Episode 74 - Randy Brown - 'Coach'

My guest in this episode is Randy Brown who is another introduction from my dear friend Jesse Jackson at the Set Lusting Bruce Podcast. Randy has two major passions in his life, Basketball and Music. The former was his career for over 20 years and is the reason for the title of the episode as he was a College Basketball Coach at seven different Universities across America. As for music, it’s been a lifelong passion that ‘has been there at the best of times and the worst of times.’ Randy has had to deal with both ends of that spectrum including the tragic loss of two of his daughters at a young age to a rare disease and overcoming his alcohol addiction (he has now been sober for 10 years). Despite so much adversity in his life Randy’s message, as you will hear, is one of hope which he imparts in his book ‘Rebound Forward’ and his work as an inspirational speaker and life coach. Friendships are everything to Randy and it’s no coincidence that he knows the performers on several his song selections, all of whom have spent time at Randy’s permanent residence which is a 35’ Winnebago that he has turned into his own musical Hall of Fame. This episode was also a great personal lesson for me. Given Randy is a Springsteen fan I was surprised to realise he is also a massive Ted Nugent fan. I am embarrassed to say, because of that, I did consider cancelling the recording as Ted’s politics and views on gun control are very different to mine and I did that awful thing of then making assumptions about who Randy was. I’m so pleased I resisted that thought and I will always be grateful to Randy for giving me a powerful reminder that ‘we have more in common than divides us’ and music is great common ground to occupy. Randy’s song selections are: 50's - That'll Be The Day - Buddy Holly, The Crickets60's - Journey To The Centre of the Mind - The Amboy Dukes70's - China Grove - The Doobie Brothers80's - Scarred But Smarter - Drivin N Cryin90's - My Way Down - Chris Duarte Group00's - It's Not You - Halestorm10's - Oh My God - Sixx :A.M.20's - Shapeshifting - Joe Satriani