Erica Banas: Writing Samples

News Pieces

105.7 WROR •

Vince McMahon Accused of Sex Trafficking, Brock Lesnar Implicated

Vince McMahon is being hit with a new lawsuit accusing the WWE leader of sex trafficking. The suit also implicates Brock Lesnar, one of the wrestling promotion’s biggest stars. The lawsuit is broken down in detail by The Wall Street Journal, which has been the publication breaking news related to McMahon's alleged sexual misconduct since June 2022. WSJ reports that Janel Grant is the former WWE employee who filed the sex trafficking lawsuit. Up until now, all former WWE employees who signed non
WDHA FM •

David Lee Roth Shares Not-So-Nice Wolfgang Van Halen Story

David Lee Roth has a knack for adding color to any given story, so take this tale about Wolfgang Van Halen however you choose. Roth shared a new clip to his YouTube channel titled “This Crazy Kid.” Once you get through DLR’s interview with “Jesus Christ” (no, not kidding), he then talks about two incidents involving Wolfgang from Van Halen’s final tour. Roth starts this story by referring to Wolfgang as “The f—in’ kid.” (Note: Wolfgang was about 24 in Roth’s story.) Diamond Dave accused Wolfga
K 104.7 •

Jon Stewart: Details on His Return to 'The Daily Show'

Jon Stewart: Details on His Return to ‘The Daily Show’ Jon Stewart, the longtime host of The Daily Show, is returning to the Comedy Central series. Per multiple outlets — including Variety and The Hollywood Reporter — Stewart will return to The Daily Show on Feb. 12 and will host the show only on Monday nights. The rest of the week will be hosted by the show’s many correspondents. They include Jordan Klepper, Desi Lydic, Ronny Chieng, Michael Kosta and Dulcé Sloan. Additionally, Stewart will a
105.7 WROR •

Richard Simmons Issues Statement on Biopic Starring Pauly Shore

Richard Simmons has issued a statement about Pauly Shore starring in a short film as himself and the potential of a feature-length biopic. The fitness icon wrote via his verified Facebook page, “Hi Everybody! You may have heard they may be doing a movie about me with Pauly Shore. I have never given my permission for this movie. So don’t believe everything you read. I no longer have a manager, and I no longer have a publicist. I just try to live a quiet life and be peaceful. Thank you for all yo
V 101.9 WBAV •

Emmy Awards: See the Complete 2023 Winners List

The 75th annual Primetime Emmy Awards truly featured something for everyone on TV’s biggest night. (And yes, it is also being called the 2023 Emmy Awards despite taking place in 2024. Remember the writer and actor strikes?) Anyway, considering the milestone anniversary of the Emmys, the ceremony featured a number of fun cast reunions. These reunions were from some of the biggest, most influential shows in television history. Among the shows to reunite included Cheers, The Sopranos, Two and a Ha
102.9 WMGK •

Bon Jovi Once Kidnapped Michael Jackson's Chimp, Bubbles

Bon Jovi kidnapping Bubbles, the pet chimp belonging to Michael Jackson, seems like a story via Mad Libs. However, it actually happened. This wild tale was surfaced by Classic Rock. It was first published in Michael Francis’ 2003 book Star Man: The Right Hand Man of Rock ‘n’ Roll. Francis served as Bon Jovi’s head of security at the time of this crazy story, which took place during the band’s massive world tour in support of Slippery When Wet. The Bubbles story takes place in Japan in Septembe
Magic 98.3 FM •

'We Are The World' Documentary Releases Trailer

‘We Are The World’: See Trailer for Netflix Doc About Legendary Charity Single “We Are The World” remains one of the biggest-selling singles of all time. Nearly 40 years since its recording, Netflix is taking a look at the making of the legendary charity track. Aptly named The Greatest Night in Pop, the documentary offers an in-depth account of the writing of “We Are The World” and the chaotic recording process that took place in just one night. A number of artists that were featured on “We A
95.9 The RAT •

Gene Simmons Dealt with Kidney Stone During Final KISS Show

Gene Simmons is one tough demon. Somehow, he managed to rock his way through the final KISS show while dealing with a kidney stone. Following the show, which streamed via PPV.com, there was some live backstage footage of the band fresh from the stage. Host Allison Hagendorf was speaking to Simmons when he made the painful revelation. “Believe it or not, my hand to God, I was just passing a huge kidney stone,” said Simmons. “I was peeing in the bathroom, and I felt it burning on the tip of my c
Magic 98.3 FM •

Why Daryl Hall Got a Restraining Order on John Oates

Hall & Oates: Why Daryl Hall Got a Restraining Order on John Oates Daryl Hall getting a restraining order on John Oates has been one of the most surprising stories in music lately. On the surface, Hall & Oates appeared solid, but there’s more going on behind the scenes than fans realized. According to the Associated Press (AP), Hall’s restraining order on Oates is part of a larger legal issue involving a sale of the Hall & Oates catalog and other business interests. This sale by Oates allegedl
Kiss 95.1 •

Jennifer Aniston, David Schwimmer Share Matthew Perry Tributes

Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer are the latest Friends cast members to pay tribute to Matthew Perry, who died on Oct. 28 at age 54. Aniston shared via Instagram a behind-the-scenes photo of her and Perry having a laugh. It was followed by a screenshot of a text exchange between her and Perry. At one point, Perry had sent her the same behind-the-scenes photo along with the text, “Making you laugh just made my day. It made my day.” Aniston replied, “Awww the first of THOUSANDS of times…” The
102.7 VGS •

Courteney Cox on Matthew Perry: 'I Miss You Every Day'

Courteney Cox on Matthew Perry: ‘I Miss You Every Day’ Courteney Cox is the latest Friends cast member to pay tribute to Matthew Perry, who died on Oct. 28 at age 54. Cox shared a video of the classic moment on Friends in season four when Monica and Chandler spent the night together in London the night before Ross’s (David Schwimmer) ill-fated wedding to Emily (Helen Baxendale). She captioned the video, “I am so grateful for every moment I had with you, Matty, and I miss you every day.” Cox
Q105 •

Lisa Kudrow Honors Matthew Perry with Heartfelt Tribute

Lisa Kudrow is the final main cast member from Friends to share a tribute to Matthew Perry, who died on Oct. 28 at age 54. Kudrow shared a vintage photo of her with Perry before Friends even premiered. She wrote via Instagram, “Shot the pilot, ‘Friends Like Us,’ got picked up, then immediately, we were at the NBC Upfronts.” She continued, “Then…You suggested we play poker AND made it so much fun while we initially bonded. Thank you for that. Thank you for making me laugh so hard at something y
Country 102.5 •

Matt LeBlanc Shares Touching Tribute to Matthew Perry

Matt LeBlanc took to Instagram to share a tribute to Matthew Perry, his Friends co-star, who died on Oct. 28 at age 54. LeBlanc shared a series of photos of him and Perry throughout the ten-season run of Friends. He captioned the photos with, “Matthew. It is with a heavy heart I say goodbye. The times we had together are honestly among the favorite times of my life.” He continued, “It was an honor to share the stage with you and to call you my friend. I will always smile when I think of you an
93.3 WMMR •

Jimmy Page Performs 'Rumble' at 2023 Rock Hall Ceremony

Jimmy Page provided one of the biggest surprises during the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Not only did he do the honors of inducting guitar great Link Wray into the Rock Hall, but Page also performed his signature song, “Rumble.” Before surprising viewers on stage, Page appeared in a pre-recorded video talking about Wray’s impact on him. “In those days, there were many guitar instrumentals, but as a 14-year-old kid who could barely play the guitar, [‘Rumble’] really had an
Boston's ROCK 92.9 •

Rage Against the Machine Inducted into Rock Hall by Ice-T

Rage Against the Machine Inducted into Rock Hall by Ice-T Rage Against the Machine was inducted into the 2023 class of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by Ice-T. It was a fitting choice for one notorious hell-raiser to induct a group of notorious hell-raisers. “Rage broke every rule they could to let you know they were in the building,” noted the rapper/actor during his colorful speech. (Editor’s note: Ice-T’s speech and plenty of others will likely give pause to Disney+ from ever hosting the Rock
105.7 WROR •

Bernie Taupin Blasts Jann Wenner During Rock Hall Induction

It was only a matter of time during the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony before someone mentioned Jann Wenner’s insane comments about women and black artists. Who thought it was going to be Bernie Taupin? When Taupin accepted his long overdue Rock Hall honors, he shouted out a number of his influences, many of whom aren’t in the Rock Hall. They included Merle Haggard, Howlin’ Wolf and many more. “Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, are you listening?” exclaimed Taupin. “I acknowledge a
95.7 BEN FM •

George Michael Inducted into the Rock Hall by Andrew Ridgeley

George Michael Inducted into the Rock Hall by Andrew Ridgeley George Michael started his career with his childhood best friend, Andrew Ridgeley, in Wham! It was incredibly poetic for the late pop icon to be inducted into the 2023 class of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by Ridgeley himself. Ridgeley praised Michael’s “sublime” voice. He said it ” … expressed both strength and vulnerability, qualities that resonate throughout his outstanding songwriting.” He added, “It was the expression of his so
105.7 WROR •

Sheryl Crow Kicks Off 2023 Rock Hall Ceremony in Epic Fashion

Sheryl Crow kicked off the 2023 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ceremony with a performance of “If It Makes You Happy” where she was joined by Olivia Rodrigo. The singer-songwriter was then inducted into the Rock Hall by friend Laura Dern. The acclaimed actor touted Crow’s incredible catalog, influence, and her strength during her breast cancer batter. She also shared a fun detail about Crow’s kindness. “She’s the kind of friend that when you need support, she’ll just move you into her house. Literal
93.3 WMMR •

'Friends' Cast Issues Statement on Death of Matthew Perry

The cast of Friends — Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matt LeBlanc and David Schwimmer — have issued a statement about the death of Matthew Perry. In a statement to People, “We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now we’re going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss.” The cast continues, “In time we will say more, as and when we are able. For now, our t
HD983.com •

Matthew Perry Dies at 54

Matthew Perry, who was best known for playing Chandler Bing for ten seasons on the hit NBC sitcom Friends, has died. He was 54. According to the Los Angeles Times, Perry was found dead in a hot tub at his home in Los Angeles. The cause of death is not currently known, and a source said there was no sign of foul play. The outlet noted robbery-homicide detectives from the Los Angeles Police Department are currently investigating Perry’s death. Perry’s career began in the ’80s. The actor racked u
Load More Articles