Levy Lee Simon, professionally speaking, is a playwright, screenwriter, actor, and stage
director. He is an unapologetically Black man, born and raised in Harlem USA, with
roots from the deep south. His journey takes him from the streets of NYC to being the
first male member of his family to graduate from college. His motto was to work hard
and play hard. Maybe some of you can relate. During the 80s he played a bit too hard
and found himself descending into a spiral of alcohol and drug abuse. His memoir is
about his journey, falling into the dark destructive subculture of addiction and how he
rose out of its grip, while desperately attempting to hold onto his professional career,
and his very life. It’s a real tale of struggle, resurrection and redemption. During this
podcast Levy Lee will read excerpts from his provocative book. Along with being a
cautionary tale for any and everybody, it’s also a revelation of the human spirit and what
we can be achieved on an odyssey towards the light.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jazz-lion-s-den--6205164/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jazz-lion-s-den--6205164/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss).
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Welcome to the Jazz Lion’s Den, a journey through Levy Lee Simon’s debut Memoir Odyssey Towards The Light
In this final episode, Levy Lee Simon celebrates his Broadway debut with 'The Kentucky Cycle' at the Royal Theatre. He emphasizes the support received from his friend Nathaniel “Pop” Brown and the challenges faced, including mixed critical reception, notably from Frank Rich of the New York Times. Despite receiving standing ovations and emotional audience responses, the play was unable to run its full course. The experience marked an important moment in Simon's career, transitioning him from being in a drug treatment facility in the South Bronx to performing on the Broadway stage.
And for more on Levy Lee Simon:
BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Towards-Light-Book-1/dp/B0CNX82PJR (https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Towards-Light-Book-1/dp/B0CNX82PJR) WEBSITE: https://www.levyleesimon.com/ (https://www.levyleesimon.com/)
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/levyleethejazzlion/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/levy.lee2/
LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levy-lee-simon-0433b05/
X: https://x.com/LevyJazzlion05 (https://x.com/LevyJazzlion05)
TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@levylee235?lang=en
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jazz-lion-s-den--6205164/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jazz-lion-s-den--6205164/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss).
20 Sept 2024
Chapter 7: Star Hill
Welcome to the Jazz Lion’s Den, a journey through Levy Lee Simon’s debut Memoir Odyssey Towards The Light
This episode of the Jazz Lion's Den features a dramatic and vivid excerpt from his time at Star Hill, a hardcore treatment facility, highlighting the intense and emotionally charged experiences he faced. This marked a critical turning point in Simon's life, filled with real-life characters and raw honesty about his battle with addiction.
And for more on Levy Lee Simon:
BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Towards-Light-Book-1/dp/B0CNX82PJR (https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Towards-Light-Book-1/dp/B0CNX82PJR) WEBSITE: https://www.levyleesimon.com/ (https://www.levyleesimon.com/)
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/levyleethejazzlion/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/levy.lee2/
LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levy-lee-simon-0433b05/
X: https://x.com/LevyJazzlion05 (https://x.com/LevyJazzlion05)
TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@levylee235?lang=en
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jazz-lion-s-den--6205164/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jazz-lion-s-den--6205164/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss).
6 Sept 2024
Chapter 6: The NEC & Liza
Welcome to the Jazz Lion’s Den, a journey through Levy Lee Simon’s debut Memoir Odyssey Towards The Light
It was the early 90s and the crack epidemic was raging in the inner cities of the United States, but not only the inner city, everywhere people were falling like flies to the plague. I never thought it would get me. I was convinced I’d done everything right, degree, budding acting career, and I was recognized, as a young woman described me “one of the dashing young men of NYC.” But little did I know, the power of that substance and the demons that came with it, but once I took that first hit, I was hooked. How could that happen to me? I was in denial. In this episode I am sharing about an experience which took place in the Hunts Point area of the Bronx, with a very extraordinary person by the name of Liza.
And for more on Levy Lee Simon:
BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Towards-Light-Book-1/dp/B0CNX82PJR (https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Towards-Light-Book-1/dp/B0CNX82PJR) WEBSITE: https://www.levyleesimon.com/ (https://www.levyleesimon.com/)
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/levyleethejazzlion/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/levy.lee2/
LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levy-lee-simon-0433b05/
X: https://x.com/LevyJazzlion05 (https://x.com/LevyJazzlion05)
TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@levylee235?lang=en
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jazz-lion-s-den--6205164/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jazz-lion-s-den--6205164/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss).
23 Aug 2024
Ep 5: The Apollo
Levy Lee is in New York during the roaring 80s and finally getting his big start in theatre. After narrowly getting re-accepted into the 127th Street Repertory, Levy Lee is tasked with one of the most nerve-racking challenges of his career, playing Walter Lee in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun at the famed Apollo theatre, a notoriously harsh environment to perform in. Some of his fellow cast members in the production included: Helen Butler, Charles Watts, Gregory Wallace, Bruce Jenkins, and Tupac Shakur. Lee recounts his performance that included laughs, boos, tears, and some much needed advice from a mentor.
And for more on Levy Lee Simon:
BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Towards-Light-Book-1/dp/B0CNX82PJR (https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Towards-Light-Book-1/dp/B0CNX82PJR) WEBSITE: https://www.levyleesimon.com/ (https://www.levyleesimon.com/) INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/levyleethejazzlion/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/levy.lee2/
LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levy-lee-simon-0433b05/
X: https://x.com/LevyJazzlion05 (https://x.com/LevyJazzlion05)
TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@levylee235?lang=en
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jazz-lion-s-den--6205164/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jazz-lion-s-den--6205164/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss).
9 Aug 2024
Ep 4: The Roaring 80s
Welcome to the Jazz Lion’s Den, a journey through Levy Lee Simon’s debut Memoir Odyssey Towards The Light
I’d just graduated with my BA in Theatre and Journalism from Cheyney State College,
had my first apartment in the Boogey Down Bronx, and experienced my first heartbreak,
well second if I’m to be honest. This was the beginning of what I call the roaring 80s. It
was a wild time, sex, R&B, Hip Hop, the Hustle, and along with all that came drugs
and alcohol. I was out and about NYC, running in the fast lane, Justines, Pippins,
Leviticus, La Martinique, to name a few, and after hour spots such as the River Ridge,
and the Room in the Bronx and Browns in Brooklyn. It was an exciting time. It was a fun
time, until it wasn’t. In this episode, I’ll be reading a short excerpt from, “The Roaring
80s.” This segment I subtitle “Gus.” You’ll see why.
And for more on Levy Lee Simon:
BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Towards-Light-Book-1/dp/B0CNX82PJR (https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Towards-Light-Book-1/dp/B0CNX82PJR) WEBSITE: https://www.levyleesimon.com/ (https://www.levyleesimon.com/)
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/levyleethejazzlion/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/levy.lee2/
LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levy-lee-simon-0433b05/
X: https://x.com/LevyJazzlion05 (https://x.com/LevyJazzlion05)
TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@levylee235?lang=en
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jazz-lion-s-den--6205164/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jazz-lion-s-den--6205164/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss).
9 Aug 2024
Chapter 4: The Roaring 80s
Welcome to the Jazz Lion’s Den, a journey through Levy Lee Simon’s debut Memoir Odyssey Towards The Light
I’d just graduated with my BA in Theatre and Journalism from Cheyney State College,
had my first apartment in the Boogey Down Bronx, and experienced my first heartbreak,
well second if I’m to be honest. This was the beginning of what I call the roaring 80s. It
was a wild time, sex, R&B, Hip Hop, the Hustle, and along with all that came drugs
and alcohol. I was out and about NYC, running in the fast lane, Justines, Pippins,
Leviticus, La Martinique, to name a few, and after hour spots such as the River Ridge,
and the Room in the Bronx and Browns in Brooklyn. It was an exciting time. It was a fun
time, until it wasn’t. In this episode, I’ll be reading a short excerpt from, “The Roaring
80s.” This segment I subtitle “Gus.” You’ll see why.
And for more on Levy Lee Simon:
BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Towards-Light-Book-1/dp/B0CNX82PJR (https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Towards-Light-Book-1/dp/B0CNX82PJR) WEBSITE: https://www.levyleesimon.com/ (https://www.levyleesimon.com/)
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/levyleethejazzlion/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/levy.lee2/
LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levy-lee-simon-0433b05/
X: https://x.com/LevyJazzlion05 (https://x.com/LevyJazzlion05)
TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@levylee235?lang=en
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jazz-lion-s-den--6205164/support (https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/jazz-lion-s-den--6205164/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss).
26 Jul 2024
Ep 03: G Money
Welcome to the Jazz Lion’s Den, a journey through Levy Lee Simon’s debut Memoir Odyssey Towards The Light.
In this episode, Levy Lee had moved to uptown Harlem at age 13 and was thrust into a difficult no-win situation. After receiving a Timex watch from his father for his birthday, it was subsequently stolen off his wrist by a gang of boys led by G Money. Levy’s father forced him to go get his watch back and he was only left with only two options, get beat by boys down the street, or by his father.
And for more on Levy Lee Simon:
BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Towards-Light-Book-1/dp/B0CNX82PJR (https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Towards-Light-Book-1/dp/B0CNX82PJR)
WEBSITE: https://www.levyleesimon.com/ (https://www.levyleesimon.com/)
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/levyleethejazzlion/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/levy.lee2/
LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levy-lee-simon-0433b05/
X: https://x.com/LevyJazzlion05 (https://x.com/LevyJazzlion05)
TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@levylee235?lang=en
12 Jul 2024
Ep 02: 353 West 115th Street
Welcome to the Jazz Lion’s Den, a journey through Levy Lee Simon’s debut Memoir Odyssey Towards The Light.
In this episode, Lee reminisces about growing up in Harlem during the 1960s, sharing intimate details about his family and the vibrant community at 353 West 115th Street. Listeners are introduced to an array of colorful characters and family members that all lived in the same building together. Lee goes on to tell a harrowing story about a neighborhood predator that almost seriously jeopardized Lee’s childhood, had it not been for the strong community surrounding him.
And for more on Levy Lee Simon:
BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Towards-Light-Book-1/dp/B0CNX82PJR (https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Towards-Light-Book-1/dp/B0CNX82PJR)
WEBSITE: https://www.levyleesimon.com/ (https://www.levyleesimon.com/)
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/levyleethejazzlion/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/levy.lee2/
LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levy-lee-simon-0433b05/ X: https://x.com/LevyJazzlion05 (https://x.com/LevyJazzlion05) TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@levylee235?lang=en
27 Jun 2024
Ep 01: Prologue
Welcome to the Jazz Lion’s Den, a journey through Levy Lee Simon’s debut Memoir Odyssey Towards The Light
Lee and Producer Scott Slaughter introduce the episode by engaging in a brief conversation about the memoir. This discussion spans their 16-year friendship, the inspirations behind Lee’s storytelling, and the significance of Harlem, both past and present.
In this episode’s excerpts, Lee recounts his upbringing in Harlem during the 1960s and '70s, his family's roots in the Deep South, and the vibrant characters that shaped his life. Lee shares some of his warm family childhood memories, and tells a story about a very close call they had with the law.
And for more on Levy Lee Simon:
BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Towards-Light-Book-1/dp/B0CNX82PJR (https://www.amazon.com/Odyssey-Towards-Light-Book-1/dp/B0CNX82PJR)
WEBSITE: https://www.levyleesimon.com/ (https://www.levyleesimon.com/)
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/levyleethejazzlion/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/levy.lee2/
LINKEDIN: https://www.linkedin.com/in/levy-lee-simon-0433b05/
X: https://x.com/LevyJazzlion05 (https://x.com/LevyJazzlion05)
TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@levylee235?lang=en
14 Jun 2024
The Jazz Lion's Den - TRAILER
Levy Lee Simon, an accomplished playwright, screenwriter, actor, and stage director, brings you readings from his memoir Odyssey Towards the Light. Each week, Levy Lee will release another excerpt from his book with added commentary not featured in the paperback version.
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