For Constant Constance's 20th episode, Andrew speaks with James Gavin. James is an author who has been writing for eighteen years now; he is currently finishing a biography of George Michael which is due to be published next Spring 2022 (pub. Abrams Books). As Sheila Weller writes of James, "there is no one who writes as eloquently, knowledgeably, and page-turningly about the midcentury music heroes who sang - and lived - our American story." In this expansive conversation, Andrew speaks with James about the history and stories behind his five previously published books, “Stormy Weather: The Life of Lena Horne;” “Deep in a Dream : The Long Night of Chet Baker,” “Is That All There Is? : The Strange Life of Peggy Lee,” and “Intimate Nights: The Golden Age of New York Cabaret,” and so much more, (including a discussion about a little-known story behind the saxophone solo on George Michael’s song ‘Careless Whisper’.) If you’re interested in any of these musical greats, history, or anything really, this is an episode for you.

This episode of Constant Constance is a long one, as James reads from his biography of singer Lena Horne called, “Stormy Weather: The Life of Lena Horne.”