The Forward

Dave McGillivray is the founder of DMSE. He has served as the Race Director of the Boston Marathon since the 1980’s. He has run the Boston race every year since 1973. Many of those runs start after his official duties as Director end for the day. Dave and Lance caught up in Boston to talk about his career in endurance events, his personal health scare, running a sub 2 hour marathon and how the Boston bombing impacted his duties and family. 

Scott and Seth Avett are founding members of the Avett Brothers. Formed in North Carolina the San Francisco Chronicle describes the band with "heavy sadness of Townes Van Zandt the light pop concision of Buddy Holly, the tuneful jangle of the Beatles the raw energy of the Ramones.” Lance recently caught up with the brothers during a visit to North Carolina. They shared their memories of Chris Cornell, playing with Willie Nelson and backing Bob Dylan at the Grammy’s. The brothers also discussed May It Last, the Judd Apatow directed documentary which was recently acquired by HBO.

Liz Lambert is a hotelier in Austin TX. After finishing law school she left her career as a lawyer to pursue a dream of owning the Hotel San Jose. She has taken her vision and attention to hospitality and grown the Bunkhouse Group brand around the country. Liz dropped in to talk about the hotel industry, getting out to travel and how the Foo Fighters recorded a record at one of her hotels.

Lyle Lovett is a country singer-songwriter from Klein, Texas. He has won four Grammy Awards, including Best Male Country Vocal Performance and Best Country Album. Lance stopped by Lyle’s to talk: getting started in music, the importance of Nashville, writing and touring with Guy Clark and Joe Ely, and even playing a couple songs during the interview.

Eduardo Garcia is a chef by trade but also the definition of perseverance. A life long outdoorsman Garcia's life changed after being electrocuted. Fighting back from his accident he was dealt the news that he also had testicular cancer. He stopped by to discuss his documentary “Charged," his food brand Montana Mex and his passion for the outdoors.

NFL Hall of Fame Quarterback Brett Favre is this week’s guest on The Forward Podcast. Lance and The Gunslinger sat down after they completed their ride at the annual Bo Bikes Bama event in Auburn, Alabama. They talked about Brett’s new found passion for endurance events, his hall of fame career and the issues of brain injuries in the NFL. The interview took place at the home of former Auburn football Coach Pat Dye. Dye pulled up a chair and talk about his own successful coaching career, what he learned from Bear Bryant and how the game has changed. 

PGA pro golfer Rickie Fowler is currently ranked among the top ten in the world. The California native stopped by The Forward studio to discuss the current state of golf, pursuing his first major win, influence on the youth of golf and his US Olympic experience.

Darden Smith is a singer songwriter who resides in Austin, TX. Smith has made music for over 30 years and just released his 15th album titled, Everything.   Smith’s career evolved in unexpected directions when he began to explore the creative potential in what he calls “writing songs with people that don’t write songs.” Collaborations with homeless youth to HIV affected villagers in South Africa led to the founding of his latest project Songwriting with:Soldiers, a program that brings professional songwriters together with wounded veterans to write songs about combat and the return home. Smith opens up about how much he gets out of these retreats and talks through a recent session. Smith also performs a song written with a soldier as well as a track of his new record. 

Rip Esselstyn is a health activist, plant based diet supporter, former firefighter and triathlete. He is widely known for writing the books: The Engine 2 Diet and My Beef With Meat and for appearing in the 2011 documentary Forks Over Knives. Rip stopped by the Forward Podcast studio to talk: the health benefits of plant based diets, being hired by Whole Foods, and his new book The Engine 2 Seven-Day Rescue Diet: Eat Plants, Lose Weight, Save Your Health.

Timothy Showalter is the first guest in the Forward Podcast new studio. The leader of Strand of Oaks talked about being fearless versus reckless, working as a school teacher and what he learned opening up for the likes of My Morning Jacket, Ryan Adams and Jason Isbell. Tim also broke in the new studio by playing three songs including a cover of Used Cars by Bruce Springsteen.

Eddie Wilson is the owner of Threadgill’s restaurant and founder of the legendary music venue: The Armadillo World Headquarters in Austin, Texas. During it existence, the Armadillo held such legendary acts as ACDC, Bruce Springsteen, Frank Zappa, Van Morrison and helped give birth to Austin’s music renaissance. Eddie hosted Lance at the restaurant where they caught up on everything from: owning a music venue, Willie Nelson, hosting music royalty, starting an advertising agency at a music venue and much more.

Michael Franti is an American Rapper, musician, poet, spoken word artist and singer-songwriter. He is the creator and lead vocalist of his current independent project, Michael Franti & Spearhead, a band that blends hip hop with a variety of other styles including funk, reggae, jazz, folk, and rock. Michael stopped by to catch up with Lance and talk: reconnecting with family, his non profit: "Do it For Love, " and opening for the likes of U2 and the Foo Fighters.

Jimmie Johnson is a California born professional stock car racing driver and seven-time champion in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. His seven wins tie him with Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt for the most Cup Series championships of all time. In 2006 Jimmie and his wife Chandra started the Jimmie Johnson Foundation dedicated to helping children, families, and communities in need. Jimmie and Lance caught up on: getting started in racing, how racing has changed with the digital age, fielding fan questions, and more.

Simon Illa is an American music writer/producer/vocal arranger from Paris, Illinois. He was voted by Blender Magazine as Philadelphia’s Hottest producer in 2008. As a child, Simon was diagnosed with Osteogenesis Imperfecta otherwise known as “Brittle Bone Disease.” He stopped by Jesse Itzler’s house to catch up with Lance on O.I., breaking into the music industry, inspiring people and more.

Jesse Itzler is an entrepreneur, author, endurance athlete, former rapper, and one of the owners of the Atlanta Hawks in the National Basketball Association. Jesse co-founded Marquis Jet and is a partner in Zico Coconut Water. Lance stopped by Jesse’s house in Atlanta to talk: hip-hop dinners, being an NBA owner, living with a Navy Seal, and more.

Tanya Streeter is a British-Caymanian-American best known as a world champion free diver. Tanya was inducted into the Women Diver's Hall of Fame in March 2000 and for a time held the overall "no limits" freediving record (greater than the men's record) with a depth of 525 feet (160 m) that is still the women's world record. Tanya stopped by Lance’s to talk: the sport of free driving, "A Plastic Ocean” the documentary and overcoming physical and mental barriers.

George Hincapie, Christian Vande Velde, and Dylan Casey are former professional cyclists who raced for various professional teams during their cycling careers. All three went on to great successes in their post cycling careers. The guys got together with Lance for an epic 24 hour mountain bike ride in the Sonoran Desert known as 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo. All four guys sat down in the trailer pre-race for a quick catchup.

Chris Bell is an American director best known for his critically acclaimed documentaries “Bigger, Faster, Stronger” and “Trophy Kids.” Chris stopped by Lance’s to talk: making documentaries, the prescription drug problem in America and overcoming addiction.

John Paul DeJoria is a billionaire businessman and philanthropist best known as a co-founder of the Paul Mitchell line of hair products and The Patrón Spirits Company. Over the years, he has founded and/or funded numerous for-profit and nonprofit entities. John Paul sat down with Lance to talk: politics, being homeless, the story of Patrón, philanthropic efforts and more.

Neil deGrasse Tyson is an American astrophysicist, cosmologist, author, and Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space in New York City. He has garnered much notoriety for his appearances on The Colbert Report, The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the late night circuit and more. Neil stopped by Lance’s to talk: the new generation’s take on science, the future of NASA, science in schools and much more.