwriters of the 70s, 80s and 90s, Allee Willis, who was recently inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Her work includes Earth Wind & Fire’s “September” and “Boogie Wonderland” and “Neutron Dance” by Pointer Sisters in addition to one of the most recognized TV theme songs to date, “I’ll Be There For You” from NBC’s “Friends.” In this episode Willis takes us on a roller coaster ride of career ups and downs which all led her to discover each passion of hers. Along with having a successful music career, Willis tells Hillary Sawchuk and Jessica McCall about how the opportunities in life come when you’re down, how Detroit is in another golden age of music and why Detroit is the most soulful city in the world. Willis also wrote and produced "The D," a love song to the city of Detroit featuring 5,000 vocalists and musicians, more people in history that have ever been on a record before. Pour yourself a coffee and listen to Willis share her words of wisdom, incredible stories and witty jokes.

Whether you’re a native Detroiter, a transplant or a boomerang, you can’t deny that what’s happening in the city is history in the (re)making. From the work ethic to the entrepreneurial spirit, Detroiters are rolling up their sleeves and rebuilding the city with the same determination as Henry Ford and Berry Gordy before them. And in the end, those visionaries, similar to the ones you’ll meet this season, not only shaped Detroit, they shaped the world. Once the fastest growing city in the world; the place that created America’s middle class. Detroit is still a city that breeds innovation.

Just like the city of Detroit, our guests have stories of perseverance and creativity. Why should you care? You’ll find motivation and inspiration to apply to your own life from listening to the dreamers, future leaders and risk-takers who are making a direct impact on the community. We talk about lessons learned the hard way, what it took to reach success, business advice and what makes Detroit special.

This season we’re partnering with Goodwill Industries of Greater Detroit whose mission is co-creating independence and dignity through the power of personal and workforce development. Goodwill Detroit works to ensure that every neighborhood of Detroit experiences the kind of renaissance that we’re seeing in downtown and Midtown. We welcome Jessica McCall, the vice president of marketing and external affairs at Goodwill Detroit, as our special co-host. We’re asking listeners to use “#WhatsGoodDetroit“ when you come across something inspiring, notable or just plain good in the city.

We’re recording in the Foundation Studio at Detroit Foundation Hotel. Our official podcast studio is located within the beautiful boutique hotel which is the former Detroit Fire Department Headquarters and Pontchartrain Wine Cellars.

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