Meredith Ochs is an American radio commentator, DJ, author, journalist and musician. She is a Gracie Award honoree for her work in radio. Ochs is a commentator for

National Public Radio National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

's ''

All Things Considered ''All Things Considered'' (''ATC'') is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio (NPR). It was the first news program on NPR, premiering on May 3, 1971. It is broadcast live on NPR affiliated stations in the United ...

'' and has appeared on ''

Talk of the Nation ''Talk of the Nation'' (''TOTN'') is an American talk radio program based in Washington D.C., produced by National Public Radio ( NPR) that was broadcast nationally from 2 to 4 p.m. Eastern Time. It focused on current events and controversial ...

''. She was a frequent guest on ''All Songs Considered''. Ochs is the author of three books, ''Rock-and-Roll Woman'' (Sterling, 2018), ''Aretha: The Queen of Soul'', and ''Bruce Springsteen: An Illustrated Biography'' (Quarto, 2018). She contributed to the Belmont award-winning ''Woman Walk the Line: How the Women in Country Music Changed Our Lives'' (UT Press, 2017). Ochs is a talk show host at

Sirius XM Satellite Radio Sirius XM Holdings Inc. is an American broadcasting corporation headquartered in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, that provides satellite radio and online radio services operating in the United States. The company was formed by the 2008 merger ...

. Her program Freewheelin aired weekdays 11 am – 2 pm ET (replayed weeknights 8–11 pm ET, Saturday and Sunday 11 am – 2 pm ET). Ochs also hosts a music show on the Outlaw Country channel, Mondays and Tuesdays 8 pm – midnight ET. Ochs was a contributing editor and writer at ''

Guitar World ''Guitar World'' is a monthly music magazine for guitarists and fans of guitar-based music and trends. The magazine has been published since July 1980. ''Guitar World'', the best-selling guitar magazine in the United States, contains original a ...

'' magazine. Her writing has appeared in numerous other publications, including ''

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...

'', ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

'',

Salon.com ''Salon'' is an American politically progressive and liberal news and opinion website created in 1995. It publishes articles on U.S. politics, culture, and current events. Content and coverage ''Salon'' covers a variety of topics, includ ...

, the ''

Boston Phoenix ''The Phoenix'' (stylized as ''The Phœnix'') was the name of several alternative weekly periodicals published in the United States by Phoenix Media/Communications Group of Boston, Massachusetts, including the now defunct ''Boston Phoenix'', '' ...

'', the ''

Houston Chronicle The ''Houston Chronicle'' is the largest daily newspaper in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. it is the third-largest newspaper by Sunday circulation in the United States, behind only ''The New York Times'' and the ''Los Angeles Times''. ...

'' and ''

New York Magazine ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Clay Felker and Milton Glaser in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker'' a ...

''. Her photographs have appeared in ''Guitar World'', ''Experience Hendrix'' and other publications. Ochs plays guitar, sings and writes songs for the Damn Lovelys. Their debut, ''Trouble Creek'', was released on Philadelphia indie label, Dren Records, in 2004 and earned them an appearance on "

Mountain Stage ''Mountain Stage'' is a two-hour music radio show, first aired in 1983, produced by West Virginia Public Broadcasting and distributed worldwide by National Public Radio (NPR). Hosted by Larry Groce from the show's inception until 2021 and curr ...

", the internationally syndicated PRI radio program, the following year. She also played bass and sang with New Orleans-born R&B/soul singer Jesse Thomas (known as "Young Jesse" when he worked with

Huey "Piano" Smith Huey Pierce "Piano" Smith (January 26, 1934 – February 13, 2023) was an American R&B pianist and session musician whose sound was influential in the development of rock and roll. His piano playing incorporated the boogie-woogie styles of P ...

Earl King Earl Silas Johnson IV (February 7, 1934 – April 17, 2003),
known as Earl King, was an American singer, guita ...

and other New Orleans performers). She periodically performs with blues/R&B band Miss Lucy & Walker Blue, along with Brazilian harmonica player Alex "Pardal" Siclari and members of Eaglemania, The Porchistas and the Zydeco Revelators. For more than a decade, Ochs hosted a weekly show, "Trash, Twang and Thunder," on freeform radio station

WFMU WFMU (91.1 MHz) is a non-commercial educational station, non-commercial, listener-supported, independent radio, independent community radio station city of license, licensed to East Orange, New Jersey, with studios in Jersey City. It is owned by ...

. The show focused on American roots music: country, blues, soul, R&B and bluegrass, and often featured live performances by artists including Son Volt's

Jay Farrar Jay Stuart Farrar (born December 26, 1966) is an American songwriter and musician based in St. Louis. A member of two critically acclaimed music groups, Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt, he began his solo music career in 2001. Beyond his talent as ...

, country singer

Pam Tillis Pamela Yvonne Tillis (born July 24, 1957) is an American country music singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She is the eldest child of country singer Mel Tillis. After recording unsuccessful pop material for Elektra Records, Elektra ...

, and

Allman Brothers Allman may refer to: Music *The Allman Brothers Band The Allman Brothers Band was an American rock music, rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969. Its founding members were brothers Duane Allman (slide guitar, lead guitar) and Greg ...

alumnus

Derek Trucks Derek Trucks (born June 8, 1979) is an American guitarist, songwriter, and founder of The Derek Trucks Band. He became an official member of The Allman Brothers Band in 1999. In 2010, he formed the Tedeschi Trucks Band with his wife, blues si ...

. Ochs later co-hosted with and filled in for FMU alum

Vin Scelsa Vincent Anthony Scelsa (born December 12, 1947, in Bayonne, New Jersey) is an American broadcaster who was at "the forefront of the FM radio revolution" as the host of several freeform radio programs, the best-known titled ''Idiot's Delight''. ...

WFUV WFUV (90.7 FM) is a non–commercial radio station licensed to New York, New York. The station is owned by Fordham University, with studios on its Bronx campus and its antenna atop the nearby Montefiore Medical Center. WFUV first went on the ...

, where she worked part-time as a DJ. Ochs also worked at

WNYC WNYC is an audio service brand, under the control of New York Public Radio, a non-profit organization. Radio and other audio programming is primarily provided by a pair of nonprofit, noncommercial, public radio stations: WNYC (AM) and WNYC- ...

and WXRK (K-Rock) in New York City, as well as the

ABC Radio Network Cumulus Media Networks was an American radio network owned and operated by Cumulus Media. From 2011 until its merger with Westwood One, it controlled many of the radio assets formerly belonging to the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), which ...

. Two characters in the children's book series ''The Trouble with Chickens'' by author Doreen Cronin, are named after Ochs and her husband.

References

External links

Meredith Ochs' virtual homeMeredith Ochs, Radio PersonalityTrash, Twang and ThunderThe Legacy of ConvoyThe Year Pop Went CountryA Very Kacey ChristmasFrom "The Drummer"Till death do us part, Salon.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ochs, Meredith Year of birth missing (living people) Living people American women writers American radio personalities