Sasha Gradiva - International Pop Star

Artist, songwriter and actress, this Russion-born power house has made her way Stateside!  MTV Russia includes her in the 'Best Top 10 Artists on the Rise'. She's graced the covers and pages of Vogue, Cosmopolitan, Maxim and OK.  She is a frequent guest on TV shows and award ceremonies.

You may remember seeing her at the 2012 Grammys...

'Wanted', her latest single, can be heard at
 www.SashaGradiva.com

Watch for tour dates later this summer!

I recently met Sasha, listen to our interview here.

Go The F**K To Sleep

Not gonna lie...I LOVE this book!

If you've ever struggled getting your little one to sleep...this is a must read! 

I had the pleasure of talking with author, Adam Mansbauch, about his #1 New York Times bestseller. Listen here...

1961 Freedom Riders

For many of you, this may be the first time you're even reading about the Freedom Rides.  I, myself, first became aware of the Freedom Rides just weeks prior to my interview with Freedom Riders, Carol Ruth Silver and Claude Albert Liggins on January 22nd, 2012.

        In the spring and summer of 1961, more than 400 people came together to travel into the Deep South, defying Jim Crow laws and putting their welfare-even their lives-on the line in support of racial justice.  Carol Ruth Silver and Claude Albert Liggins were among those who stepped forward to join the Freedom Riders.  Theirs is a story of sacrifice, terror and -ultimately- triumph. 

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/freedomriders/

Hear their story... 1961 Freedom Riders - Carol Ruth Silver & Claude Albert Liggins

The Help - Kathryn Stockett & Myrlie Evers-Williams

I first met Myrlie Evers-Williams on May 14th, 1999. (see my 12/5/11 post)

Ten (10) years later, on November 7th, 2009 at the Nature of Words Author Dinner held at the High Desert Museum, where Myrlie was the guest speaker, we would meet again.

It was at this event that I invited Myrlie to be my guest on my talk show, Open Air.  She graciously accepted my offer.  This was a dream come true for me! Not only was I going to be interviewing the most courageous woman I know, but I was also going to be able to express to her how, 10 yrs prior, she had touched my life.

During our many phone conversations leading up to our interview, Myrlie asked if I had read the book "The Help". Myrlie stated that she would love to talk with the author, Kathryn Stockett. She said she would love to 'get in her mind'. The reference to the brutal murder of Myrlie's husband, Medgar Evers, was very accurate and Myrlie was very impressed and honored.

Well...that was all I needed to hear.  Myrlie wanted to talk with Kathryn Stockett and I was going to make it happen.  And I did.

Initially, I emailed Ms. Stockett's publicist telling her of Myrlie's praise for The Help and asked if Ms. Stockett would be available to join us for an interview.  I made the mistake of assuming that the publicist would inform Ms. Stockett that Myrlie Evers-Williams had read her book and would like to talk with her.  Wrong.

A rep for the publicist emailed the following response...

 Dear Dawn,
Thank you so much for requesting an interview with Kathryn Stockett for Open Air.  It sounds like  

a wonderful opportunity.  Unfortunately, Ms. Stockett is at work on her second novel and we are

not setting up interviews for her at this time.  Thank you again for sending along the request and if  

anything changes, I'll be sure to let you know!

I was NOT happy with that response and I was NOT goin to go away quietly! So..I did what I do best.I did my research, utilized my resources and I called Kathryn Stockett at her home in Atlanta, Georgia.

When Ms.Stockett answered the phone I introduced myself and explained the reason for my call. Ms.Stockett was almost speechless when I told her that Myrlie Evers-Williams had read her book, loved it and would like to meet her (via the phone). Ms.Stockett said she would love to do the interview and for me to call her publicist the next day and have them work with me on the dates for the interview.

On April 7th, 2010, Kathryn Stockett, Author of The Help and Myrlie Evers-Williams met for the first time on my show, Open Air w/ Dawn Newton. 


 Listen to Kathryn Stockett and Myrlie Evers-Williams here...

Ed Asner

I had the pleasure and opportunity to interview and meet Mr. Asner in October, 2009, as he was appearing in the one-man show, FDR at our own Tower Theater in downtown Bend.

I remember his assistant requesting that I keep the interview to 15min max, however, if Mr. Asner likes you he'll keep talking. Ed liked me, our interview lasted 27:19min. Oh...and he said I was very thorough. ;)

 This is one of my favorite interviews.


Listen to Ed Asner here...

OPRAH! Your OWN Show!

Oprah's Search For The Next TV Star - Your OWN Show
I was 1 of  more than 15,000 people who auditioned for my OWN show.

I wasn't selected. Was I disappointed. Sure.
Was I disappointed that the perception of what I thought OWN was searching for (..an unknown) wasn't what was selected? Absolutely.

Did I mention that Mark Burnett, reality producer extraordinaire (Survivor, The Voice, Shark Tank), was working with Ms. Winfrey on this and several other OWN shows???  I didn't realize at the time that I was actually auditioning for a reality TV show, nor was there any guarantee that the 'winner' would actually receive their 'OWN' show.

Ten (10) contestants were chosen from 'obscurity', to compete for the opportunity to host their OWN show.  Obscure? Hmmmm...  Maybe 4 of the 10 contestants could be considered 'obscure'.  One contestant was already a TV news reporter, the husband of another contestant is an actor who has appeared on the big screen along side the likes of Will Ferrell, Seth Rogen, and Sigourney Weaver, another contestant had previously been on the Martha Stewart show and another had already completed a pilot for her own show prior to learning of Oprah's OWN Show.

Regardless of the 'reality', or lack thereof, associated with the OWN Show experience, I am truly grateful that I chose to participate.  My video is an authentic and true representation of Dawn Newton. It's true, I would love to add video to the audio of what I do so that the listener/viewer can meet the incredible people I get to talk to each week. I love to have fun, to push those 'proverbial' human buttons, to challenge perceptions, to educate, to inspire and empower. Everyone has a story to tell, a celebration to share and wisdom from which we can all grow...and I feel darn lucky that I get to bring these people to the airwaves!

A big Thank You is owed to my friends, Shannon Bex, MTV's Making the Band, Danity Kane, and Kyle Will, Owner/Personal Trainer of WRP Training Studio who were willing participants as my 'guests' in the video.  Shannon is a frequent guest on my radio show, Open Air, and Kyle is a regular on Open Air with his health & fitness segments...so...what you see on the video is the 'reality' of what you hear on my weekly radio show, Open Air w/ Dawn Newton each Wednesday at 5:00pm on 88.9fm KPOV.

I'm so proud of the video and I'm so proud of me for filming, editing (2hrs of video down to 2.31min), producing and submitting the finished product. The support, encouragement and willingness of both Shannon and Kyle to participate in my OWN audition video was humbling.  Not only was I putting myself 'out there' for the world to see (dang scary!!!) but Shannon and Kyle were willing to put themselves 'out there' too...in support of me.

Wanna see my video?  Here it is... Dawn's OWN Audition Video