For the majority of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert's nearly 11-year run, Jon Lampley was a big part of the musical accompaniment. First hired by Jon Batiste as a member of Stay Human, Lampley continued with Louis Cato and the Great Big Joy Machine as the group's trumpet and tuba player. The Late Show ended in May, and later in the summer, Lampley debuted his latest solo album, Notes to Self, showcasing a musical range that he's developed since first honing his skills in a Tallmadge, Ohio, church band. We caught up with Lampley just a few weeks after The Late Show ended to hear more about his Northeast Ohio roots, his time on late-night TV and what the next chapter of his musical life will look like.

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Music Credit: "Phantasms" by Nihilore. License: https://www.nihilore.com/license

You might recognize Don Dixon from his work with the Smithereens, or his team-up with Mitch Easter on R.E.M.'s early records. Maybe you've caught him on tour with Mary Chapin Carpenter, experienced his band Arrogance in the '70s, or witnessed his performances in the Cleveland holiday supergroup Ohio City Singers. Both Dixon and Marti Jones, his wife and musical collaborator, are music legends based in Canton. We caught up with Dixon to hear more about his music work and his important role in R.E.M. history, along with the story behind his move to Northeast Ohio.

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Music Credit: "Phantasms" by Nihilore. License: https://www.nihilore.com/license

The Boar Vessel, a piece of ancient pottery at the Cleveland Museum of Art, had its 15 minutes of internet fame back in 2018. The silly internet memes drew massive amounts of attention to the small artwork — and also drew new scrutiny. Following its viral moment online, questions emerged around whether or not the boar vessel was truly an ancient work, and whether it may be a modern forgery. It led museum historians and curators on an investigation of research, laboratory tests and documentation review, all to answer one question: Could the internet-famous boar vessel be a total fake?

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Music Credit: "Phantasms" by Nihilore. License: https://www.nihilore.com/license

In one episode of the NBC show 30 Rock, Cleveland is a star. The plot follows the show’s main character Liz Lemon (played by Tina Fey) as she briefly considers moving out of New York City to an idealized version of Cleveland with her boyfriend Floyd (Jason Sudeikis). Jack Burditt, a Northeast Ohio native, co-wrote the episode with Robert Carlock. Burditt has also been involved in shows like Last Man Standing, Modern Family, Frasier and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt and is the executive producer of Ted Lasso’s latest season. We caught up with Burditt to hear about the Cleveland episode of 30 Rock, his Northeast Ohio roots and his work on Ted Lasso.

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Music Credit: "Phantasms" by Nihilore. License: https://www.nihilore.com/license

Norelle, an accomplished singer from Cleveland, has performed at the Super Bowl, on shows like American Idol and Saturday Night Live, and sung with some of the biggest musicians of our time, including Pharrell, Kelly Clarkson, Mariah Carey, Rihanna and more. In this episode of The CLE Connection, we caught up with the singer to hear more about what her life is like in the spotlight, including her tour experiences, her viral performances of the national anthem and the role that Cleveland has played in her life.

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Music Credit: "Phantasms" by Nihilore. License: https://www.nihilore.com/license

Howard the Duck: a true Clevelander. In this episode of The CLE Connection, hear from Val Mayerik, the first illustrator to depict the feathered Marvel character created by comic book writer Steve Gerber. Howard first appeared in a series featuring The Man-Thing in the 1970s. Later, the cigar-smoking, beer-drinking character got his own comic book, which was then developed into a George Lucas-produced film. For Mayerik, who grew up in Youngstown and worked for a time in Cleveland’s art scene — including in collaborations with Harvey Pekar — his work with Marvel and Howard the Duck remains a career highlight.

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Music Credit: "Phantasms" by Nihilore. License: https://www.nihilore.com/license

What's it like to become a meme or experience a viral online moment? In this episode of The CLE Connection, hear from two Northeast Ohioans who inadvertently became internet sensations — in their own ways. Akronite Kyle Craven is the face of the "Bad Luck Brian" meme, which was actually a high school yearbook photo prank at Archbishop Hoban High School. Meanwhile, Clevelander Nisha Godfrey went viral after simply posting a video of her chicken salad lunch on TikTok, leading to music placements, advertisements and recognition in Ohio and beyond. While Craven and Godfrey never planned to become internet-famous, these moments of fame have changed their lives forever.

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Music Credit: "Phantasms" by Nihilore. License: https://www.nihilore.com/license

Before Strawberry Shortcake became a doll or a beloved children's cartoon, she was a greeting card developed at American Greetings in the 1970s. In this episode of The CLE Connection, hear from illustrator Muriel Fahrion, who played a major role in developing Strawberry Shortcake, Blueberry Muffin, Huckleberry Pie and other figures in the Northeast Ohio company's "Those Characters From Cleveland" division. She also played a critical role in creating early concept artwork for Care Bears. Fahrion reflects on her upbringing in Cleveland, the development of these now-iconic cartoons and her current creations in her art business, Outta Thin Air Studio.

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Music Credit: "Phantasms" by Nihilore. License: https://www.nihilore.com/license