Best Ben Egan Podcasts (2025)

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Episode 38 - Red Steagall 1:10:15

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3+ y ago1:10:15

1:10:15

In the season 2 finale of John Wayne Gritcast, we sit down with western legend, Red Steagall. Red is an American actor, musician, poet, and stage performer. He has worked with artists like Ray Charles, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Glen Campbell and discovered Reba McEntire. Ethan and Red sit down in the Cowboy Channel studio to discuss Red’s exc…

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Episode 37 - Dr Bob Egan 1:20:23

3+ y ago1:20:23

1:20:23

On Today’s episode of the John Wayne Gritcast, we are joined by John Wayne’s personal Doctor and very close family friend, Dr. Bob Egan. Bob was very close with the family, he even had Michael Wayne as his best man in his wedding! Ethan and Bob reminisce on life with Duke, including how Dr Egan found out John Wayne’s Akita was giving everyone in th…

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Episode 36 - Ben Christensen 37:34

3+ y ago37:34

37:34

Ben Christensen is a western lifestyle photographer who is dedicated to living his own western. In this episode of the John Wayne Gritcast, Ethan is in Kanab, Utah filming an independent movie written and directed by Ben Christensen. They are also joined by videographer Dusty Soulsey. The three of them discuss what it means to live your own western…

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Episode 35 - Dan Ford 1:02:41

3+ y ago1:02:41

1:02:41

Dan Ford is the grandson of John Wayne’s close friend and mentor, John Ford. Dan tells how he knew John Wayne as “God Damnit, Duke!” based on how John Ford would refer to his friend. He and Ethan also discuss the John Ford stock company, heroes in movies today vs in John Wayne’s time, and Dan’s first memories of Duke in Catalina. This is a great ep…

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Episode 34 - John Wayne Walding 1:20:32

3+ y ago1:20:32

1:20:32

John Wayne valued courage, strength, grit, patriotism, and family… and so does John Wayne Walding. John Wayne Walding is a former Sergeant First Class Green Beret and entrepreneur. In this episode, John Wayne Walding tells the story of the Battle of Shok Valley. In this 6 hour fire fight, he lost his leg to a sniper and returned fire for four more …

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Episode 33 - Julie Hovanian 54:12

3+ y ago54:12

54:12

Julie Hovnanian was one of John Wayne's personal assistants in Newport Beach. Julie tells the story of how she came to know the Wayne family, what it was REALLY like to work for John Wayne, and sheds some light on just how dedicated the Duke was to his fans. She also tells Ethan about a time when someone in his family was trying to spy on him as a …

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Episode 32 - Amber Elle 1:10:22

3+ y ago1:10:22

1:10:22

Amber Elle is a self-proclaimed mama bear and lady on a mission to empower others to live self-reliant lives. In addition to raising her family, she is the Director of Family Preparedness at Fieldcraft Survival, whose goal is to expand an individual's capabilities in the genre of survival. Their goal is to educate, train, and equip people to surviv…

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Episode 31 - The Cowboys 50th Anniversary - Part 2 57:37

3+ y ago57:37

57:37

In honor of the 50th Anniversary of the release of The Cowboys, we had a three day celebration in the Fort Worth Stockyards! Nine of the original cast members joined us for a three day celebration that included showings of the film on the lawn of the Livestock Exchange building, VIP meet and greets with the cast and a live panel on Cowboy Channel! …

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Episode 30 - The Cowboys 50th Anniversary - Part 1 2:43:24

3+ y ago2:43:24

2:43:24

In honor of the 50th Anniversary of the release of The Cowboys, we had a three day celebration in the Fort Worth Stockyards! Nine of the original cast members joined us for a three day celebration that included showings of the film on the lawn of the Livestock Exchange building, VIP meet and greets with the cast and a live panel on Cowboy Channel! …

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Episode 29 - Best Friends Animal Society 1:00:39

3+ y ago1:00:39

1:00:39

Kanab, Utah is not only the backdrop of many westerns, but it is also home to Best Friends Animal Society. Best Friends Animal Society is a nonprofit animal welfare organization. BFAS does outreach nationwide with shelters, rescue groups and members to promote pet adoption, no-kill animal rescue, and spay-and-neuter practices. Best Friends Animal S…

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Episode 28 - Tim Kennedy 48:12

3+ y ago48:12

48:12

The John Wayne Gritcast is BACK for season 2! We have a lot of amazing guests lined up for this next season but our first guest needs no introduction. Tim Kennedy is a decorated Green Beret sniper, UFC headliner, television host, producer, entrepreneur and now, #1 best selling author of the book Scars and Stripes. In this episode, Ethan Wayne and T…

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Episode 27 - Teddy Wingfield 48:28

3+ y ago48:28

48:28

What was it like being in Duke’s inner circle? Well, lots of trips on the Wild Goose and passing out autograph cards to the fans! This week, we headed to Nogales, AZ, to the Wingfield ranch to sit down with Wayne Family friend, Teddy Wingfield. Teddy is the son of one of Duke’s closes friends. The Wayne’s and Wingfield’s grew up playing on the Wing…

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Episode 26 - Russell Molina 46:57

3+ y ago46:57

46:57

This week’s guest on the John Wayne Gritcast is Chairman of Texas Rangers 2023 and Vice Chairman of Texas Rangers Association Foundation, Russell Molina! Russell has a big job over the next 2 years, he is spearheading a statewide event in Texas celebrating the Texas Rangers Bicentennial. In this episode, Ethan and Russel speak about the history and…

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Episode 25 - Mark Rydell 52:05

4y ago52:05

52:05

This week’s guest on the John Wayne Gritcast is Mark Rydell. The legendary Director of one of the most beloved John Wayne films of all time, The Cowboys. It is the 50th anniversary of the film’s release and Ethan and Mark haven’t seen each other since they were on location. Ethan sits down with Mark in a very special location in Los Angeles to disc…

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Episode 24 - Aissa Wayne 1:13:47

4y ago1:13:47

1:13:47

This week on the John Wayne Gritcast, Ethan sits down with his sister, Aissa Wayne, to discuss growing up with their dad, John Wayne. She talks about traveling on the Wild Goose and remembers a horrible storm where the ocean crashed through the salon of the boat. She also remembers travelling with her father and all of his friends, including Ernie …

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Episode 23 - Travis Tritt 1:14:59

4y ago1:14:59

1:14:59

Today’s guest is the legendary Travis Tritt! Travis is a Grammy award winning country music icon. He is also a husband, a father, a songwriter, an actor, a proud American, and we are also lucky enough to call him a friend of the John Wayne team. On this episode, Ethan and Travis talk about Travis’ career and how he connects with his audience. He kn…

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Episode 22 - Randy Wayne White 59:44

4y ago59:44

59:44

Randy Wayne White is the author of the Doc Ford series and an extreme outdoorsman… and by extreme, we mean he hunts pythons. That takes some grit! Ethan Wayne started reading the Doc Ford series and immediately saw some familiar names and reached out to Randy to see if John Wayne had any influence. It turns out, he was correct! The two connected an…

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Episode 21 - Matt's Off-road Recovery 37:47

4y ago37:47

37:47

No one gets off the beaten path, literally and metaphorically, more than Matt and his crew from Matt’s Off Road Recovery! Matt and his team run a very popular YouTube channel that shows them recovering vehicles who get stuck off roading. Matt and his team were nice enough to let us come on an off-road excursion with them in St George, Utah, the sce…

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Episode 20 - Molly Kassouf 36:31

4y ago36:31

36:31

Run Pilgrim, run! Meet our John Wayne Grit Series Race Director, Molly Kassouf! If you have been to one of our runs, Molly has greeted you with a big smile. The John Wayne Grit Series is a series of trail runs set in beautiful rugged locations and bring awareness and raise funds for John Wayne Cancer Foundation. Molly knows good trail runs, she is …

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Episode 19 - Ricky Bolin 45:17

4y ago45:17

45:17

In the western world, there’s a saying “all hat and no cattle” which basically means someone is all talk but lacking the experience…. Well, Ricky Bolin is the opposite of this saying! He not only runs some of the most iconic western hat brands but he truly lives the western lifestyle. Ricky Bolin is the President of Hatco which is the parent brand …

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Episode 18 - Jennifer Wayne 1:16:57

4y ago1:16:57

1:16:57

John Wayne’s Grit lives on through the next generation – Meet his granddaughter, Jennifer Wayne. Jennifer is a tennis player, song writer, Amazing Race contestant, and band member of Runaway June. In this week’s episode of the John Wayne Gritcast, Jennifer and her uncle, Ethan, discuss her career and how her values parallel her grandfather’s. Jenni…

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Episode 17 - Chris Radomski 1:25:55

4y ago1:25:55

1:25:55

John Wayne always said that if he was going to have a drink, it had better be a good one and today we’re talking to the man behind the spirits that bear Duke’s name. Meet Chris Radomski, co-founder and owner of Duke Timeless Spirits. This week’s episode, we’re diving deep into the world of spirits with Chris and Ethan! Including Chris’ past in spir…

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Episode 16 - Dr. Dan Nelson 41:07

4y ago41:07

41:07

John Wayne was a huge supporter of the military and he wanted his legacy to be used to help the fight against cancer so there is no better guest for today’s John Wayne Gritcast than John Wayne Alumni Fellow, Dr. Dan Nelson. Dr. Nelson is not only a John Wayne Alumni Fellow, but a board-certified surgical oncologist, and an active duty service membe…

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Episode 15 - David Corso 44:06

4y ago44:06

44:06

The Gritcast headed out to Pioneertown, California to meet up with our friend, David Corso! Ethan connected with David in 2020 while planning our John Wayne Grit Series Pioneertown run that benefits the John Wayne Cancer Foundation. On this episode, Ethan and David are also joined by our Race Director, Molly Kassouf, and the two sit down with David…

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Episode 14 - Richard Childress 55:24

4y ago55:24

55:24

If you’re a racing fan, then you know Richard Childress. Richard is a former NASCAR driver, the current owner of Richard Childress Racing, the owner of Childress Wineries, a wildlife conservationist, and advocate for child trauma with The Childress Institute of Pediatric Trauma. Ethan and Richard talk about the people that helped steer them in the …

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Episode 13 - Family Christmas Episode! 1:21:31

4y ago1:21:31

1:21:31

This is our first John Wayne Gritcast Family Christmas Episode! Ethan Wayne hosts brother Patrick Wayne, sister Marisa Wayne, and niece (John Wayne’s first grandchild) Anita Swift at his house to reminisce on family memories. The four of them tell stories of holidays with John Wayne and the traditions they made after he passed. We hope everyone has…

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Episode 12 - Stacy Mulder 40:14

4y ago40:14

40:14

Meet the woman behind the operations at John Wayne Cancer Foundation, our Vice President, Stacy Mulder! Ethan and Stacy talk about the different ways John Wayne is helping the fight against cancer. Block the Blaze is our youth sun safety program that teaches kids skin cancer prevention and early detection. They also discuss our Block the Blaze expa…

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Episode 11 - Pam Minick 54:03

4y ago54:03

54:03

What doesn’t Pam Minick do? Pam is such a pillar in the Fort Worth Community and was a huge help in helping John Wayne: An American Experience make it’s home in the Fort Worth Stockyards. Pam and Ethan Wayne sit down to talk all about Pam’s background in the western community, starting with her early days growing up in Las Vegas and how she convinc…

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Episode 10 - Dr. Maheswari Senthil 51:55

4y ago51:55

51:55

This week we are honored to be sitting down with Dr. Maheswari Senthil. Dr. Senthil is the Program Director for the John Wayne Cancer Foundation Fellowship program at UCI and the Director Peritoneal Malignancy Program. Ethan Wayne sits down with Dr. Senthil to speak about her background and the different ways she, and her colleagues, are helping th…

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Episode 9 - Alice Johnson McKinney 55:43

4y ago55:43

55:43

In honor of Thanksgiving, our guest on this week’s John Wayne Gritcast is Alice Johnson McKinney! Alice was married to John Wayne’s 26 Bar Ranch partner, Louis Johnson. Each Thanksgiving, the Wayne family would head to Casa Grande, AZ for the annual cattle sale so we’re very lucky to have Alice on this Thanksgiving episode. Alice and her late husba…

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Episode 8 - McCandles Family Reunion 52:10

4y ago52:10

52:10

Listen to our LIVE show from the Cowboy Channel Justin Boots studio as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the release of Big Jake. We were lucky to have Patrick Wayne, Ethan Wayne, and Chris Mitchum with a live studio audience. The three reflect on their time on set and take questions from the studio audience. Patrick Wayne discusses John Wayne’s…

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Episode 7 - Randy Savvy 1:03:15

4y ago1:03:15

1:03:15

Meet Randy Savvy from the Compton Cowboys. Randy is the leader of the Compton Cowboys and the Director of the Compton Jr. Equestrians. Did you know Compton is an equestrian city? Randy tells us the history of the Richland Farms section of Compton and their equestrian culture. When crime started becoming more prevalent in Compton, his family was fac…

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Episode 6 - Bob O'Hill 2:07:48

4y ago2:07:48

2:07:48

When John Wayne asks if you want to go to Mexico on the Wild Goose… you go. Bob O’Hill is another very close Wayne family friend. His older sister, Koi, was best friends with John Wayne’s wife, Pilar. Bob was around for a lot of fun adventures in Newport and on the Wild Goose and has an amazing memory full of great stories! We are lucky enough to h…

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Episode 5 - Tom Saftig 2:08:21

4y ago2:08:21

2:08:21

If you want to hear some never before heard stories about John Wayne, then this is the episode for you! Who else knows you better than your best friend? Ernie Saftig was one of John Wayne’s longest and closest friends. Ernie was there for many big life events including when Duke met his wife, Pilar, acquiring the Wild Goose, filming the Alamo, and …

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Episode 4 - Marisa Wayne 1:19:46

4y ago1:19:46

1:19:46

What’s it like seeing your dad get shot on a huge screen? Terrifying. That's what happens when you're John Wayne's daughter! On this week’s episode of the John Wayne Gritcast, Ethan Wayne talks with little sister, Marisa Wayne. The two talk about growing up in Newport Beach with their iconic father and then what life was like after losing him. Mari…

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Episode 3 - Pilar Wayne 1:16:32

4y ago1:16:32

1:16:32

In this episode of the John Wayne Gritcast, Ethan Wayne sits down with his mother, Pilar Wayne. Pilar & Ethan are also joined by Marisa and the three sit down at Pilar’s dining room table and discuss her very interesting life. She details her earliest memories of growing up in Peru, witnessing the loss of her father, and having to go to work to hel…

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Episode 2 - Patrick Wayne - Part 2 57:19

4y ago57:19

57:19

In this episode, Ethan continues his conversation with Patrick Wayne where they share their own experiences in Hollywood, their family memories, and answer some fun questions about their lives and the life of their father, John Wayne. We are also lucky enough to have Marisa Wayne join the conversation! The three continue the conversation from Episo…

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Episode 1 - Patrick Wayne - Part 1 1:11:23

4y ago1:11:23

1:11:23

Welcome to our first episode of the John Wayne Gritcast with our first guest, Patrick Wayne! Patrick Wayne is John Wayne’s third oldest child and appeared in eleven films with his dad. He and host, Ethan Wayne, are also joined by another special guest, Marisa Wayne. The three reflect on life with their father, John Wayne, and exchange fun stories! …

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Coming Soon: The John Wayne Gritcast! 1:22

4+ y ago1:22

1:22

Every Thursday, join host Ethan Wayne as he discusses the classic icon and the Americana he continues to inspire! Make sure to subscribe so you never miss an episode! Sign up for email notifications to get exclusive content & information on live events here: https://bit.ly/JWGritCast Follow us on social media at: Instagram.com/johnwayneofficial Fac…

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1st Podcast! Marrage and meeting Parents in China (plus podcast intro) 11:35

7+ y ago11:35

11:35

Welcome to the first episode of Lost in Love and Translation! Todays podcast talks about Marriage in China and what it means to meet the parents. This is my first ever experience with making a podcast and creating audio content in general, so apologies for any odd audio blips and my lack of confidence from time to time.I'll be posting Every Thursda…