Episode 080–Dr. Neil Ratner the Rock Doc Talks with Bruce Hilliard

As a teenager, Neil Ratner was an aspiring rock n’ roll drummer but ended up on the other side of the music business working as a tour manager, assistant manager and producer for groups like Edgar Winter, Emerson Lake and Palmer, Pink Floyd and T-Rex, among others. After a number of successful years working in the music biz, Neil had an epiphany and decided to pursue his other childhood dream of becoming a doctor. Michael Jackson with Dr. Neil Ratner. He finished college, learned Spanish, spent four years at a medical school in Mexico, completed two years of surgical training and an anesthesia residency, and helped create the new specialty of office-based anesthesia in Manhattan. In doing so, Dr. Ratner became an expert in the use of the new drug, Propofol, a drug that would play a significant role in Neil's future in regards to his most famous patient Michael Jackson. Although Dr. Ratner encountered many celebrities in his anesthesia practice, one would change his life... Michael Jackson. Eight years after establishing his anesthesia practice, Michael Jackson walked into an office in which Neil was the Director of Anesthesia. Neil became a trusted friend and personal physician of Michael's from 1994 to 2002, periodically going on tour and spending time with Michael at Neverland. The experiences they shared together during that time are incredible and Neil is happy to relate them to you. Neil's book available from his website and Amazon. His book Rock Doc is Neil’s remarkable journey about Rock & Roll, Michael Jackson, Nelson Mandela, a prison sentence with very unexpected results and how helping the poorest of the poor became a key part of his life. These days “the Rock Doc” lives a busy life in Woodstock, NY working to expand upon his brand. He has created a FB page entitled Neil Ratner Rock Doc with over 26,000 fans and posts everyday about the good old days of rock and roll along with his personal experiences. In addition, he has created a YouTube channel with over 80 videos, a popular Instagram site and a twitter feed. His mix of rock and roll history and personal experiences along with rock musician interviews and audience participation is perfect for syndication and a fitting cap to a career that’s made an impact in many areas. He’s on his way to that goal as he’s started a weekly segment on WDST, Radio Woodstock, called This Week in Rock, also heard on iHeart Radio. Link to Neil’s website:  http://www.neilratnerrockdoc.com Link to Neil’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/neilratnerrockdoc/ Here’s a link to some of Neil’s This Week in Rock shows:  http://www.radiowoodstock.com/category/audio/this-week-in-rock-roll/ Link to a recent feature on Neil in Guitar International:   http://guitarinternational.com/2019/05/02/interview-dr-neil-ratner/ Link to a YouTube interview with Interviewing the Legends:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asHz2yDeysU