An unsolved murder in the 80s music scene, a different kind of doping, and more podcasts about true crime
You may have never heard the name Peter Ivers. But you've probably felt his influence.
In the 1970s and 80s, he hung around with people like David Lynch, Ron Howard and John Belushi. His songs were performed by acts like Devo, the Pixies, Jefferson Starship and Diana Ross. Ivers also hosted an eclectic public access TV show in L.A. called New Wave Theatre, which featured performances from some of punk's most notorious bands.
In 1983 Peter Ivers was brutally murdered. More than 40 years later, the case remains unsolved. Now, a new podcast from iHeartPodcasts and Imagine Audio is trying to get to the bottom of it. It's called Peter And The Acid King, and it's hosted by Penelope Spheeris, a friend of Peter's and a Hollywood director: she directed Wayne's World and some iconic 1980s rock music videos. Leah sits down with Penelope to talk about the show and Peter's legacy.
Then, in 2022, the legal battle between Johnny Depp and Amber Heard caused a social media explosion. Even if you weren't following the case at all, it was impossible to tune out. It seemed to be the only thing people on social media were talking about, and almost all of the comments were from supporters of Johnny Depp, painting Amber Heard as a villain.
But what if all that hate for Amber was manufactured, as part of a coordinated campaign? Who Trolled Amber is a new podcast investigating what happened online during the trial. It's hosted by Alexei Mostrous, who you might know from the podcasts Sweet Bobby and Hoaxed.
All that and more, this week on Podcast Playlist.
Peter and the Acid King: "On March 3rd, 1983, Peter Ivers—the eccentric and beloved host of New Wave Theater—was found bludgeoned to death in his apartment. Forty years later, his friends are still searching for answers about what happened to him."
Stolen: "In a remote corner of the Navajo Nation, Ella Mae Begay lived alone in a little blue house. Until one summer night when she and her truck disappeared, never to be seen again."
White Lies: "It all started with a photograph of a group of men on the roof of that prison holding a bedsheet scrawled with a message: 'Pray for us.' In the first episode of the new season of White Lies, hosts Chip Brantley and Andrew Beck Grace go searching for answers to the questions raised by this photograph."
Who Trolled Amber: "Depp v Heard was the celebrity trial of the century. He won, she lost. But was Amber Heard the target of an organised trolling campaign?"
Ghost in the Machine: "In January 2016,19-year-old Belgian cyclist Femke van den Driessche was caught with a collection of wires, motors and batteries buried deep inside her bike at the Cyclocross World Championships. Eight years later, host Chris Marshall-Bell is on a mission to reveal the truth around motors in cycling as he peers beneath the surface of sports' most incredible discovery...and beyond."
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