National Academy of Songwriters Stevie Wonder, Los Lobos, Willie Dixon, Atlantic Starr, Stephen Stills, Michael Bolton, Melissa Manchester, Stephen Bishop, Brian Wilson, Kim Carnes, Michael McDonald, and many others. Also performing over the years at the "Salute To The American Songwriter" concerts were songwriting legends such as Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Barry Mann, Jay Livingston and Ray Evans, Richard Sherman, John Bettis, Diane Warren, and many others. In 1988, the National 'Academy' of Songwriters teamed with VH-1 for the "Fourth Annual Salute To The American Songwriter" which was televised on VH-1 and Showtime in 1989. In 1996, the Los Angeles Songwriters Showcase (LASS)
Mike and the Mad Dog that intensity, that bravado, that fierce individual personality to our show, and that's what I thought made it so good." George Vecsey of "The New York Times" once described Russo's voice as "a bizarre mixture of Jerry Lewis, Archie Bunker and Daffy Duck." His voice has also been described as "Donald Duck on steroids." Both Francesa and Russo credited Imus for making the pairing possible. Russo said, "Imus was very, very, very, "very" important to the development of FAN... He solved a lot of problems for the company." Francesa said, "Without Imus, there's no "Mike and the Mad Dog", there's