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Takin' A Walk - Music History with Buzz Knight

Episode: "Dream Walk" with Tom Rush, Samantha Fish, Amy Grant, and Jason Wall
Date: July 18, 2026
Host: Buzz Knight

Episode Overview

This special "Dream Walks" episode spotlights the signature closing question from Buzz Knight’s podcast:
"If you could take a walk with anyone, living or dead, who would it be? Where would you go? What would you talk about?"

Featuring legendary musicians Tom Rush, Samantha Fish, Amy Grant, and Jason Wall, the episode offers a deeply personal look into the individuals who inspired, nurtured, and shaped these artists—sometimes far from the spotlight of fame. Their responses reveal not just musical influences but profound personal connections, unearthing moving stories about family, mentors, and musical heroes.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Tom Rush: The Importance of Family Roots

[00:31-01:00]

Tom Rush chooses his adoptive parents for his Dream Walk.
Reflects on being adopted at two minutes old and growing up with siblings, all adopted.
Would "take a long walk with them, probably in the woods in New Milford, Connecticut," their summer home.
Expressed a desire to thank them for everything they did for him.

Notable Quote:
"I would probably want to take a walk with my parents... and tell them how much I appreciate everything they did for me."
— Tom Rush [00:49]

2. Samantha Fish: Walking with Musical Icons

[01:01-01:48]

Samantha's list includes Nina Simone, Tom Petty, and R.L. Burnside—musicians who shaped her love for music.
Shares a deep admiration for Nina Simone and the idea that their conversation might transcend music.
Believes that walking with these legends would reveal "incredible insights about life."
Highlights the personal, non-musical impact of her heroes.

Notable Quotes:
"I'd love to go for a walk with Nina Simone... I think Nina would be a really interesting walk. She probably has some incredible insights about life."
— Samantha Fish [01:13, 01:38]

"You know, we probably wouldn't talk about music at all. I probably wouldn't talk about music with any of these guys."
— Samantha Fish [01:43]

3. Jason Wall: Remembering a Mentor and Innovator

[02:02-02:40]

Would choose another walk with his mentor, Louis Bellson, the jazz drumming legend who passed in 2008.
Emphasizes Bellson's role as a "father figure" and musical pioneer (the innovator of double bass drums).
Notes Bellson’s "classy gentleman" nature, his resilience facing social challenges with grace, and being devoted to his craft.
Expresses longing to show Bellson where the music community is now.

Notable Quote:
"He was like a father to me. He was an example of what it is to be a classy gentleman who is widely respected, who devoted his life to his craft."
— Jason Wall [02:18]

4. Amy Grant: Family, Loss, and Unanswered Questions

[02:41-04:01]

Amy ponders two people: her late uncle (her mother's brother) and Jeff, an 18-month-old foster child her family once tried to adopt.
Speaks tenderly about how her mother was changed by the loss of her brother, and Amy’s curiosity about him.
Jeff, the foster brother, was loved and became part of the family; his removal by the foster system left a lasting impact.
Touches on the flaws and evolution of the foster care system.

Notable Quotes:
"My mother was different after she lost her brother. She loved him so much, and I am so curious about him."
— Amy Grant [02:53]

"We grew to love him very quickly, and my parents wanted to adopt him... there's a lot about the foster care system that needs to be fixed. It's better now than it was then."
— Amy Grant [03:45]

Memorable Moments and Themes

Deep personal connections: Each artist veered toward intimate, formative relationships—family, mentors, musical inspirations—rather than fame or stardom.
Gratitude and reflection: Several guests chose to express appreciation or curiosity for the people who shaped them, often wishing for conversations that never happened or could not happen again.
Music as a thread: Even when talking about non-musicians, the emotional language of music—connection, gratitude, longing—is ever-present.
Universal longing: The Dream Walk question reveals universal themes of love, loss, mentorship, and the desire to say what perhaps was left unsaid.

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

Tom Rush:
"I would probably want to take a walk with my parents... and tell them how much I appreciate everything they did for me." [00:49]
Samantha Fish:
"I'd love to go for a walk with Nina Simone... She probably has some incredible insights about life." [01:13, 01:38]
"You know, we probably wouldn't talk about music at all." [01:43]
Jason Wall:
"He was like a father to me. He was an example of what it is to be a classy gentleman who is widely respected, who devoted his life to his craft." [02:18]
Amy Grant:
"My mother was different after she lost her brother. She loved him so much, and I am so curious about him." [02:53]
"There's a lot about the foster care system that needs to be fixed. It's better now than it was then." [03:45]

Segment Timestamps

00:00–00:31 — Buzz Knight introduces the Dream Walk question
00:31–01:00 — Tom Rush’s Dream Walk
01:01–01:48 — Samantha Fish’s Dream Walk
02:02–02:40 — Jason Wall’s Dream Walk
02:41–04:01 — Amy Grant’s Dream Walk
04:02–end — Buzz Knight closing remarks

Final Thoughts

This episode of "Takin' A Walk" finds musical greats paying tribute to the people who shaped not only their art, but their humanity. The Dream Walk stories are a gently powerful reminder: behind every icon is a small circle of quietly influential souls whose impact echoes for generations.

"Who would you take a walk with?" The invitation feels personal, universal, and timeless.

Loading summary

Transcript9 lines

[00:01]
A
Taking a walk. Hey, it's Buzz Knight. Every episode of Taking a Walk, I ask my guests one question. If you could take a walk with anyone, living or dead, who would it be? The answers always surprise me. This month's Dream Walks shows you who inspires the legends, the heroes behind the heroes. Let's take a listen. Who would you take a walk with? Tom Rush, Living or dead, where would you take a walk? Maybe what would you talk about? And you know, take us inside.
[00:31]
B
Oh, boy. I would probably want to take a walk with my parents. I'm an adopted kid and they got me when I was two minutes old. It was a pre arranged adoption and they raised me and with. And adopted two other, two other kids too. But I would kind of like to take a. Take a long walk with them, probably in the woods in New Milford, Connecticut, which is where our summer home was, and tell them how much I appreciate everything they did for me.
[01:00]
A
Samantha Fish.
[01:01]
C
I'd love to go for a walk with Nina Simone. First and foremost, I'd love to go on a walk with Tom Petty. I love, I'd love to take a walk with R.L. bernstein. I think I mentioned him earlier just that I love Hill country blues music. I always, I, you know, I know I'm saying musicians, but it's just, it's relevant to me and what I do. So probably be mostly musicians. That's a good list. Yeah, that's pretty good. It sort of encompasses some different sides of, you know, what I love. I think Nina would be a really interesting walk. She probably has some incredible insights about life. You know, we probably wouldn't talk about music at all. I probably wouldn't talk about music with any of these guys.
[01:49]
A
So, Jason Wall, since we call the podcast Taking a Walk, we call this the Dream Walk Question. If you could take a walk with someone living or dead, who would it be? Where would you go? Could be more than one person.
[02:02]
D
If I could again, it would be with Louis Belson again. He left us 2008. He was a pioneer. He started the double bass drums and that was an idea he sketched out working at his father's music store in Moline, Illinois when he was 15 years old. He was like a father to me. He was an example of what it is to be a classy gentleman who is widely respected, who devoted his life to his craft. He had to deal with the interracial nonsense. At the time he was married to Pearl Bailey. I just would like to have a walk with him again to see what he would think about this.
[02:40]
A
Amy Grant.
[02:41]
E
I thought about two different people. One is my mother's younger brother. He died in a car wreck his senior year in high school. Two of my sisters were already born, but my next older sister, my mom, was pregnant with her. But my mother was different after she lost her brother. She loved him so much, and I am so curious about him and the other person. I don't know why. It just came to me. You only asked me one, but I'm the youngest of four girls. And when I was in the second grade, we fostered a little boy who was 18 months old. We fell in love with him. His baby bed was in my room, and I'd never been a big sister. And, you know, I have a widow's peak. He had a widow's peak. They're hereditary. His name was Jeff. And my parents, we just. We grew to love him very quickly, and my parents wanted to adopt him. Now a lot of people foster to adopt, but because we were getting very connected him, they removed him from our home. And so there's a lot about the foster care system that needs to be fixed. It's better now than it was then. So I would. I would take a walk with him.
[04:03]
A
Those are this month's dream walks. The people who shaped the people who shaped music. Want to hear the full conversations with these incredible guests? Subscribe to Takin a Walk wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Buzz Knight and I'll be back next month with more dream walks. Until then, keep on walking.