Rev Gini Gerbasi

Rev Gini Gerbasi speaks to Mike Shaft HERE

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Or Listen to the Interview on BBC Sounds

HERE

I have a number of favourites for different reasons.

I particularly remember my interview with Patti Austin because sadly I arrived late for the interview only to be told that she couldn’t wait any longer and had gone to lunch.

Having driven 200 miles to be here, I think they saw the disappointment on my face. They then suggested that I could go and join them at the restaurant around the corner.

What a time we had? By the time lunch was over and we went back to the offices for the interview, we were firm friends.

The resulting interview was joyous.

I remember my interview with Barry White which for me, was very special. What a presence he had.

At the end of the interview, he had some wonderful words to say to me about me! Again this was joyous.

That’s just a couple of my music interviews that I was really proud of.

Sunday Breakfast Producer Rebecca Kelly

Of course having being involved in Religious broadcasting for a huge number of years, there are a number of interviews that I am very proud of, for different reasons.

However there now only two interviews that I can definitely call my favourites.

The first was done a few years ago when I ran Manchester Cathedral Radio, for the Dean of the Cathedral.

Rev Hayley Matthews

I had decided to do some hour-long interviews and they were very special with some truly wonderful stories.

To this day, my interview with Rev Hayley Matthews remains my all-time favourite interview. That is until recently.

The interview can be heard here –

The story of my interview with Rev Gini begins long before I finally got to interview her.

People who listen to my shows will know that I spend an awful lot of time watching CNN. I find their presenters to be the best in the world and they are not afraid to voice an opinion.

Jake Tapper’s comment at the end of the 1st Presidential Debate in 2020 will live long in the memory.

Their treatment of stories is first class.

I do have a couple of suggestions that could make it even better but that’s for another time.

It was during the Black Lives Matter demonstrations that I first got to see Rev Gini Gerbasi.

The then President had used the military to clear demonstrators from the space outside of the St. Johns Episcopal church, so that he could hold a photo shoot.

Rev Gini was appalled and would later stand on the steps of the church and deliver a stinging rebuke to the then President.

Rev Gini Gerbasi with Jake Tapper

We were lucky enough to run the audio of her speech on Sunday Breakfast on BBC Radio Manchester.

I do not know if the then president ever saw it but I hope he did.

On January the 6th of 2021, a mob attacked the Capitol Building in Washington.

This was a huge news story at the time, but it was in the run-up to the Inaugurations of the new President and Vice President that I suggested that Rev Gini was the person to speak to, to get an overview of what was going on in the States at the moment.

My Producer, Rebecca Kelly, thought it was a wonderful idea and set about making it happen.

The interview was agreed for 4pm on the Friday of that week.

Unfortunately, for me, I had to be at a Basketball game in Sheffield that evening and would have to leave the house at three at the latest.

I decided to leave home early so I would be in Sheffield in good time to carry out the Zoom Interview at 4pm.

It was not to be.

The Wi-Fi in the building was not up to it and although we tried a number of times, in the end I had to offer my apologies and end it.

It was terrible!

At the end I sent an email to Rev Gini suggesting that we tried again at 11pm UK time if she was available. Thankfully she was and when I got home from the Basketball game we did the interview.

It was everything I’d hoped it would be, and I now have two most favourite Interviews of all time.

Thank you Rev Gini for all that you said and all that you do.

Many blessings to you.