History of the 90s

The 1990s was a tumultuous era for British singer George Michael. He began the decade as one of the biggest popstars in the world, riding high on his wildly successful debut solo album. But secretly the singer was struggling with many personal demons including coming to terms with his sexual identity, something he was forced to confront after an embarrassing arrest in 1998. On this episode of History of the 90s, host Kathy Kenzora looks back at the life and career of George Michael.GUEST:James Gavin, author of George Michael: A Life www.jamesgavin.comTwitter: @jamesgavinbooksShow Contact Info:Instagram: @that90spodcast Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the 1990s a vicious turf war between the Hell’s Angels and rival bike gang The Rock Machine turned the streets of Montreal into a deadly battleground.Over an eight year period bombings, arsons and brazen shootouts terrorized Quebec, leaving more than 160 people dead including innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire.On this episode of History of the 90s, host Kathy Kenzora looks back at the Quebec Biker War.GUEST:Julian Sher, investigative journalist and author of The Road to Hell: How the Biker Gangs are Conquering Canada Angels of Death: Inside the Bikers' Global Crime Empire Twitter: @juliansher Facebook: www.facebook.com/juliansherShow Contact Info:Instagram: @that90spodcast Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the early 1990s millions of people around North America were swept up in an unprecedented sports trading card boom.As prices for rare baseball and hockey cards soared, the hobby which was once just for kids was suddenly being looked at as an alternative to investing in stocks.To match the demand, a record number of trading card companies cranked up production, offering a dizzying array of options.On this episode of History of the 90s, host Kathy Kenzora looks at the reasons for the boom and why it eventually went bust.Guest:Jon Waldman, author of Got ‘Em, Got ‘Em, Need ‘Em: A Fan’s Guide to Collecting the Top 100 Sports Cards of All Time.Twitter: @jonwaldmanContact:Instagram: @that90spodcast Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's been 25 years since Princess Diana was killed in a car crash along with her boyfriend Dodi Al Fayed and their driver Henri Paul. The shocking news that the “People’s Princess” was dead was made even more unbelievable by the fact that she was killed following a high speed car chase by aggressive photographers.On this episode of History of the 90s, first broadcast in February 2021, we look back at the relationship between Princess Diana and the paparazzi and the changes that followed her tragic death.Guest:Mark Karloff, Los Angeles Photographer, and co-host of Paparazzi Podcast www.paparazzipodcast.comTwitter: @PapsouljahInstagram: @PaparazzipodcastContact:Instagram: @that90spodcast Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Women helped changed the face of ROCK as hair metal from the 80’s gave way to brand new sounds and VERY different attitudes in the 90's. On this episode of "Driven by Her" presented by our friends at Porsche Canada we're showcasing amazing, driven women like Alanis Morrissette, Ani DiFranco, and Bikini Kill. They carved their own path and created the seismic shift in music that came with Generation X because the 90's couldn't have rocked at the level they did without their influence along with the other women who helped define a generation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In October 1998 a gay college student in Laramie, Wyoming was brutally beaten by two men he met in a local bar. The men pretended they were gay to lure 21 year old Matthew Sheppard into their truck where he was pistol-whipped and robbed. Matt was discovered barely alive 18 hours later tied to a fence in the middle of a rural area. He never regained consciousness. Matt’s murder stunned the world and ignited a movement that changed gay rights in the United States.    Guest: Jeff Mack, Executive Vice President, Matthew Shepard Foundation www.matthewshepard.org Show Contact Info: Instagram: @that90spodcast Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following the success of The Cosby Show and its spinoff A Different World in the 1980s,TV networks were eager to include more Black programming.   In particular they wanted more Black sitcoms and that eventually lead to a flood of new shows. Some were on the big three networks but many more on new upstarts, FOX, UPN and The WB. On this episode of History of the 90s, host Kathy Kenzora continues looks back at some of the best Black sitcoms from the golden era of Black television.  Guest: Kristal Brent Zook: author of Color By Fox: The Fox Network and the Revolution in Black Television www.kristalbrentzook.com Show Contact Info:   Instagram: @that90spodcast Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In April 1990, the first episode of In Living Color aired on Fox TV changing the face and tone of television.The half hour sketch show created by Keenan Ivory Wayans was called a Black Saturday Night Live for the hip-hop generation.It ran at 9:30 Sunday night on Fox right after the networks two hit shows The Simpsons and Married with Children.Thanks to that placement and hype around the show, 23 million viewers tuned in to the inaugural episode.Nearly 30 years since In Living Color went off the air its impact can still be felt throughout today’s film and eco-system.Resources used in this episode include:https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/living-color-oral-history-fox-censors-spike-lees-disdain-1219192/Guest:David Peisner, journalist and author of Homey Don’t Play That! The Story of In Living Color and the Black Comedy Revolution www.djpeisner.com Show Contact Info:Instagram: @that90spodcast Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1992 HIV/AIDS hit a grim milestone in the United States when it became the number one cause of death among men ages 25 to 44.Since there was still so much stigma attached to the illness, people were often dying without even telling their closest friends and family that they were sick. They died alone because of the shame they felt about having contracted HIV.On this episode of History of the 90s, host Kathy Kenzora looks back at the people and events in the 1990s that helped shaped the fight to remove the stigma and shame that surrounded HIV.Guest:John Maxwell, Executive Director of the Aids Committee of Toronto (ACT) www.actoronto.org Show Contact Info:Instagram: @that90spodcast Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the early days of the AIDS epidemic, the North American blood supply became contaminated with HIV from infected donors. As a result, by the mid-1980s, about 10,000 hemophiliacs were infected with HIV. 13-year-old Ryan White from Kokomo, Indiana was one of those who contracted the virus through a tainted blood product and after he was barred from attending school, he became a crusader to end the stigmatization associated with HIV/AIDS. On this episode of History of the 90s host Kathy Kenzora looks back at the life and legacy of Ryan White.Thanks to Ryan’s mother Jeanne White-Ginder who gave permission for use of the audio heard in this episode. It is available to listen to in its entirety here: Who Was Ryan White? | Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (hrsa.gov)GUEST:Nelson Price, author of The Quiet Hero: A Life of Ryan WhiteShow Contact Info:Instagram: @that90spodcast Email: 90s@curiouscast.ca Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices