Even before his third birthday, Chris Ballew was transfixed by music. He would sit on the floor in his parents’ Seattle-area home and listen to The Beatles’ seminal 1967 album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and not long after he was writing and performing his own songs. By the mid-90s he was fronting the Presidents of the United States of America - one of the hottest bands in rock'n'roll - and appearing regularly on MTV. But he was quietly harboring a secret: “On a gut level, I wanted out immediately.” On this episode of Paternal from 2020, Ballew looks back at his early experiences with fame, and examines the instinct that led him to leave modern rock behind to take on a new stage presence: celebrated children’s musician Caspar Babypants.

Ballew has released 17 albums and been nominated for a Grammy during his career as Caspar, all driven by a desire to imbue his music with the same lyrical elements he found in the music of the Beatles, and to help weary parents make it through the day.

Songs Featured In This Episode:

Spider John - Caspar Babypants
A Day In The Life - The Beatles
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band - Caspar Babypants
Naked and Famous - The Presidents of The United States of America
Kick Out The Jams - The Presidents of The United States of America
Sun Go - Caspar Babypants (featuring Frances England)
Nap In The Afternoon - Caspar Babypants

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#66 Chris Ballew: Fame, Fatherhood, and Caspar Babypants (2020)