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Weekend Edition's classics commentator Elaine Fantham talk with host Scott Simon about what to do when your emperor wants to be a rock star. Roman Emperor Nero was this kind of ruler, and he took his music making very seriously.

Sammy Davis, Jr. made $50 million singing, dancing and cavorting with the Rat Pack but died impoverished and in debt to the IRS. Matt Birkbeck, author of the biography Deconstructing Sammy, discusses the entertainer's legacy.

The Golden Globe-winning actress talks about racism, her fear of bees and playing the oldest sister in The Secret Life of Bees. The new film is adapted from Sue Monk Kidd's best-selling novel.

Singer and actress Kelli O'Hara has received three Tony nominations in as many years. She currently stars in the crowd-pleasing revival of South Pacific.

Fresh Air's jazz critic reviews Mark Miller's High Hat, Trumpet, and Rhythm: The Life and Music of Valaida Snow. It's a biography of jazz singer and musician Valaida Snow, aka "Little Louis."

For a prolific singer-songwriter like Ryan Adams, this has been a relatively quiet year. The four-time Grammy nominee's new CD, Easy Tiger, is his first release of 2007.

Jazz musician J. Plunky Branch talks about his documentary, Under the Radar. Branch's project is an exploration of the history and cultural influence of Afro-Cuban music.

Two kids' TV shows shine the lights of Broadway into the eyes of tiny tots. Both Johnny and the Sprites and Wonder Pets feature jaunty songs and wholesome stories written by some of Broadway's top talent.

Vocal coach Melissa Cross is known as the "Scream Queen" for her work teaching metal, punk and hardcore performers how to use their voice without ruining their vocal chords. She teaches them how to growl, bark, bellow and scream.

Guitarist and singer/songwriter Richard Thompson might be considered a cult artist — not widely known, but critically adored. He was a founding member of the vastly influential British folk band Fairport Convention. His new album is Sweet Warrior.