John Lawson’s story is nothing short of incredible. The actor, writer, director, producer, musician, and father is also a double-amputee – and a champion for actors with disabilities. John and I go way back. In fact, he’s the first person I thought of when I came up with the idea of PSNeverGiveUp.

Like any good comedy/tragedy, John’s story has multiple acts. As a result, I’ve split our conversation into two parts. In Part One, John shares how he went from a promising professional musician to losing both of his hands – and just some of the incredible things he’s accomplished since then. This is Part One of our conversation – the first episode of the podcast recorded LIVE in the studio at Felitto Media.

You could say that being a musician is living one “never give up” moment after another. Called “the new spiritual warrior for the funk” by Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame bassist Bootsy Collins, Cincinnati-based musician FREEKBASS talks about the accident and near-death experience that changed his perspective on life, and how every touring musician has had to evolve and persevere during the pandemic.

How many people do you know who have died – and came back? Television personality Alanna Martella’s story is nothing short of incredible. In this episode, Alanna shares with Pete how she is using her literal second lease on life to inspire others to never give up!