Erica Ehm: Reinvention of the VJ
Former VJ and host Erica Ehm gets personal with the MuchMusic personalities you probably grew up watching in the 80’s and 90’s, sharing stories and perspectives on how Much made them who they are today. With the heady days of music television as a flashpoint, this podcast explores the theme of reinvention with entertaining anecdotes and useful insights to inspire listeners to face the next chapter of their lives. A mix of music and memories, gossip and advice, secrets and successes, expect the unexpected every week. Make sure you SUBSCRIBE so you never miss an episode! Erica has also set up a feedback line so you can leave your memories, questions and guest suggestions. 1-833-972-7272
Episodes
Erica gets personal with host of indie show The Wedge Simon Evans who shares the hilarious reason he was put on air, what behind the scenes politics were like at Much and how he went from intern to influencing the Canadian music scene. Simon opens up about some regrets, his tales of traveling across Europe in a cramped van with a heavy metal band, and what he learned about life while working at MuchMusic for close to 20 ye...
Erica Ehm chats with Rebecca Rankin about going from a modelling career to covering grisly crime scenes, how she landed her job at MuchMusic, and why a hot tub ended her video hosting career at VH1. Rebecca shares the behind the scenes story of interviewing the President of the United States, why her marriage to one of Hollywood’s top filmmakers fell apart, and how motherhood lead her to an unexpected career path. Please r...
Erica gets personal with Mike Campbell about why MuchMusic may not have existed without him, his profound effect on the Canadian music scene, and the hilarious story behind Mike and Mike's Excellent Cross Canada Adventures. Mike opens up about his favorite spots in Canada, how he has remained relevant in the music business for over thirty years, and the woman who became his guardian angel when he was about to lose his home...
Erica gets personal with Laurie Brown about being discovered in the basement of MuchMusic, how she ended up hosting The Power Hour, and what she learned from interviewing David Bowie sixteen times. Laurie opened up about why she’s not a big reader, how she lost her CBC job and her husband at the same time, the story behind her beloved late-night radio show The Signal, and why she left radio to start ...
Erica Ehm chats with Terry David Mulligan about his early broadcasting career with stories about John Candy, Janis Joplin, Jimmy Hendrix and Joni Mitchell, how he brought MuchMusic to Western Canada, and his secret sauce to get amazing interviews. Terry also talks about how Kiss taught him to handle difficult interviews, how he ended up hosting a wine show with Jason Priestly and how he manages to keep on rocking at 80 yea...
On this episode of Reinvention of the VJ, Erica Ehm gets personal with Steven Kerzner how he turned a hand puppet into Ed The Sock, the foul mouthed star of the Nation’s Music Station. Steven Kerzner is the brains, the hand and the voice behind Ed the Sock. Green hair, perpetually smoking a cigar, and a gravelly voice straight from the Borsht Belt vaudeville show, Steven Kerszner turned a hand puppet into a foul mouth...
Erica Ehm gets person with Laurie (Hibberd) Gelman, star of 80’s music video show YTV Rocks. After a few years at YTV, Laurie moved Stateside where she ended up marrying Gelman, well-known producer of Live! with Regis and Kelly. Laurie shares the story of her rise to fame as an American TV host, why she chose to give it all up for her family and how she’s reinvented herself as an award-winning author. Please rate, review a...
Erica Ehm gets personal with Amanda Walsh about being discovered in a bar, coping with life as the youngest VJ on Much, and how dealing with haters taught her valuable life lessons. Listen as Amanda opens up about why she chose to leave Much at the top of her game, how her role on the pilot of Big Bang Theory brought her great perspective, and how she ended up working on the hit TV series Schitts Creek. Please rate, r...
Erica Ehm gets personal with Bill Welychka about his journey from behind the scenes editor to becoming one of MuchMusic’s longest serving hosts, how he manages to put himself in the right place at the right time, and how an interview with David Bowie was the catalyst to make him leave MuchMusic. Bill Welychka has a knack for reinventing. He talks about the power of networking and how he continues to order thrive as a broad...
Erica gets personal with Christopher Ward about the zany early days at MuchMusic, why his time at Second City was so important to him, and how being a successful songwriter ended his career at Much. Christopher shares his behind the scenes stories of some of his most memorable interviews, and sets the record straight about how his best buddy Mike Myers tried out his now famous character of Wayne on MuchMusic. An award winn...
Erica gets personal with Catherine McClenahan about being the very first female VJ, what the wild early days of Much were like for her, and why she ended up suing MuchMusic and winning. Listen as Catherine opens up about the challenging relationship she had with the head of MuchMusic, how she’s learned to deals with rejection, and what life lessons she picked up while working at MuchMusic. While her time at Much was short,...
Erica Ehm gets personal with Teresa Roncon about becoming the fair maiden of heavy metal of MuchMusic, how being a feminist helped her career, and why she left Much at the height of her popularity. Teresa talks about her early career as a news reporter and how she landed her gig at CityPulse Entertainment and eventually the Power Hour. She shares her father’s advice that gave her the confidence to leave TV, go back to scho...
Erica Ehm gets personal with Namugenyi "Nam" Kiwanuka about the lasting impact of escaping Uganda as a child on her, why she turned down a VJ job at MuchMusic three times, and the interviews that had a profound effect on her. She tells the story of how a chance meeting with Master T changed her life, how her hair became a political statement, and why becoming a mother is her proudest achievement. Nam is a powerhouse, ...
On this episode of Reinvention of the VJ, Erica Ehm gets personal with George “Strombo” Stroumboulopoulos about growing up on in poverty, the woman he considers his hero, how he faces his fears and why he invites random strangers into his home to listen to music. Strombo is equal parts punk rocker and social justice warrior. He’s been described as a superstar of MuchMusic and a mama’s boy. He’s had to navigate both failure...
On this episode of Reinvention of the VJ, Erica Ehm gets personal with Jeanne Beker about her experience in a limo with Kiss in the 80’s, the sacrifices she made to host Fashion Television for 27 years, plus the talented but troubled designer she’ll never forget. Though Jeanne Beker would say she's gotten softer over the years compared to the feisty MuchMusic host she once was, she sits down with Erica and sounds stronger ...
On this episode of Reinvention of the VJ, Erica Ehm finds out about how Rick Campenelli really feels about the name "the Temp", why he became the go-to guy with all the Boy Bands, and what really happened the day he was fired from ETCanada. Listen as Erica sits down with one of the most enduring and beloved hosts of MuchMusic, Rick “The Temp” Campanelli. They travel back to 1994 when Erica announced that Rick Campanelli ha...
In the very first episode of Reinvention of the VJ, Erica Ehm gets personal with Steve Anthony about how he was headed for a life in jail in his early years, his reputation as the Bad Boy of MuchMusic, and why he chose to leave his broadcasting career as a morning show host when he was at the top. Erica Ehm sits down with long time friend Steve Anthony and the result is entertaining because they are polar opposites! Erica ...
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