The Neil Haley Show 10-16-25: Steve Gordon MIA & Dr. Robert E. Marx

The Neil Haley Show 10-16-25: Steve Gordon MIA & Dr. Robert E. MarxThe Neil Haley Show presented a powerful two-hour episode on October 16, 2025, featuring guitarist Steve Gordon MIA and multiple segments with Dr. Robert E. Marx covering music, politics, healthcare, and medical memoir. The show opened with Steve Gordon discussing his latest music project "Broken," revealing how he created his distinctive guitar sound by recording the amplifier in his bathroom to capture natural reverb. Gordon shared the origin story of his band Magnificent Beasts, formed with Ray West from Spread Eagle, bassist Miguel, and drummer Tommy McWilliams. He explained how his instrumental track "Pharaoh Lives" unexpectedly went viral in Europe and South America, entering Germany's instrumental rock chart at number eight, just below Metallica at number one, launching his career as a solo artist under the name Steve Gordon MIA.Gordon provided fascinating insights into his legendary career as a session musician and mixer, including working on Morgan Wallen's album where he mixed half of the tracks before the label brought in another mixer for the remaining songs. He revealed his impressive resume includes mixing for Prince, Natalie Cole, Aretha Franklin, and producing work across multiple genres from rock to R&B to smooth jazz. Gordon explained his strategic use of "MIA" in his artist name—not for Miami or Missing In Action, but to ensure he's the only "Steve Gordon MIA" on the planet, making him instantly searchable online. His journey began at age 12 after seeing The Beatles on Ed Sullivan, starting with drums before switching to guitar, with influences including Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck, and surprisingly, James Brown's funk grooves.Dr. Robert E. Marx delivered a hard-hitting political commentary examining whether the Democratic Party is soft on crime, arguing they've become "enablers of crime" rather than merely soft on it. He cited specific examples including Seattle's mayor suggesting nobody should go to jail even with multiple felonies, Chicago's Mayor Brandon Johnson creating "no ICE zones" despite a 4% approval rating, and the Latin Kings gang offering bounties on ICE officers. Dr. Marx highlighted the case of Logan Federico, murdered by Alexander Dickey who had 39 arrests and 27 felony convictions by age 38, questioning why the "three strikes" law wasn't enforced. He contrasted today's Democratic Party with the era of Robert Kennedy Sr. and John F. Kennedy, expressing disappointment in the party's evolution and urging listeners to carefully evaluate local candidates for city council, mayor, and governor positions who appoint judges based on social ideology rather than law.In a comprehensive healthcare segment, Dr. Marx addressed claims of a healthcare crisis, arguing it's actually a transition driven by increased lifespans and advanced medical treatments. He explained that women's average lifespan increased from 74.6 years in 1980 to 81.1 years today—a 6.5-year increase—while men gained 2.3 years, now averaging 75.8 years. This longevity comes with age-related diseases requiring expensive treatments like monoclonal antibodies (drugs ending in "MAB" like denosumab for osteoporosis), checkpoint inhibitors like Opdivo and Keytruda for cancer, and GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic costing $900 monthly. Dr. Marx detailed how modern imaging (CT scans, MRIs, PET scans), robotic surgery, and advanced procedures have dramatically improved outcomes but increased costs. He praised Trump's RX initiative for bringing drug prices down to European levels and proposed innovative insurance solutions where smokers and alcohol consumers pay extra per purchase to fund their future disease-related healthcare costs.The episode concluded with Dr. Marx reading the introduction to his book "28 Life-Changing Patients: Chronicles of an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon," sharing a compelling story about colleague Sir Sid Moose who was knighted by the Queen of England. When the Queen asked what he'd been honored for and he replied "oral and maxillofacial surgeon," she responded in deep British twang, "What the blazes is that?" Dr. Marx explained this dual specialty combines dentistry and medicine, treating conditions including facial fractures, head and neck cancers, jaw reconstruction, TMJ disorders, and surgical orthodontics—filling a crucial void in healthcare that no other specialty can address as comprehensively. He emphasized that half of oral and maxillofacial surgeons hold both MD and DDS degrees, while all receive medical training approved by the American College of Surgeons, positioning them as essential providers for complex facial and oral conditions that have transformed countless patients' lives.