McHenry-based podcast ‘It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee’ to feature music great Blake Sakamoto

In a new episode of the popular entertainment news podcast “It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee,” famed rock keyboardist Blake Sakamoto talks about his days in the Dan Reed Network, including details on opening for The Rolling Stones and Bon Jovi.

The episode premieres Wednesday, Dec. 13, on Spotify, and can be found on all major podcast apps including iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Pandora, according to a news release.

During the interview, Sakamoto describes how he was recruited to join the Dan Reed Network. Although he originally hails from Portland, Oregon, Sakamoto was working with another band in Los Angeles when he got the call to join DRN back in Portland.

It was in Los Angeles that Sakamoto learned the art of not just playing keyboards, but the specifics of playing keyboards in a guitar band – taught to him by none other than Claude Schnell of Dio.

DRN scored a number of hit singles off three blockbuster albums: the self-titled “Dan Reed Network,” “Slam” and “The Heat.” They were big in the U.S. and huge in Europe.

Sakamoto now resides in the Greater Portland area, where he performs with one of the city’s top events bands, The Nu Wavers, playing the best rock of the 1980s, including hits ranging from college radio to alternative, with plenty of Top 40 in the mix. He also balances his calendar with his own successful Country Financial insurance agency office – licensed in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Arizona, Wisconsin and Illinois.

“It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee” is a popular weekly interview program out of McHenry County that serves as a backstage pass to all things entertainment, including music, film, television and theater. In addition to hosting the program, Travolta is the publicist for Steven Adler of Guns N’ Roses fame. Recent music guests on “It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee” include rock goddess Lita Ford, Rudy Sarzo and Alex Grossi of metal greats Quiet Riot, and R&B songstress Susannah B.

To listen to the latest episodes of “It’s Showtime with Rikki Lee,” visit podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/rikkileetravolta.