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Boomerocity.com

 

Watch current interviews with music and entertainment icons and influencers of the baby boomer generation as well as rising stars in music.

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  • Home
  • Interviews
  • BUZZ!
  • News
  • New Releases
  • Concert Reviews
  • Contributors
    • Bob Gruen's Studio
    • Bob Heimall - Cover Stories
    • Jim Kroemer - Album Art
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • 2022.01 Boomerocity Buzz

     

    WKRP in Cincinnati”s ‘Dr. Johnny Fever’ Howard Hesseman Dead

    HowardHessman 31Jan2022

     

    SLASH To Perform On 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' This Wednesday (February 2nd)

    slashconspiratorsjuly2021 638

     

    Neil Young Couldn’t Remove His Music From Spotify On His Own. Here’s Why.

    Spotify CCO

     

    Steve Vai Postponed Tour Due to ‘Stupid’ Pizza-Making Injury

    attachment Steve Vai

     

    JIMI HENDRIX IN MAUI GETS GLOBAL THEATRICAL RELEASE IN FEBRUARY FROM ABRAMORAMA

    Hendrix Maui

     

    America’s Gerry Beckley recalls band’s “rocket ship” ride that began with debut album’s release 50 years ago

    M AmericaAmerica630 012622

     

    Flashback: Dan Peek’s Last Interview Exclusively On Boomerocity (Two Parts) Here and Here

     

    ‘IRL’ Concert Platform Fever Raises $227 Million in Goldman-Led Round, Touts Demand For ‘Thrilling and Well-Curated’ Events
    Fever, an eight-year-old “global live-entertainment discovery platform,” has officially raised $227 million in a funding round led by Goldman Sachs.

     

    Peter Robbins, Original Charlie Brown Voice Actor, Dead at 65

    charlie brown

     

    Van Morrison Postpones Florida Concerts From February To April Because of COVID Surge

    Van Morrison 26Jan2022

     

    Elvis Costello Inks ‘Exclusive’ Administration Deal With BMG as Catalog Sales Rush Continues

    binary comment

     

    What Happened To The Actors From “Dukes Of Hazzard?”

    dukes 735x413

     

    Flashbock 1: The 1st Boomerocity Interview With John Scheider

     

    Flashbock 2: The 2nd Boomerocity Interview With John Scheider

     

    World Premiere: Hear Bryan Adams’ Punchy New Song ‘Never Gonna Rain’

     

    Randy Travis “More Life” Documentary Sets Premier

     

    Following UMPG Publishing Deal, Bob Dylan Sells Recorded Catalog to Sony Music

     

    2022 State of Music: Is TikTok the New SoundCloud?

     

    VENTURES GUITARIST DON WILSON DEAD AT 88

    attachment wilson

     

    Daryl Hall Announces Spring 2022 U.S. Tour With Todd Rundgren

    attachment daryl hall todd rundgren

     

    Clapton Speaks: The Real Music Observer

     

    KISS’ PAUL STANLEY REFLECTS ON TURNING 70

    attachment paul stanley in front of kiss sign pointing at the camera

     

    A New ‘Guitar Hero’ Video Game Could Be Coming

    attachment guitar hero controller

     

    TikTok Testing Support for Paid Subscriptions to Creators

     

    Queen’s Brian May to Make His Acting Debut on British Children’s Show

    brian may queen 2019

     

    GRETA VAN FLEET's JAKE KISZKA Celebrates 61st Anniversary Of GIBSON's Iconic SG Guitar

    jakekiszkagibson2022 638

     

    World Premiere: Listen to Joe Satriani’s Groovy New Single ‘Sahara’

     

    Garth Brooks Reschedules Gillette Stadium Concert

    GarthBrooks 20Jan2022

     

    The Enduring Mystery of “Magic Alex”

    Magic Alex lennon mccartney alamy

     

    Chris Daughtry Confirms Stepdaughter’s Cause of Death

    Chris Daughtry2jpg

     

    Kenny Chesney sells music catalog to Hipgnosis Song Management

    Chesney 20Jan2022

     

    Sound Credit Unleashes Version 4 — A Quantum Leap for Eliminating $1.4 Billion In Annual Missing Royalties

     

    Marty Roberts of Iconic Los Angeles Lounge Act “Marty & Elayne” at The Dresden Dies at the Age of 89

    marty and elayne the dresden loz feliz marty roberts

     

    DAVID ELLEFSON And JEFF SCOTT SOTO Have 'Something Brewing'

    jeffscottsotodavidellefsonjan2022 638

     

    Who Are the Richest Musicians? Here’s a 2021 Year-End Ranking

    who are the richest musicians in 2021 article

     

    TwinsTheNewTrend Discover Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall ( Acapella with Backing Vocals Complete )

     

    John Mellencamp Likes the Effect Smoking Has Had on His Voice

    attachment mellencamp 18Jan2022

     

    Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi Mourns the Death of His Longtime Manager Ernest Chapman

    Iommi 18Jan2022

     

    Country Legend Dallas Frazier Dead, Writer of Oak Ridge Boys Hit ‘Elvira’ Was 82

    frazier

     

    World Premiere: “Big Dreams and Faded Jeans” - Now Streaming - Listen to the first track off the companion album to Dolly’s
    upcoming novel co-authored with James Patterson

     

    Boomerocity Coulda Told You This: What Year is It? Nearly a Third of the iTunes Top 100 Taken By Oldies, New Releases Not Catching On

    Creedence Clearwater Revival

     

    55 Years Ago: Hippies ‘Turn on, Tune in, Drop out’ at Human Be-In

    HumanBeIn

     

    World Premiere: New Alex Lifeson Project “Envy Of None” Releases First Single

     

    ROGER TAYLOR DEFENDS ‘BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY’ TIMELINE CHANGE

    attachment taylor

     

    A 1964 Porsche 904 GTS Once Owned by Robert Redford Could Fetch $1.7 Million at Auction
    The gorgeous racer is one of the just 100 road-legal examples ever made

    redford904gts

     

    PIMCO, ONE OF THE WORLD’S BIGGEST INVESTMENT FIRMS, TURNS ITS ATTENTION TO MUSIC RIGHTS

     

    Primary Wave Acquires Stake in America’s (the group) Catalog, ‘Certain Name and Likeness Rights’

    America Main

     

    50 ALBUMS TURNING 50 IN 2022

    attachment 1972 collage

     

    World Premiere: JETHRO TULL Releases Video For Title Track Of First Album In Over 18 Years, 'The Zealot Gene'

     

    Elvis Costello Says He Won’t Perform “Oliver’s Army” Anymore, Tells Radio Stations Not to Play It
    The song contains the line "One more widow, one less white n*****"

    elvis costello wont play olivers army

     

    Releasing Music Is Easy, Marketing Music Is Hard. Here’s How Chartmetric Is Leveraging Data to Make Marketing a Lot Easier

     

    Bob Dylan Fires Back Against Sexual Assault Allegations: ‘A Brazen Shakedown Masquerading As a Lawsuit’

     

    Nita Strauss Makes History as First Active Rock Solo Female Chart-Topper

    attachment attachment nita strauss 2021 1

     

    Calvin Simon, Former Singer for Parliament-Funkadelic, Dead at 79

    calvinsimon

     

    World Premiere: See Previously Unreleased Footage of Rolling Stones at Altamont

    attachment Stones Altamont

     

    Sidney Poitier, Beloved Legend And First Black Best Actor Oscar Winner, Dead At 94

    sidney 4

     

    Catalog Releases Now Account for 75% of U.S. Music Consumption — With 89% of Baby Boomers Streaming Songs

    2021 Report Main

     

    Bon Jovi Announce Spring 2022 North American Tour

    Jon Bon Jovi1

     

    World Premiere: Hear Edgar Winter Cover ‘Johnny B. Goode’ Featuring Joe Walsh

     

    Watch The Beatles’ Rooftop Gig in IMAX Theaters on 1/30 as a Special One-Night-Only Engagement

    the beatles get back imax

     

    Fender CEO Andy Mooney “Not Optimistic” That Guitar And Amp Supply Chain Struggles Will Improve Any Time Soon

    fender supply chain

     

    British Recorded Music Industry Eeks a Modest 2021 Gain as 1,918 Artists Surpass 10 Million Domestic Streams

     

    With Get Back, Paul McCartney Became the Most Interesting TV Character of 2021

    Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and George Harrison in THE BEATLES: GET BACK. Photo courtesy of Apple Corps Ltd.

     

    World Premiere: Chuck Berry Live from Blueberry Hill

     

    Cruise Control? The Iconic Porsche 928 From ‘Risky Business’ Can Now Be Yours
    Cruise like Cruise himself in this legendary vehicle-- which was also the star of its own documentary

    Porsche Risky Business4

     

    Spotify CEO Daniel Ek Officially Responds to Neil Young’s Pullout — Here’s His Complete Statement

    Daniel Ek750400

     

    Joni Mitchell Wants Songs Off Spotify In Covid Row

    Joni Mitchell 31Jan2022

     

    Keith Moon Biopic to Start Shooting in Summer

    KeithMoon 31Jan2022

     

    Wayne's World AMC Pacer 'Mirthmobile' Auctioned for Record Amount

    amcpacer

     

    THE BEATLES AND INDIA - DOCUMENTARY TO STREAM EXCLUSIVELY ON BRITBOX IN NORTH AMERICA STARTING FEBRUARY 15, 2022 ~ SILVA SCREEN RECORDS RELEASES COMPANION ALBUM THE BEATLES AND INDIA: SONGS INSPIRED BY THE FILM

    BeatlesandIndia

     

    Young Slash Wouldn’t Have Believed Guns N’ Roses’ Pandemic Tour

    Slash 27Jan2022

     

    The Zombies add North American summer leg to Life Is a Merry-Go-Round Tour

    the zombies 2022 tour

     

    Home of the Week: Inside the Spectacular $85 Million Beverly Hills Mansion That ‘Full House’ Built

    Cielo2

     

    Julian Lennon Is Selling The Beatles Memorabilia As NFTs

    john lennon 01

     

    Brian May Helps Reunite 8-Year-Old Boy With Lost Guitar

    Brian May 25Jan2022

     

    Elton John Postpones Dallas Shows Of Restarted Tour After Testing Positive For Covid

    elton john dallas 25Jan2022

     

    Neil Young Demands Spotify Remove His Music Over ‘False Information About Vaccines’
    “They can have [Joe] Rogan or Young,” Neil Young wrote in a letter to his manager and label. “Not both”

    neil young pulls music from spotify

     

    Is Old Music Killing New Music?
    Old songs now represent 70 percent of the U.S. music market. Even worse: The new-music market is actually shrinking

     

    Find Your Lane as a Musician. Ignore Everything Else.

     

    Meat Loaf’s Daughter Pens Touching Tributes To Late Singer

    meatloaf daughter 02

     

    Adele Cancels Entire Las Vegas Residency Due to COVID

    adele cancels las vegas residency article

     

    Graham Nash Condemns Anti-Vaxxer For Co-opting His Song ‘Chicago’

    attachment nash

     

    Ozzy Osbourne’s CryptoBatz Project Shares Scam Link — Thousands Stolen From Unsuspecting Fans

    ozzy crypto batz scam article

     

    Meat Loaf, Rock Legend and ‘Bat Out of Hell’ Singer, Dead at 74

    meat loaf dead 09

     

    World Premiere: Dee Snider Covers ‘Theme for an Imaginary Western’ for Upcoming Leslie West Tribute Album

     

    Indie Venues Face a Surging Concert No-Show Rate — 50% of Ticketholders Are Staying Home

     

    Steve Vai Postpones 2022 Tour from January to September; Needs Surgical Procedure

    steve vai tour 2022 crop

     

    Jimi Hendrix Experience Estates in Dispute Over Royalties

    Jimi Hendrix Experience

     

    Rocky Dijon: The Spicy Percussion Master

    sticky fingers cover

     

    Ozzy Osbourne Bit the Head Off a Live Bat 40 Years Ago Today
    He’ll never live down the infamous moment, even though the whole thing was a complete accident

    ozzy osbourne 20Jan2022

     

    Catalog Appraiser Massarsky Consulting Sells to Citrin Cooperman as Music IP Sales Rush Continues

     

    ‘Payola Is Illegal’: Lawsuit Revives Pay-for-Play Accusations in Radio Industry
    Independent radio promoter Steve Zap made more than 130 payments totaling over $300,000 to help cover bills for a West Coast radio company, according to court docs

     

    Peloton’s New David Bowie Workouts Include Exclusive Remixes

    david bowie peloton

     

    U2’s Bono Feels “Embarrassed” Hearing His Voice On The Radio

    Bono 19Jan2022

     

    Recording Academy Reschedules the 2022 Grammys For April, Moves Ceremony to Las Vegas

    when are the grammys article

     

    Microsoft Buys Activision in $69 Billion Deal – Will It Revive Guitar Hero?

    microsoft activision who owns guitar hero article

     

    Digital Burnout Fears: ‘It’s a lot we’re asking of artists’

     

    Jewel-Box Heroes: Why the CD Revival Is Finally Here
    Compact discs never had the romance of vinyl or the convenience of MP3s. But they’re still the ideal format for getting lost inside your music collection

     

    World Premiere: Loverboy’s New Song, “Release”

     

    25 Years Ago: John Deacon Plays His Final Queen Show

    attachment John Deacon Brian May Queen

     

    Fred Parris Dies: Singer On ‘In The Still Of The Night’ By The Five Satins Was 85

    Fred Parris

     

    World Premiere: ROLLING STONES UNRELEASED: ‘LOW DOWN’ (alt. version, Keith on vocals, 1997)

     

    MLK Day Finally Arrives As Paid Day Off For Most Hollywood Workers

    Martin Luther King Jr D.C. 1963

     

    40 Years Ago: A Rejected Babys Song Becomes Journey’s Signature Ballad

     

    World Premiere: Slash ft. Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators ‘Call Off the Dogs’ on Red-Hot New Song

     

    How Ronnie Spector Helped Eddie Money Score His Biggest Hit

    attachment ronnie spector eddie money

     

    ROUND HILL MUSIC BUYS CATALOG FROM WHITE SNAKE’S DAVID COVERDALE, STRIKES DEAL WITH NANCY WILSON FROM HEART

    David Coverdale 1 e1642166241596 418x236

     

    He Used Plastic Surgery to Raise Rock Stars From the Dead - Decades before hologram tours, one rogue '70s promoter found another way to put Elvis, Janis, Jim Morrison, and other late icons back onstage

    PlasticSurgeon 14Jan2022

     

    Keith Richards, Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell Items for Auction

    attachment richards

     

    Ronnie Spector, Rock Icon Behind ‘Be My Baby’ and Ex of Phil Spector, Dead At 78

    ronnie spector

     

    DAVID LEE ROTH Addresses COVID-Related Cancelations In Latest Artwork

    davidleerothmay2021 638

     

    Burke Shelley, Singer and Bassist for Budgie, Dead at 71

    attachment Burke Budgie

     

    World Premiere: Saxon Unmasks New Single, “Remember The Fallen”, From Their Upcoming Album, “Carpe Diem”

     

    Woodstock Organizer Michael Lang Dies At 77

    attachment michael lang woodstock death

     

    World Mourns Death Of Comedy Icon Bob Saget: “Wasn’t A Kinder Person In Hollywood”

    bobsagetdeath

     

    Elton John Guitarist Davey Johnstone Says Elton’s Upcoming Shows Will Feature A Moment “You Wouldn’t Expect”

    DaveyJohnstone 10Jan2022

     

    Google Infringed On Multiple Sonos Patents, U.S. International Trade Commission Rules

     

    Peter Bogdanovich Dies: 'The Last Picture Show', 'Paper Moon' & 'What's Up, Doc?' Director Was 82

    Peter Bogdanovich dies

     

    Lollapalooza Co-Founder Ted Gardner Has Passed Away – Aged 74

    ted gardner lollapalooza founder passes article

     

    The Eagles Announce 2022 Hotel California Extended Tour Dates

    eagles tour additions 07jan2022

     

    TwinsTheNewTrend Discover Chuck Berry's 'Johnny B. Goode'

     

    Live Nation and Ticketmaster Face Class-Action Antitrust Lawsuit Over ‘Blatant, Anti-Consumer Behavior’

     

    Country Songwriter Tom T. Hall’s Death Ruled a Suicide
    The Country Music Hall of Fame member known for songs like “Harper Valley PTA” and “Homecoming” died last summer

    tomthall suicide

     

    David Bowie Estate Sells Icon’s Catalog to Warner Chappell for $250M

    david bowie press 2015

     

    Take A Peek Inside: Adele Gets a ‘Steal’ on Sylvester Stallone’s Beverly Park Mansion

    adele house

     

    The Nirvana ‘Nevermind’ Album Cover Lawsuit Has Been Dismissed By a Judge

    nirvana nevermind crop

     

    DEEN CASTRONOVO's Absence From JOURNEY's New Year's Eve Performance Explained

    deencastronovonov 03jan2022

     

    Steve McQueen’s Beloved Husqvarna Viking 360 Motorcycle Is Heading to Auction
    It's widely considered one of the most important Huskies of the 20th century

    McQueen Viking 360 10

     

     

    Hargus ‘Pig’ Robbins, Legendary Keyboardist Who Played on Albums by Bob Dylan, Dolly Parton, Dead at 84
    Blind after an accident at age 3, Robbins learned to play piano with a distinct sense of feel, which made him a go-to Nashville session musician

    HargusPigRobbins

     

    World Premiere: Listen to Jimi Hendrix Jam Two Days Before His Death

     

    Joe Rogan Officially Responds to Neil Young’s Spotify Pullout — Here’s His Complete Statement

    rogan spotify statement 1200

     

    Burt Reynolds’s Iconic ‘77 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am Is Heading to Auction
    The retro gem will be offered without reserve at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale auction this weekend

    BurtReynolds Pontiac

     

    SiriusXM Relaunches ‘Neil Young Radio’ Following Spotify Takedown

    Neil Young taunts Trump

     

    Beatles’ Full Rooftop Concert Headed to Streaming Services

    attachment beatles rooftop concert

     

    Not To Be: Spotify to Remove Neil Young’s Music Following Ultimatum: ‘We Regret Neil’s Decision’

    neil young spotify 27Jan2022

     

    Lefsetz Says: “Spotify is at the bleeding edge of the civil war.”

     

    Sammy Hagar Teams up With George Thorogood for Summer 2022 Tour

    Haggar Thorogood Tour

     

    To Be or Not To Be: Neil Young Reportedly Fights Spotify Over Rogan and COVID
    In a now-deleted letter, the rocker demanded Spotify pull his music from its platform unless they removed Joe Rogan's podcast, which has spread COVID misinformation

    Neil Young 26Jan2022

     

    Reservoir Acquires Publishing & Recorded Music Catalog of Country Star Travis Tritt

    reservoir travis tritt catalog deal article

     

    Kid Rock Recruits Foreigner and Grand Funk Railroad for U.S. Tour

    attachment kid rock foreigner grand funk railroad tour1

     

    Keith Richards Announces Reissue of ‘Main Offender’ Solo LP

    attachment Keith Richards Box Set

     

    Clapton Speaks, Part 2: The Real Music Observer

     

    The Music Industry Saved Songwriter Hugh Prestwood From Homelessness.

    Is It Also Responsible for His Plight?
    Prestwood wrote hits for Randy Travis and Trisha Yearwood in the Nineties, but at 79 he was forced to launch a GoFundMe campaign when he and his wife could no longer afford rent

    Hugh Prestonwood 25Jan2022

     

    Flashback: The Boomerocity Interview With Pearl Aday

    PearlAday

     

    World Premiere: Listen to Foo Fighters’ New ‘Fraggle Rock’ Theme Song

     

    The Temptations At 60: Still On Cloud 9

    temptations wiki

     

    Quite A . . . Heady Appetite: Ozzy Osbourne Bit a Third Dove’s Head Off on Same Day

    ozzy 3rd dove head

     

    Playboy Bunnies Blast ‘Predator’ Hiugh Hefner’s Bestiality, ‘Cult’ Sex and Worse

    hugh hefner 2

     

    Louie Anderson Dies: Comedian & Emmy Winner Was 68

    louie anderson

     

    John Mellencamp’s New Album, ‘Strictly a One-Eyed Jack,’ Arrives Featuring Three Springsteen Collabs

     

    Bet It Hurt His D String: Man Steals $8,000 Guitar by Stuffing It Down His Pants

    stolen guitar

     

    The New Boomerocity Interview With Steve Vai

    Inviolate final

     

    Elton John Resumes Yellow Brick Road Tour: Set List and Photos

    EltonJohn 20Jan2022

     

    The Funny Way Van Halen, Blackmore and Gary Moore First Met Each Other

    Eddie Van Halen 3

     

    Brittany Aldean Helps a Woman in El Salvador Keep Her House With a $10,000 Gift

    attachment BrittanyAldean1

     

    An Italian Castle That Starred in One of the ‘Godfather’ Movies Just Listed for $6.8 Million
    Make an offer that the owner can't refuse

    ItalySothebysRealtyAcireale3

     

    Neil Young & Crazy Horse ‘Barn’ Documentary Coming To YouTube
    The 73-minute film provides a behind-the-scenes look at the legendary band recording their latest studio album

     

    STAIND's AARON LEWIS Passes Kidney Stone Less Than Week After Having His Appendix Removed

    aaronlewisappendnew 638

     

    Daniel Radcliffe Cast as ‘Weird Al’ Yankovic in Upcoming Biopic

    attachment weird al

     

    Rosa Lee Hawkins, Singer of The Dixie Cups, Dies at 76
    The New Orleans girl group's "Chapel of Love" hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1964

     

    Elvis Costello Thinks Rock Has Lost Its ‘Roll’

    costello1

     

    Prince Estate Valued at $156.4 Million In Settlement of Years-Long IRS Dispute

    prince estate undervalued irs article

     

    Following KKR Catalog Agreement, BMG Partners With Pimco to Buy Additional Music IP

     

    Ralph Emery Dies: Country Music DJ & TV Host Was 88

    Emery Ralph

     

    World Premiere: HEART's ANN WILSON Releases Music Video For Her Cover Version Of ALICE IN CHAINS' 'Rooster'

     

    Joe Walsh to Guest on ‘The Conners’ This Week

    attachment walsh

     

    Flashback: TwinsTheNewTrend Discover Journey’s “Open Arms” (& Talks About Perry’s Tight Jeans)

     

    Jimmy Buffett to Make a Guest Appearance on ‘Blue Bloods’

    attachment jimmy buffett blue blodds

     

    MELISSA ETHERIDGE ANNOUNCES ‘HEARTSTRINGS’ GRAPHIC NOVEL

    attachment Etheridge cover

     

    SIRIUSXM ACQUIRES MUSIC FOR BUSINESS SERVICE CLOUD COVER MEDIA

    sxm 14jan2022

     

    World Premiere: STEVE VAI Releases Visualizer For New Song 'Zeus In Chains'

     

    Music Industry Is ‘Criminal Enterprise’ Says Jay Jay French

    attachment french

     

     

    MAMMOTH WVH And DIRTY HONEY Postpone Launch Of 'Young Guns' Tour

    wolfgangdirtyhoney 638

     

    The Rolling Stones Are Getting Their Own Stamps Courtesy of the U.K.’s Royal Mail

    rolling stones stamps

     

    American Radio Stations Weigh Conditional Settlement Offer From Irving Azoff’s Global Music Rights

     

    World Premiere: Elvis Costello & The Imposters Say Goodbye With New Single, “Farewell, OK”

     

    COVID-Sniffing Dogs Are Keeping Concerts on Track In 2022

    covid sniffing dogs concerts article

     

    Dwayne Hickman Dies: ‘The Many Loves Of Dobie Gillis’ Star Was 87

    DwayneHickman300 e1641751326914

     

    Dick Carson Dies: Director Of ‘The Tonight Show’ And Brother Of Johnny Was 92

    Dick Carson Obituary

     

    China Prohibits All Music Platforms From Inking Exclusive Copyright Deals Following Tencent Music Crackdown

     

    Warner Records CEO Aaron Bay-Schuck, Gene Simmons, Daniel Glass, Others Protest Artist Boycott of Sydney Festival

     

    Hollywood Remembers “Champion Of Cinema” Peter Bogdanovich: Francis Ford Coppola, Jeff Bridges, Barbra Streisand & More Weigh In

     

    The Grammys Are Officially Postponed Due to Omicron — Recording Academy Releases Statement

    grammy awards postponed article

     

    Blues Legend Walter Trout Postpones UK/EU Tour

    walter trout tour cancellation 07jan2022

     

    Valerie Bertinelli Reveals Eddie Van Halen’s Final Words

    EVH Valerie Jan072022

     

    Right on Cue, SiriusXM Launches a Dedicated David Bowie Channel

    sirius xm launches dedicated david bowie channel article

     

    Paul McCartney: The “Unknown Beatle”

    paul mccartney unknown

     

    PRS Confirms Launch Date, Specs of John Mayer Signature SE Silver Sky

    PRS Mayer Sig Guitar

     

    TwinsTheNewTrend Discover Otis Redding's 'Try A Little Tenderness'

     

    Beatles Film Producer Denis O’Dell Dead at 98

    attachment BeatlesMovies

     

    GENE SIMMONS's New Year's Resolutions: 'I'd Like To Be A Better, Kinder, Better-Looking And Richer Guy'

    genesimmonsinvictussept2018 638

     

    Paul McCartney Tells Why Good Things Always Happen After Bad Moments

    Paul McCartney 03jan2022

     

  • 2022.02 Boomerocity Buzz

     

    Foo Fighters to Become First International Act to Perform In Australia Since March of 2020

    Foo Fighters Main

     

    BLACKROCK TEAMS WITH WARNER TO LAUNCH NEW $750M MUSIC-BUYING FUND VIA INFLUENCE MEDIA

     

    Elton John’s Plane Forced to Make Emergency Landing

    attachment Elton John 2022

     

    Pete Townshend Talks About Upcoming Keith Moon Movie

    PTownshend Moon

     

    SoundCloud Inks Artist-Discovery Deal With Solid Foundation Management

     

    Gary Brooker Dies: Procol Harum Frontman, “Whiter Shade Of Pale” Singer-Songwriter Was 76

     

    Signed Jimi Hendrix Lyric Sheet Pieced Back Together After 55 Years

    HendrixLyricsSheet

     

    World Premiere: When The Levee Breaks feat. John Paul Jones | Playing For Change | Song Around The World

     

    Dwight Yoakam, Warner Music Group Officially Settle Copyright-Termination Lawsuit

     

    Ivan Reitman, Director of ‘Ghostbusters’ and ‘Stripes,’ Dead At 75

    ivan reitman 820

     

    Bon Jovi To See Greenwich Village Apartment For #22 Million

    BonJoviApt

     

    Ian McDonald: King Crimson and Foreigner Co-Founder Dies

    Ian McDonald 11Feb2022

     

    Willie Nelson To Release New Original Album “A Beautiful Time”

    willie nelson

     

    Slash Explains How Technology Has Changed the ‘Soul’ of Rock Music

    attachment slash 20202

     

    Watch Slash ft. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators cover Elton John's 'Rocket Man'
    At their opening North American tour date

     

    Explosive Funk Singer Betty Davis Dead at 77

    BettyDavis

     

    Gumby Universe, Including Classic Kids Clay Character, Acquired By Fox With Plans To Create New Series

    Gumby

     

    Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band Finally Set to Return to the Road This Spring
    “I can’t wait to get back out on the road and play,” Starr said in a statement. “This is the longest I’ve been off the road in years”

    Ringo 07Feb2022

     

    SLASH Says He Loves Recording And Touring More And Has More Passion For It Now Than He Did When He Started

    slashrivershort 638

     

    World Premiere: RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS Release Music Video For New Single 'Black Summer'

     

    Gotta Watch: TwinsTheNewTrend See Michael Jackson Moonwalk Live For The First Time

     

    ‘Hot for Teacher’ Actor Recalls Private Show From Eddie Van Halen

    attachment vanhalen

     

    Philip Paul, Drummer on ‘Fever’ and ‘The Twist,’ Dead at 96

    attachment Philip Paul

     

    ALICE COOPER: 'I Don't Think Rock And Roll And Politics Belong In The Same Bed Together'

    alicecooper 02Feb2022

     

    Soul Bank Music Inks Comprehensive Catalog Deal with Famed Hammond B3 Organist/Keyboardist Brian Auger

    brian auger photo

     

    World Premiere: Listen to Beth Hart Cover Led Zeppelin’s ‘Black Dog’

     

    Guitars Signed By Keith Richards, Paul McCartney, Tom Petty, Fetch tens Of Thousands At MusiCares Auction

    RichardsMcCartney Guitars

     

    Who Knew?! ‘Jeffersons’ Star Sherman Hemsley Was Prog Rock’s Biggest Fan

    attachment Yes Jon Anderson Sherman Hemsley Getty

     

    Primary Wave Acquires ‘Additional Stake’ In Def Leppard Publishing Catalog and Recorded Royalties

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  • Anthony Crawford Discusses Sugarcane Jane

    Posted May, 2015

    sugarcanejane002bPhoto by Beach Chic Photography

    Neil Young, Steve Winwood, Dwight Yoakam These are just some of the people who Anthony Crawford has worked extensively with.

    Who is Anthony Crawford? He and his wife, Savana Lee, are the songwriting/singing team known as Sugarcane Jane. Some may say that their genre is Americana. Crawford describes it differently but more about that in a moment.

    Sugarcane Jane has released their debut CD, “Dirt Road’s End” and it’s a refreshing batch of great, innovative, inspiring music. I called up Crawford at his Alabama home to discuss the duo’s new CD. From the git go, he was enthusiastic.

    “I’m excited about the record we have out. Working with Buzz Cason has been a goal of his and mine for the last decade- to try to get these songs out to more than just the few people who get to hear it when we play the music down on the Gulf Coast.

    “The reason those songs are so tight on that record is because Savana and I played them probably four times a week for four years. We’ve just been honing our craft for that long. Buzz said, ‘Let’s put a record out. I’ll pay for it. Let’s see what happens’.  We went up to Nashville and recorded the record on his two inch tape machine. We did it live. We set it up like we play in a bar, restaurant, or whatever. We had a PA and the whole thing. That’s why there are some weird tones in there every now and then. For the most part, we just wanted to capture what we do live, the energy of it. I think we did. It’s very high energy.”

    In describing Sugarcane Jane, Anthony said:

    “I’ve got a pretty concise answer to that question. When she and I first got together, she was taking me to meet her parents for the first time. We turned off of Co. Rd 64 down this dirt road. I thought, ‘Huh… this is a lot of dirt road’. We kept driving and driving and driving. We went about a mile and a half down this dirt road. Finally, we went over a bridge and through a tunnel of trees then – boom – there’s her mom and dad’s house. It’s an old piece of property they’ve had in their family since the 1880’s.

    “I said, ‘Wow, this is your property?’ She said, ‘Yeah, my granddad used to have a sugarcane patch out here somewhere. He would carve sugarcane and give it to all the little children around here on Halloween.’ There would be a huge crowd in front of their house of people waiting to collect their sugarcane.  It was so sweet. He was known for carving that up. I thought, ‘Sugarcane’, and I just started singing a song off the top of my head. “Sugarcane Jane….” – I just made Jane up. All of the sudden, we thought, ‘Hey, that’s cool. Sugarcane Jane!’ It’s better to not have a name that’s just, ‘Anthony and Savana’. I really think the name ‘Sugarcane Jane’ is as big a part of why we are what we are as the music. It’s just inviting. It has an interesting origin. I’ve got to say it’s pretty lighthearted for a lot of people.

    “If we were to go play with a bunch of moody people, we’d certainly be looked upon as being torn from different piece of cloth. The fact is we like playing for people who like to leave our concerts being lifted up, so the name ‘Sugarcane Jane’ evokes that. It was just a spur of the moment thing. Plus, we didn’t want anybody to know our names, it was a privacy thing. At the time we were getting together, we wanted to do shows, but we didn’t want to have our names out there. We just had ‘Sugarcane Jane’, and it stuck. We just kinda took off. That’s how we got started.”

    I think a lot of people would easily place Sugarcane Jane in the Americana genre. I asked Anthony how he would describe it.

    “We would probably have a hard time putting it out with that exact stamp on it. We usually do, because it does draw from a deep well of American music, however we think of ourselves more like energy peddlers. Ultimately, we’re peddling energy, not a style. It’s truth. It’s organic as we call it because it's homegrown and natural. It’s acoustic, honest, positive music. All those things describe it. It’s unfortunate when you put something out digitally, and you are forced to categorize it as, ‘Singer/songwriter, Americana, Alt Country, etc.’ Those things just don’t really go deep enough into the reality of what it is.  Our influences being brought up in the South are vast including country, roots, gospel, blues, jazz, and classic rock.  I think we are a Heinz 57 of genres and I guess that's why the Americana tag fits best because that's pretty much what that is. 

    “If we have to play a four hour show, we are singing a few cover tunes. But if we’re doing a forty-minute show like we did with Steve Winwood in Birmingham on May 2, we’ve got forty minutes to plow through our most popular songs. People would not know any different. They’d go, ‘Wow- that’s what they are!’ When we go do that type of show, we know we can count on most all of the songs on the new Dirt Road's End album; ‘The Ballad of Sugarcane Jane’, ‘The Game’, ‘San Andreas’, ‘Home Nights’,‘Heartbreak Road’, that kind of thing. Those songs are tried and tested and we usually get apositive response from people.  They are crowd pleasers.  We’ve got some new songs too that we are integrating into our set; ‘The Ladder’, and ‘Never Do You Know’. We explore a deeper side of Sugarcane Jane with those songs that are insightful and actually say something enlightening, then we come back with the plain ‘ole make-you-feel-good lighthearted music. We just want people to have a good time. When they leave our show, we want them to feel like they are leaving with something positive.

    “I have to say, our normal set may beconsidered a little bit on the G-rated side, just family friendly music. We don’t do sugarcanejane001bPhoto by Beach Chic Photographyanything that’s too risqué or anything. People can bring their kids.  We can always jam on some Neil Young and be believable with it. There is a wide spectrum of what we can draw from which is why we rarely make a setlist.  We try to just feel out our audience and let the songs pick themselves.  It’s a little bit of a unique thing that we have. People relate to us, because we have two small children.  We're in the trenches as some would call it.  The "diaper changing era" and a lot of people have been there and know how much work and energy that entails.  They have an appreciation for what we are doing and know it is not easy with both mom and dad working at the same time.  I think it's what is endearing about Sugarcane Jane.  We have a deep love for our children, family, and fans (which are more like friends). Typically, you’re out there just grabbing for success as hard as you can. That’s just not us. We’re trying to make a living and raise good kids. Don’t get me wrong, we'd love to reach a higher level of recognition, but not at the expense of our family.”

    Crawford is obviously quite gifted. It would seem that everything he does turns to career gold in some way. Musicianship. Songwriting. Performing. Photography. Recording Studio ownership.  When I said all of that, he said:  

    “Randy, let me tell you something. A wise man once told me, it's not what you've done, it's what you're doing right now. It's true that I have had a blessed journey, but I have worked hard and kept my focus throughout the roller coaster ride. While a lot of people around me were dabbling in drugs, I walked the line.  I was always afraid of that scene and the path it may lead.  I've seen a lot of great players and artists go down that road and the outcome was not where I wanted to be.  And because of being clear headed, I think I was able to listen to my intuition, God, or whatever was telling me to do certain things.  I took that photo for Neil Young’s album cover because I was led to walk out there and see those old cars and see the beauty in them. I’m really like Forrest Gump. I’ve ridden in a balloon with Richard Branson. I’ve toured with Neil Young on a private jet. Too many adventures to even name. Most people would give anything to do just one of them. I have been very fortunate but how I acquired these titles or became who I am is not because I am better than you or even the most gifted guy. I really just think that I’m one of those people that stayed on their path, listened to intuition, and tried to remain humble. Call it destiny, call it luck, call it what you want.  I went down this certain pipe, if you will. Instead of going to the left, my water flowed me to the right. I followed the more enchanted path. Had I made one little decision wrong, the other way would have been my way, and I wouldn’t be talking to you today. A lot of it is just environmental fortune for me to have made the right turn at the right time.

    “I look back at everything I’ve done, and know that I am one of the lucky ones. I have a book in my head I could write if I were ever able to devote some time to it. It can be challenging to focus with so many things going on. I’m so scattered in my thoughts. That's where Savana comes in and grounds me.  She will probably be the one to help me make the book thing happen at some point.  So yes, I have a lifetime of accomplishments and moments I am proud to be a part of, but more than any of that I’m excited about is what is right in front of me. I keep that saying in the forefront of my mind, that you’re only as good as who you are today. I think my best years are ahead of me. These are all great stepping stones, but what stage of success I reach is yet to be determined. It’s still being built, and I can hear the hammering.”

    I asked Anthony how has all of this experience influenced the incarnation of Sugarcane Jane and how it shaped their “mission” and vibe.

    “In the song, ‘The Ballad of Sugarcane Jane’… well, funny enough, it’s not a ballad. It just got named that. But the story of that song tells it all. I ultimately say that the very first time I heard Savana sing one of my songs, and I started singing harmony with her, I knew that she and I were going to be together. That’s just all there is to it. She is the reason why I can be patient. I trust her. I feel like she is anointed by some higher power to have some sort of life that is made of honesty and integrity. She is fantastic with all the things she does.

    "I’m saying this in all honesty. The girl totally made whatever it is that I did before her become a reality. It was not a reality before her. I had songs. I had this, that, and the other. But I wasn’t touring. I wasn’t even working on a career. I would just go out with Neil Young and make a bunch of money. Then I’d go and act like I was supposed to be getting another call from him at any minute to go out and make more money. It wasn’t about a career. I would get lost in my studio.  I recorded constantly.  I guess that's part of the puzzle though.  I have a treasure chest of songs from those days so it's all a part of the puzzle.  Getting with Savana has made it to where everything makes more sense. Together, we have something special.  She was the last piece to my puzzle.  

    “Playing with Neil Young has given me the knowledge and experience to feel comfortable performing at this level. I played on stage with Paul McCartney. I’m not bragging, but I can honestly say I reached heights in the music business when it comes to at least being a sideman few people ever reach. And I did it multiple times. It’s like winning the Grammy of sideman. If they gave out a Grammy for sideman, I’d have at least three: Dwight Yoakam, Neil Young, and Steve Winwood. Those are three huge people who trusted me to be in their band. I was in there for more than just some weekend. I was in there for years. To me, that’s like having my Grammy. It’s not a Grammy, but it is a legacy that I'm extremely proud of.

    “I’m not worried when I’m down here playing for people eating shrimp at Lulu’s, because I’ve seen what it’s like to be on a big stage and play in front of Glastonbury in England where there’s 200,000 people out there. That’s like playing Woodstock.  I played at Live Aid in Philadelphia. I played Farm Aid. I played all these big concerts. In other words, I’m not anxious about figuring out, ‘What’s it like being on a bus? What’s it like to be at that level?’ I know what it’s like, and it’s not anything that’s a mystery to me anymore. 

    “I just know that making music with Savana is a beautiful thing, and I don’t want it to be over anytime soon. I want to take my time with my kids. I know that’s cliché-ish, but I love looking at my little kids sleeping when they wake up, their little faces… Things of that nature are what I define as success, not musical achievements. The fact that I’ve done all these things that you’ve mentioned gives me patience enough to be a good father, husband, and partner to someone like Buzz Cason who trusts me to do what I say I’m going to do. Years ago, I wouldn’t have, because I wasn’t grounded. I’m very grounded now about certain things, but I still have a lot of passion for music. Don’t get me wrong- if this record blows up and takes off, I’m going to be really excited about it. However, if this was the last thing that ever happens for it, just to be talking to you today, I’d be just as happy. It’s success to just have you even want to talk to me. That’s success to me. On a real basic level, you are taking your time to talk to me about me. It’s not money, but it’s your time and energy. That’s a commodity that I think is way underrated.” 

    Regarding receptivity to the music, Crawford said:

    “Surprisingly to me, it’s all just positive. I didn’t know what people would think. I don’t listen to a lot of music, and I don’t really know what’s popular today. I really don’t. I’m not a music listener much. I’ve never been. I listened early on in my career to people and soaked it up. After awhile, I just quit listening. Occasionally, something will really interest me, and I’ll dig into it.

    sugarcanejane003b“In answer to your question, people tell me that what we’re doing is what people like these days. It’s really kind of a big thing. That’s a good sign. I don’t really know what that means. I’ve had several people tell me that we’re falling right into the pocket. It’d almost be like if I was wearing a Garth Brooks style of shirt and singing songs kinda like him, people would say, ‘Dude, you’re right in the pocket!’ It’s like, ‘Really?’ ‘Yea, there’s a dude, Garth Brooks, from Oklahoma. He’s big. Y’all got the same thing.’ I’d be like a knock-off of something or whatever. I don’t know what they’re talking about, but from what I understand, there’s a big folk music acoustic thing. What we’re doing, people like it... Shovels & Rope, The Civil Wars, Jason Isbell and Amanda Shires, whoever. I think Savana and I have a little thing that’s probably different than most people, yet it’s still kinda in the zone of what’s going on. I’m probably going to have to start checking it out to see what’s going on. I don’t know. We’re just doing our music, and if anybody calls us and gives an opportunity to come play, we’re probably going to do it.” 

    In the course of chatting (and since Crawford had worked with Neil Young), I mentioned Richie Furay’s new CD (Furay is a former band mate of Young’s) and asked if he had heard it.

    “That’s something I’m interested in. When I’m interested in something, I’ll go dig it up. But as far as just randomly going and searching for music, I don’t know. I like to just keep my mind clear. I’m a minimalist when it comes to input like that. I don’t want to feel like I’m copying something. If I come across something, I can honestly say I just came across it through sheer coincidence.

    “I produced something with a fella named Scott Nolan. Now, I hope you look that fella up. He’s got several albums out. His music is so beautiful. He drove all the way from Winnipeg to come down to the Gulf Coast and record with me and that group I’m in with Savana called Willie Sugarcapps. Then there’s another guy, Edward David Anderson. He’s out of Illinois, and I just produced an album on him. Those are two people that both have new fantastic releases coming out this fall that I hope you check out. 

    “My real true love is producing. I LOVE producing. I love being home, making music for people, and having them leave just ecstatic. That is what I love. It’s my passion when it comes to music. I love performing, but if you gave me my choice, I would probably lean towards being in the studio. I can be around my kids and drive them to school when that part of life comes calling. I’m good at it. I play all kinds of instruments. I learned how to make music through Neil Young, really. I know how to make a real recording and keep magical parts without erasing them, because you think it’s a mistake. 

    “Sometimes mistakes seem to be mistakes until you add something else. All of a sudden, it’s like, ‘Oh, cool. That works big time.’ That’s what he does. He doesn’t get rid of anything. He’ll keep something that you think, ‘Ah, that sounds terrible!’ Then all of a sudden, you go, ‘Why doesn’t that sound terrible anymore?’ It’s because something was added that made it work. It’s like, vinegar on its own is no good, but you add it to cucumbers and ice, you’ve got this nice dish. It’s just the way it goes. I learned a lot from Neil Young. I learned what to do and what not to do from him. He’s been a very big teacher for me.”

    I asked Anthony if there is a song from the album that he would offer as a calling card, so to speak, to draw people to the rest of “Dirt Road’s End.”

    “That is a tough one. I love the sound of ‘San Andreas’, but I love the story of ‘The Ballad of Sugarcane Jane’. I had a little bit of a problem with the energy of ‘The Ballad of Sugarcane Jane’ being so over the top and being the first song on the record. But Buzz said, ‘Man, that’s gotta be first. It tells a story, and it’s the essence of who y’all are’. Given that, I would have to go with ‘The Ballad of Sugarcane Jane’.

    “Then again, the next song ,‘The Game’, I love the way that song has that harmonica in there. I don’t know. It’s tough to pick one. I really have to say all those songs in there are very special to me.

    “But because of the story and the lyrics, I have to go with ‘The Ballad of Sugarcane Jane’, for sure. It tells the story of me and Savana. If you were just trying to leave something in a time capsule for people to know about us, that clearly tells our story. None of the other songs tell our story like that one. That’s drilling for oil and hitting it, right there. The other songs are drilling all around it, but the lyrics on that song say what we are. It’s the truth about us.”

    I love “Not Another Truck Song” on the album. I asked Crawford if it was a musical poke in Nashville’s eye.

    “It is. I didn’t write that song; Buzz did. We had never even heard the song. I sat there around his computer while he played a demo of it. He just really wanted us to do it, and I was like, ‘Well, ok…’ It was the last song that we cut. Heck, that song turned out to be one of the best songs that we did on there as far as just the sound of it. The tone of it, to me, was pleasant. 

    “Buzz lives in Nashville. He’s had a lot of success with things up there, but he’s still outside of the box compared to people up there. As many songs as he’s written, he’s not one of those people. He’s not real hardcore Music Row writer. He comes from way deeper roots than that. I love that lyric, ‘This is not another truck song. Somebody done somebody’s baby wrong.’ I love the sentiment of it. It’s nice. It’s well written. I don’t think he’s being mean-spirited in any way with it, not that you’re saying he is. It is definitely a poke at the fact that most people think they’ve got to write a song about a truck or some sort of beer container being a certain color- red plastic cup, whatever that thing was. It’s just some kind of beer and truck party mentality that we just don’t fit into.

    “I’m not sure Savana and I would really fit into being around hardcore country-loving fans. Our demographic is really your upper echelon, affluent educated people. They love us! They tip us great. They’re all well-to-do people, but for some reason, they just can’t believe little old me and Savana are entertaining them until they’ve had enough. We go and try to play for country folks that would go watch Kenny Chesney and they don’t seem to get us. I don’t know why, but I'm guessing it's because they haven't heard us before.  They like something familiar, that they know the words to.  And maybe they will now that we have this record out. But in the past, we’ve found that we aren’t singing the kind of songs that speak to them, like going mudding in a truck or buying beer at the gas station and meeting around a burning barrel somewhere out in the middle of the woods, talking about stuff after you’ve been laying concrete all day. I don’t know, I'm probably all wrong about it.  Hopefully I am.  Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, radio, Spotify, Pandora, iTunes, and all other music media educate people on what they "should be" listening to and they believe it.  People don't have time to dive into the unknown artists and decipher what's good and what's not.  That's why we're hoping that having national distribution and radio play will put our music into the ears of the country fans that otherwise might not have heard of us. I'm not giving up on them. 

    “I was in a band called Blackhawk. When Van Stephenson passed away, Henry Paul and Dave Robbins asked me to come into the band. They made me a partner. I was like the ‘new guy’. Nobody really gravitated towards me. We’d go do a meet ‘n’ greet, and nobody would talk to me. But that's probably my insecurity showing through.  That and the fact that Henry Paul and Dave looked like giants next to me.  I didn't visually fit in.  With Savana, I do.  We're practically the same size so it's just a more attractive package.  It's the opposite now.  You just have to find where you belong.  There's always a place."

    I asked why he felt the 40+ crowd dug Sugarcane Jane.

    “Well, I think it’s the style of writing. Sometimes, when we’re doing a longer show, I will pull out a Neil Young cover, because I played with Neil. Or we’ll do ‘Can’t Find My Way Home’ with Steve or ‘A Thousand Miles From Nowhere’ with Dwight. People just love the song selection we have, because they relate to it. People who are in that place in life, whether it’s economic or whatever, seem to be more laid back about things. They just want to have a good time. They’re not wanting somebody to tell them a song about ‘Woe is me’, and they don’t really relate to somebody talking about a truck or drinkin’ or whatever. They want substance. And I think that it takes them back to their childhood because they grew up with that music like I did.  The newer artists don't do those songs because they don't know them.  But they should.  I love it when I hear younger artists covering The Beatles or Stones or something like that. 

    “When we go play down near Destin, Florida, like Santa Rosa Beach or any of those wealthy seaside towns, those people have a lot of things going on for them individually. They have nice houses and cars and clothes, but they kinda like to go slummin’ with our music.  It's an escape that's just on the edge of where their willing to go.  It's fun to take them there.

    “There’s a contrast that they love. We’re happy people, and we put on a smile. My wife has a very angelic energy, and I’m over there playing the crap out of the guitar. We’ve got tight harmony, so what’s not to love? We show up, and we’re real professional. Professional meaning we’re not late, and we’re not rude to people. We engage everybody. We’re very approachable. Being approachable is one of the biggest things I can say, because ultimately, people who like those other songs don’t necessarily even think about approaching people. There’s just some sort of different vision that they have of the world that doesn’t feel the need to belly up to what we’re doing. These other people have some sort of gravitational pull towards us because of the elements I described: nice, approachable, beautiful harmonies. The music is fresh, and they leave happy. We just peddle happiness, and those people like happy. Most affluent people don’t like unhappy. They've probably all been there before and who needs to be reminded of bad times?  We deliver happy. We’re like pizza delivery people coming up to a mansion. We’re just bringing music instead of pizza. Then we go back to our little hut somewhere. We know how to hang on the rich folks’ property, and when they’re ready for us to go, we know how to leave without trashing their yard. They’ll ask us back. ”

    On the subjects of positivity and faith, Anthony shared:

    “I thing being representatives of good energy is God’s plan for me and Savana. I do believe in God. I’m a huge believer in that. I’ve been a doubtful person of it, and I’ve been proven that it exists. It’s even happened here lately. I asked God to show me, ‘Hey, if you exist, I need some proof RIGHT NOW. This is such a huge thing, and I need you to show me you’re with me on this.’ I got an answer an hour later. It’s amazing. I believe in God, and I believe in the fact that I’m being a vessel for him. I’m a representative of that. The best way I can do it is through song, my energy, and being positive with people. If I’m going somewhere, and somebody really wants to get in the door quicker than me, by all means. Just step right on in. I’m not going to be trying to beat somebody through the door. If they really need to get in, GO. Who knows? They might get in there and get slammed in the head. It would have been me. I don’t care. I don’t want to slow people down or make them pissed off. I yield. I’m a yielder for the most part. I try to be as much as I can." 

    As for tour plans in support of “Dirt Road’s End”:

    “We have a lot of things coming up. We have a full-packed summer of shows. First of all, we just did the show with Steve Winwood in Birmingham which was a huge milestone for Sugarcane Jane. Savana and I are going out to Northern California to do a couple shows out there in June. In July, we’re touring with Steve Forbert for two to three weeks up the northeast. Then we come back to a string of our own personal southeast dates including Chatt Hills in Serenbe right outside of Atlanta at the end of July, a place Savana and I fell in love with. We’re also in another group called Willie Sugarcapps, and we’re playing the Targhee Bluegrass Festival in Wyoming in August. 

    “We have several very high-profile gigs in support of this record. I talked to Steve Winwood’s road manager/sound guy who turns out to be somebody I’ve known a long time. I was like, ‘James, you’re the main man now!’ He said, ‘Believe it or not, yep, that’s right.’ I said, ‘Well, if you get any more of these Steve Winwood gigs, we’d love to do them. We’ll travel anywhere.’ So the possibility of doing more with Steve is out there. We would also love to get back in with Dwight Yoakam.  He just released a new album, Second Hand Heart, where he cut one of my songs, V's of Birds.  So yeah, we’ve got big things on the horizon for Sugarcane Jane.

    “I have high hopes for the records I’m producing for these people who are out there working: Scott Nolan, Edward David Anderson, Cary Laine, Lauren Kay. We have so much on our plate right now. We’re very diversified. If we were in the stock market, we would have  a fantastic looking portfolio. Our eggs are not in one basket. The Dwight Yoakam cut- who knows what that’s going to do for me. I’m not sure if those things generate a lot of income anymore, but it sure looks good on paper. People love to talk about it.”

    I know that Crawford gets asked a ton of questions about Neil Young. However, I’m more intrigued with his work with Steve Winwood. Sugarcane Jane opened for WInwood recently. When I suggested that it speaks volumes about his respect for Anthony as a friend and musician, he said:

    “Oh, yeah. I’m going to give you something a little juicy here. Here’s the difference between Neil Young and Steve Winwood in a nutshell. When I was playing with Steve Winwood, early on in the tour after he’d finished his Back In The High Life tour, which was huge, we were doing the Roll With It tour. I’m over there playing the guitar, and I’m singing the harmony with him. He comes up to me in the middle of the song, he looks at me, and he says in that English voice, ‘Anthony, I just love what you’re playing. Love it. But could you just please stick to the parts on the record? Ok, thank you.’ When I did one little note wrong with Neil, he just looked at me like he could kill me.

    “The differences in people are just amazing. Steve is such a nice person. Now don’t get me wrong. If you do something that he doesn’t like, you’ll just wind up not working with him or something. Maybe I did something. As a human being, there’s no better. How we got that gig was because I was walking out of my studio about two weeks ago. We were going over to play a show in Destin, and I knew that they have a house in Destin. I thought, ‘Well, I’ll just e-mail Genia (his wife) to see if they’re down here and invite them to the show’. She e-mailed me back and said, ‘We’re not in the States right now, but thanks for asking. We hope to see you soon’. About two or three days later, we get a call from our booking agent that Winwood’s management was inquiring about us opening for Steve in Birmingham. Because I refreshed their brain about me, they thought, ‘Let’s let Anthony and Savana open for you in Birmingham’. Now that’s nice, ok?

    “When in reality, Neil comes and plays at the Mobile Saenger Theatre eight miles from my house, and he gets somebody else to open. He doesn’t even think about letting me do it. I spent twenty something years of my life with him. So that’s the difference.

    “Steve is a generous man. That’s not to say Neil is not a generous man. He just doesn’t think about the fact that I gave him years and years and years of my life. It’s like, ‘Hey, dude, throw me a bone!’ Whether he did it on purpose, or he just didn’t even think about it, that’s the difference. Steve thinks about people. He’s a generous, thoughtful man. There’s nothing I could ever say about that guy that wouldn’t be glowing. He’s tops for me as a human being and a musician.”

    Because Anthony has been in the music business for such a long time, I asked him what are the most positive and negative changes he’s seen in it.

    “The most positive thing that comes to my mind immediately would be that the music business is back in the hands of the musicians. Due to the Internet, social media, and if you get out there and just love what you’re doing, you have the opportunity to make a living playing music. It’s wide open again. It’s not owned by a few record companies. That’s positive to me.

    “Something that disturbs me about the music business is how many people are willing to copy your music and share it with everyone they know for free.  It's stealing and they don't seem to have a problem with it.  They do it because they can.  And a lot of people don't even realize that it's not only illegal, it's just wrong.  I know some artists give away their music for the exposure but that is their choice.  There are a lot of other artists that need the downloads and cd purchases to survive.  It's no different than stealing a candy bar at the grocery store.  Wrong is wrong.  I just wish people would realize this.  Considering how much artists put in to making a record and the process of learning to play and writing the songs, music is cheap.  So I am happy to support people and buy their music.  It's an easy concept to grasp. Our record label for Willie Sugarcapps (The Royal Potato Family) said most music gets out before albums are even released.  It's just out there on the internet for people to steal. It's a constant task of shutting those sites down.  Seems impossible.  All you can do is hope that people will just stop doing it.

    “As far as the business, I don’t know. I think the positives are way bigger. Right now, you can get out there and make a living at music. At least, we’re doing it. I consider myself one of the most unknowledgeable guys about the music business there is. If I was really smart about it, I probably would have been a millionaire by now with all the people I’ve known and opportunities I’ve probably had but didn’t take people up on it. Like Joe Galante giving me the opportunity to be produced by Bruce Hornsby- I didn’t know who Bruce Hornsby was. I was like, ‘Nope, thanks’. This was back when I was a kid.

    “About a month later, I see him on the Grammys getting, like, seven Grammys. I was like, ‘Oh, that’s not good’. I’ve had my chances, and I’ve just been kinda uninformed, if you will. The other version is just being a dumbass about certain things in my career. I mean, man, I had an opportunity to be produced by Bruce Hornsby. I didn’t jump on it, because the contract said we will mutually decide. I wanted Mark Knopfler. I just thought he was so cool, but I didn’t know who Bruce Hornsby was. I made a foolish mistake. I should have gone, ‘Okay!’, but I didn’t. It goes back to my song. I have no regret to the past I claim. I have no regret for anything I’ve done in the past, because had I done that with Bruce Hornsby, I might not have my daughter today. I harbor no resentment towards myself. I’ve been given a green light to feel better.

    "One more negative is the confusion about how to pay people. It’s awful out there. I get a statement that says, ‘You got 40,000 plays.’ I get like six cents. I have to have two million spins to make a hundred bucks. That’s the music business that I don’t like. The electronic tracking and payment system- that is what is broken.  In the old days, if you had a record out, somehow people got rich. Not now days. I don’t know how people are making millions of dollars. These people that are getting sued for sounding like somebody, and they have to pay Tom Petty four million dollars. That means those people made four million. I’d love to get sued by somebody and pay them four million. That means I’m going to be, at least, famous for it. Tom Petty just recently got four million or something for somebody sounding like ‘Free Fallin’’. I heard both copies. I did not get it.”  But the business is always changing and everyone is just trying to keep up and figure it out.  I think there are great strides being made about writers getting paid.  I know Roseanne Cash is one who is on top of it.  I am thankful for people like her that stand up for everyone else who are clueless about what is really going on."

    I asked Crawford if he was named Music Industry czar and tasked with fixing the industry, what would he do to fix it or does he think it needs fixing and if he thought it was fixable.

    “I think those are people who aren’t out there doing it themselves. You asked me what’s wrong with the music business. It is so not wrong to me, because I don’t even think about them. I don’t care about the music business. I really don’t. The business is out there to go get. It’s better than it’s ever been for people, because ultimately, you can make your own records at home. I’m sitting here in my little chair in my studio, and I’m looking at Pro Tools kit. I’ve got Neumann speakers. I’ve got a Neumann U67. I’ve got Neve preamps and Universal Audio. I’ve got everything that a big studio used to have that you would have to pay an arm and a leg to do. I’ve got vintage guitars on the wall. I’ve got a beautiful wife in there that knows how to sing. We’ve got enough money to make our own records. It’s enough for us to get some action in a specific area. When you start tracking what areas really like your music, then you go, ‘Guess what? Minneapolis for some reason loves Sugarcane Jane’. Well, guess what? I’m going to get my booking agent to book me some gigs in Minneapolis. 

    “It’s not broken. It’s better than ever. You can do it. People still like to see live music. If you play live, there is no music business. It’s your business.

    “The best thing that’s happened to the music business is the ability to have your phone tell you how to get to the gig. That, to me, is amazing. We went and did a gig in St. Augustine then had to get over to Tampa the next morning. It was complicated. The phone was like, ‘Turn left. Ok, in three quarters of a mile, go right’. Fifteen or twenty years ago, you’d be like, ‘Oh god, we’re not going to make the gig’. There are a lot of positives about touring now. I’m just a guy out there that’s going to play my music. I don’t care if electricity stopped happening, I’d look for campfires to play around. I’d take my acoustic guitar. I don’t need electricity. My wife and I could sing and get somebody to give us a deer leg if we were hungry.

    “That’s the problem with living in Nashville. They started depending on somebody telling them how to go do something. Down here, we’re in the middle of the woods. We’ve got to go out and get it. We learn how to hunt and fish, metaphorically-speaking. We’re living and playing music. We’re doing what we love. That’s BIG.

    And connoisseurs will have no complaints listening to “Dirt Road’s End” and, when they do listen to it, they’ll become fans for life.

    Visit WWW.SugarcaneJane.com

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  • Gordon Lightfoot On His Career, New LP, & Documentary

    Posted July 2019

     

    Gordon Lightfoot 01croppedImagine being an artist whose career is about to span seven decades (yes, seven). Imagine, writing songs that are immediately recognizable by every generation who listens to music today. Imagine writing songs that have been recorded by the likes of Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Barbara Streisand, Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton, Olivia Newton-John, John Mellencamp, Harry Belafonte, and countless others.

    The artist who personifies that and so much more is none other than Gordon Lightfoot. My earliest remembrances of the Canadian artist (and national treasure, in the opinion of The Band’s Robbie Robertson) are of hearing “If You Could Read My Mind” on the Phoenix radio stations when I was a radio listening eleven-year old. I became an instant fan. That following was further solidified when I watched Elvis Presley cover “Early Morning Rain” on his historic “Aloha From Hawaii” televised concert.

    When I heard that the Canadian legend was going to be performing in my neck of the woods (East Tennessee), I had to reach out for an interview and was thrilled that it was granted. I reached Gordon at his home in Toronto. After making small talk, I asked him how he felt about still performing and having performed over six decades.

    “Well, I think I better be prepared! I think I had better be prepared and I stay prepared. I have a group of people working with me and they’re all prepared. We’re ready to go. We go out seven times a year. We go on tour seven times a year. Each time we do about ten or eleven shows. So, if you add up the year, we’ve done about eighty shows and we play all over North America!”

    When I mentioned that he’d be stopping at the Tivoli Theatre in Chattanooga (my neck of the woods), he said:

    “Yes! That’s indoors! We try to keep things indoors in the summer. We do festivals. But I’ve played Chattanooga before. I’ve played there a couple of times already, so we’ll get back and pick up the ol’ vibes!”

    I noted that Lightfoot had seen countless changes in the music business. I asked him what the best and worst changes in the music business are that he had seen over the years.

    “Ah! That’s a question I cannot answer. It’s evolved. Things change into different modes. Country music becomes more rockGordon Lightfoot 02 Reduced and roll. That’s the best example I can think of. The rest of it just keeps rolling along; keeps changing. Hip-Hop music is out there big time right now. People like to tap their toes and dance to that stuff. So, do I!”

    And his opinion of the music business today?

    “It’s ongoing. If your stuff is good enough, it’s going to make it on the radio somewhere. The cream’s gonna come to the top. Take Drake, for instance. Drake is building a house right across the street from me. It’s a big thing around Toronto here. He’s been building it for two and a half years. I’ve never met him. But I wanted to what made his record be number one on the record chart for five weeks! Number one on the record charts for five weeks! I said, ‘I wonder what’s so special about him?’ I went and bought one (his CD) and it was like a great rap record. The great vocals. The great arrangements. Great rap, you know?”

    Word has been circulating about a possible new album of new material by Gordon, so I asked him about it.

    “The record is from some newly discovered material which I had forgotten I owned. Honestly. At that point, I really didn’t have enough for another album but when I found this stuff accidentally one day while cleaning my office. It became apparent Gordon Lightfoot 04that I had enough material available. It was interesting, too, because it was done just before I had a serious illness. I was at full strength. I was playing really strong on my guitar. My vocals were really at a peak at that point. It was about the year 2000. The stuff was written over a three-year period there. I dug it out and it was so good that I kept it all. I was able to work on it and do some orchestrating. That stuff sounds great! That’s going to be my 21st album. All original material.”

    Canadian Television has been airing a documentary on Gordon Lightfoot. It’s not yet available in the States so I asked him about the documentary and how he felt about it.

    “I’ll tell you, my wife and I have watched it together now four times – my wife, Kim, and I. She’s so philosophical about it that I really can’t believe that. I really got to give her great credit. It covers my personal life to a certain degree. But, mostly, it covers the titles. I have about twenty-five titles in there. A lot of photographs. Everyone from Elvis Presley right on down, performing my songs; like Gordon Downing. He just passed away last year. I had one called Black Day In July which got banned way back when. He did a great version of it. They showed me working with Johnny Cash and people like that. It was really fun. It showed some of my “Today” stuff with my band the way it is now. Now, it’s a five-piece band. Everybody’s all ready to roll. They’re a great bunch of guys. I have fourteen people in my entourage!”

    When I asked Mr. Lightfoot what fans can expect from this tour, he shared:

    “Well, okay, they’re gonna have a two-set show with a twenty-minute intermission. Each set is about sixty-minutes long. If theyGordon Lightfoot 07reduced can sit through that, they’re welcome! Some of these people, my goodness, they’ll go on for three hours up there! I like to be polite with my audience and time is one thing that I take very serious. I don’t like to work too long. We give them the best of everything we’ve got. And, believe you me, they play it well. We’ve got a good little orchestra here! By the time we get to The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald, they start to get really excited.”

    With such a stellar career and a still successful touring regimen, I wondered what Gordon would like to do, career wise, that he hasn’t yet done.

    “It always comes to mind that Springsteen did his Broadway show. It’s there on Netflix. That’s a great show. I might do something like that, but I don’t think I could. You gotta be Bruce Springsteen to get on Broadway like that. Ha! Ha! A whole year! He’s one of my biggest influences! I love that guy! I love his work! Him and Bob Dylan and quite a few other people, too. Leonard Cohen!”

    Since Elvis had a song or two of his, what were Lightfoot’s thoughts of the King?

    “He covered my song, Early Morning Rain, better than anybody and that takes in a whole bunch of people because, I tell ya, a LOT of people recorded that song. I like George Hamilton IV doing it best of all. But, Elvis? Yes, I almost jumped out of my car when I heard it on my car radio because that was the first time I knew that he even done the song, when I heard it one day on my car radio when I was driving down the highway. I didn’t even know about it. All of a sudden, there it was, and I said, ‘Oh, my goodness! He’s done it! I remember buying a guitar when I was fourteen when I first started hearing Elvis Presley and there he was. I almost jumped out of my car, but I was doing about 75 miles per hour at the time. Ha! Ha!”

    Did he meet him?

    “Came close. Could have. They made a way for me in Buffalo. I was supposed to meet him backstage at the hockey arena when he played there. I didn’t make it back in time. They left by the time I fought my way back there. We were going to meet, alright. I just couldn’t get back there in time. They had to go.”

    I don’t what possessed me to do it, but I the legendary Gordon Lightfoot the ongoing question among baby boomers: Beatles or the Stones?

    “I gotta take the Stones because they’re still going at it and they’re this weekend up hear in Toronto! They’re doing a great big show! They’re expecting about twenty-five thousand people up there. You gotta choose the Stones because they’re still doing it! What else can you say? They’re still a band! They’re still out there doing it; playing their music! It’s amazing! I’m amazed that I am still doing it!”

    And why does he still do it?

    Gordon Lightfoot 01“I’m over eighty. You’re not supposed to still be doing this when you’re over eighty, so they say; still out there playing music. They tell me some people still play until they’re ninety. A prime example is Willie Nelson. Tony Bennett. They’re still playing their music. They’re not getting any younger. I really love the work. I feel confident and I like my material. I stay ready to perform. I stay prepared. You always got to be in a state of readiness to go out seven times a year. Those little month-long stretches in between there, they go by pretty quick and you gotta go back out there again, doin’ it. Each one is like its own little trip. Of course, you gotta make arrangements, too, for the work permits, all the time doing that for fifty-six years. I could’ve moved down to the states if I wanted to. It was my songwriting that got me accepted by the industry down there, originally. My songwriting deal allowed them to petition on my behalf for the work permits.”

    We all hope that Gordon Lightfoot is around and performing for many more years to come. That said, I asked him a question that I’ve asked many of his peers: How do you want to be remembered and what do you hope your legacy is? His answer was short, sweet, and to the point.

    “My answer is always so simple, it’s so stupid: That I took care of business! That I took care of business. Yeah!”

    Please check out GordonLightfoot.com to stay current on his touring schedule and other related news.

  • Nils Lofgren On 'Weathered' and the Pandemic

    Posted September 2020

    Lofgren Head ShotWe’re always flattered here at Boomerocity when we get to speak to an artist. Imagine the pride we feel when we get to chat with them more than once. With that in mind, you’ll understand why we’re thrilled to be speaking with Nils Lofgren for our fourth time!

    This time our interview with Nils is primarily about his new live album, “Weathered”, as well as about the pandemic and how it has affected him and his family and friends.

    Before you click on the audio file on the right, I want to share with you a little bit about “Weathered”.

    For those of you who don’t like to read a lot, I’ll just say that the album is freakin’ awesome and well worth your investment in it.

    Yeah, it’s that good.

    For those of you who like more detail ahead of listening to our interview with Nils, there this:

    In between E Street Band and Crazy Horse work, master rock singer songwriter-guitarist Nils Lofgren fit in his first tour  with a full band in over 15 years. Inspired by the writing with the great Lou Reed on his last studio album, Nils knew it was time. Audience and band alike sharing their souls, gifts, spirit and energy on the tour made for a fresh, new live sound for Nils. The result is in an earthy, rockin’ album that breathes life into a world temporarily void of the excitement, energy, tenderness, and spontaneity of live music during COVID-19.

    The 16-track collection, entitled Weathered, and issued on Lofgren’s own Cattle Track Road Records in double-CD configuration, was produced by the musician and his wife Amy, and is due out on August 21, 2020.

    It was recorded on the road during select intimate tour dates in the U.S. supporting his recent Blue With Loustudio album. “My dear friends who made that album all agreed to come. Andy Newmark, Kevin McCormick, Cindy Mizelle, and my brother Tom Lofgren joining us to form an amazing band,” notes Nils. “In preparation for the tour my wonderful wife Amy hosted us all in our home and garage studio to put the show together. Amy designed our merchandise, cooked beautiful food for us and created a safe, welcoming musical environment for all. We created the show’s foundation to work from and headed out to share this fresh, new band.”

    Improvisation has always been a key element in live performances for Nils, a veteran member of some of the greatest rock bands in history, as well as an accomplished and successful solo artist. “All the band members are old friends used to being encouraged to stretch out and improvise with me,” he explains. That freedom shows throughout Weathered. “Our crew did a fabulous job getting everything right for us to do our best every night.” He continues, “Regularly hearing inspired, improvisational surprises from your fellow bandmates elevated our interaction and made for one of a kind, unique shows every night. We all thrive in a live setting and at every show, the audience kicked the music up to a special level we only reach with their contagious, inspired energy.” That comes across brilliantly on this celebratory live album.

    The album contains live renditions of two of the Lou Reed/Nils Lofgren penned songs, “Don’t Let Your Guard Down” and “Give,” along with Nils’ rocking protest song “Rock or Not” and the tenderly wistful “Too Blue to Play,” all from the Blue With Loualbum. Cindy Mizelle’s heartfelt vocals complement throughout the double album, but on “Big Tears Fall” they take the lead and on the duet “Tender Love” they are especially powerful.

    In addition to her soulful harmonies, you’ll also hear Cindy’s improvisational “scatting” throughout, becoming another instrument inside this stellar band. The dark, minor blues “Too Many Miles” is a wonderful example of this.

    Nils pushes his electric soloing to new heights throughout. In “Give,” a co-write and timely lyric with the great Lou Reed, you’ll hear him at his improvisational best, launching into a “backwards” guitar segment, mid solo.

    There’s a fabulous 14-minute-plus version of the haunting “Girl in Motion,” set up by a wonderful studio story of Ringo NilsLofgrenCOLOR3 LOStarr watching the original recording go down and offering amazing advice.

    It’s very rare for Nils to get the entire band that made a studio record out on the road with him. It pays off dramatically here. Andy Newmark on drums (John Lennon, Sly Stone, David Bowie, Eric Clapton…) Kevin McCormick on bass, vocals (Crosby, Stills and Nash, Jackson Browne, Melissa Ethridge, Keb’ Mo’…) Cindy Mizelle on vocals (Luther Vandross, Whitney Houston, Steely Dan, Bruce Springsteen…) and Tom Lofgren on guitars, keyboards, vocals, who’s been playing with Nils since his early band Grin, combine to create a fresh, inspired take on these classic Nils songs.

    weatheredcoverOrder 'Weathered' By Clicking HereWeatheredincludes “Like Rain”from Grin and seven other standards from his solo work.Nils’ brothers Mike and Mark Lofgren join the band on the Hank Williams classic “Mind Your Own Business.”The art of improvisation resurfaces during the “Jam / Papa Was a Rolling Stone,”which builds to a crescendo before his classic “I Came To Dance.”

    “We kept the shows reckless and fun with a lot of jamming and interaction. Tour bussing from town to town all over America, we all brought our collective experience and love for performing to every show,” Nils reflects. “Turning up to ‘eleven’ and wailing inside this amazing band was a joy and revelation to me, having been away from playing with my own electric band for so long. Proud to share this rough and ready collection that breathes new life and inspiration into the best of my songs.

    “After 51 years on the road, I’m so grateful to have been inspired by this band and our audiences as never before!”

    http://www.nilslofgren.com

  • Richie Furay Discusses Hand In Hand

    April, 2015

    RichieFuray 7 Reduced Credit Ed ZiehmPhoto by Ed ZiehmIf you’re a baby boomer and listened to the radio, you’re likely more than a little familiar with the iconic groups, Buffalo Springfield and Poco.  Buffalo Springfield was made up of Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Dewey Martin, Bruce Palmer, and Richie Furay. Poco consisted of Jim Messina, Rusty Young, George Grantham, Randy Meisner, and, again, Richie Furay.

    After his stint with these two legendary bands, Furay went on to form his own namesake band that blazed new trails in contemporary Christian music, establishing his mark as one of its influential pioneers. In fact, it was in that genre that I became aware of his work. His former work earned him the distinction of becoming an inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The latter provided him his ultimate calling as minister to a flock of Christians in Colorado. Both roles have given him the ability to influence people well beyond the end of his life.

    For this interview, I chatted with Greg Harris (CEO of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and is a friend of Boomerocity) about Richie.  He said, “He, obviously, contributed greatly as a member of Buffalo Springfield but also went on to greater public recognition with Poco. Buffalo Springfield is the cornerstone of the folk and country that followed. It’s fascinating how much has grown out of the collaboration of the original band members and, then, the many shoots and branches that grew from their trunk to create an incredible music legacy of its founders. They’re even influencing the Americana genre to this day. 

    “They’re sound – and Richie still sounds the same as he did in the late sixties – is still as fresh and vibrant today as it was then. Have you heard Richie’s new album? Amazing and it proves the point I was just making.”

    Greg is referring to Furay’s recently released eighth solo studio album. It’s entitled “Hand In Hand,” and is likely bound to go down as his best work yet.

    I called Richie at his Colorado home to chat about “Hand In Hand” and other things going on in his life. I started off by asking him what would he tell Richie Furay/Buffalo Springfield/Poco fans about this album.

    “This album is very current from my perspective. I’ve really been thought of as a love song writer, and these songs are EverythingKnoxvilleLogoEditeddefinitely love songs. They’re about my love for life, my love for my wife, my love for my country, my love for what the Lord has blessed me with. It’s really all-encompassing. The music is as current and as fresh today as anything anybody could hear on the radio. I do have a certain style of music that I write, but it’s very current today. I just couldn’t be any happier with it. It’s really getting a lot of traction today.”

    As for the feedback on the album, so far, Richie said, “It has been wonderful. Everyone, to a person, that’s heard the music has responded in such a positive way. It’s really blowing my mind. When I wrote the songs, I really felt that I had something special. I think the people that are now hearing this and responding to it are showing me, ‘Yeah, there is something real special about this project’.”

    I have two favorites from the album, “We Were The Dreamers” and “Let It Slide.” Artists can’t really pick a favorite song from their albums because it’s too much like picking a favorite child so I didn’t ask Furay to pick on. However, I did ask which song would he use as a “calling card,” if you will, to draw people to buy the album.

    “It’s really hard to separate one song from the other, because every song is special. ‘We Were The Dreamers’ is obviously the first song on the album, because I think that has to have a hook on it. People are going to listen to it and go to song 2 (“Hand In Hand”), song 3 (“Don’t Lose Heart”), on down the road until you get to ‘Let It Slide’. I think they gotta hear something that’s going to appeal to them. If anyone’s like me, it’s the music first of all. Is there a melody that I can relate to and embrace? Then I want to hear what the song is all about.”

    Richie then gets on a roll about the rest of the album, excitedly telling me about each song. 

    “‘We Were The Dreamers’ is about starting Poco and what we wanted to do with that band. We wanted to make a bridge between country and rock, and I think that proved to be an honest goal as we’ve seen that happen. We see music coming out of Nashville today that took a very strong leap when, back in 1969, Poco was trying to cross that gap. 

    “Then, leading on, I think people are going to find that there’s a lot of interesting music that they built from one song to the next. On ‘Hand In Hand’, they’re going to hear about my relationship with my wife looking back who I’ve been married to for forty-eight years now. We aren’t standing on the Whisky A Go Go stage anymore looking forward. We’re on the stage of life- still going hand in hand, still in love with each other- but we’re looking from a different perspective now. 

    “You get Dan Fogelberg’s ‘Don’t Lose Heart’. I think the question Dan was asking in that song is, ‘Was everything I ended up going through worth it in the end?’ I saw the hope in the Lord, you know: ‘No matter what’s going on, you can trust that I’m still there with you. Don’t lose heart. I’m going with you.’ 

    “‘Don’t Tread On Me’ is a different kind of love song. It’s a song about my love for this country. I think this country is the greatest country in the world. I know we have problems. I know we have things we can improve upon, but it really hurts me when I hear people cutting down and talking about this country in a negative way. We have very positive things that we can be proud of, but we are being divided right now. We’re polarized. We’ve got to start talking and thinking about the blessings that God has given us in this great nation of ours. 

    “‘Wind Of Change’ follows that same line. On the surface, it just sound like it’s about a guy taking a road trip going east. If you look deeper into the song, I think people will understand that I have some problems with what I see going on out east. Hopefully, there will be a change. 

    “‘Someday’ (that features Keb Mo) … Again, I’m just so thankful that during these troubled times I’ve got eleven grandkids. Number twelve is on the way May 1. I’m concerned about the way things are going and what my kids and grandkids are going to have to go through. But I’m very thankful, and I sum it up in that song, that I didn’t have to go alone. My wife has been there with me. I couldn’t make it without her. 

    “Each song, they’re all very important. They all have a special message and meaning. It’s a very universal CD for people to embrace.”

    I asked the Hall of Famer if he considered “Hand In Hand” a CCM disc, secular/Americana or another genre?

    “I think it’s definitely a secular/Americana CD. There’s no doubt about it. I say that because if you go back to ‘64/’65 when Buffalo Springfield was together, there was nothing we called or considered ‘Americana’. Americana became a genre of music later on, and quite frankly, we pioneered that along with country rock ‘n’ roll. I would say this is definitely a mainstream secular project. It has Americana roots all the way.”

    I asked Richie what he hoped people get or take away from “Hand In Hand.”

    “I hope that they’ll take away hope. With my life, I’ve gone through different changes, different struggles, different places where I’ve come to a crossroads in my life and asked ‘Which direction do I go?’ But I’ve always found that there was direction. I will say I didn’t know what that direction was at times, but I did come to find out it was the leading of the Lord. Regardless if this is a secular project, He is still guiding my life as the Good Shepherd. He is watching over me, and I know now who has been guiding me. 

    “In years past, I didn’t have a clue when I would take a step and go in this direction or that direction. Even before I became a believer, in Souther Hillman Furay I didn’t want the guy who was a Christian to be in the band. He had a Jesus sticker on his guitar, and I said, ‘I don’t want this guy in the band. He’s going to stop me from becoming a rock ‘n’ roll star.’ But it was there that God reached out to me. 

    “The Lord is so gracious. At one time, I thought maybe he was taking the musical aspect of my life away. God never takes away something that he doesn’t have something far greater for us. He’s shown me that by allowing me to come back and play music in this day and age, but also be part of a great church family in Broomfield, Colorado. 

    “What I hope the people will take away from this is hope. When they’re not sure where things are going in their life, there’s hope. They can read that in the music and the songs that I’ve been sharing.”

    Some of you might be surprised by my comment at the beginning of this interview that Richie Furay is now a minister. I asked him to tell Boomerocity readers about his ministry.

    “We have a small little church in Broomfield, Colorado, called Calvary Chapel. We are a part of the Calvary Chapel network of churches. When Al Perkins led me to the Lord back in 1974, my wife and I had been married for seven years and separated for seven months. It was a disastrous time in my life, and I had no idea what was going to be taking place in my life. 

    “Things started to change, and I really thought that music was pretty much going to be the end of the road for me. It didn’tRichieFuray 1 Reduced Credit EdZiehmPhoto by Ed Ziehm turn out to be that way. In the meantime, there was a little bit of diversion there, and I said, ‘Lord, what would you have me to do?’ He opened up the doors, and I started a little home Bible study. Next thing I know, people are coming around saying, ‘When are we going to have church?’ I said, ‘You know, we’re kinda having it right now.’ They wanted something else, and as it turned out, we started a little church in Boulder, Colorado. Then we moved down to Broomfield, and it’s been so great. 

    “The Bible says the Lord will give you the desires of your heart if you just focus on Him. I love the opportunity he’s given me to encourage people’s lives with the teaching of the Word of God. I love the way Chuck Smith taught us to really teach the Bible book by book, verse by verse. It’s been real precious. Also, what has been really neat is the support I’ve gotten from a lot of my pastor friends in Calvary Chapel to continue to pursue and do the music I’m doing. Regardless if it has a Christian influence like ‘In My Father’s House’ and ‘I Am Sure’ or my music as it comes out today like this new project which is a mainstream secular/Americana project, the church supports me. The church is right there with me. 

    “Early on, neither I nor the church congregation that I had at the time understood, and I think there was some question about, ‘Can you do both?’ Sometimes, people want to say, ‘How can you go out, do this music, and still be a pastor of a church?’ It all flows. I’ve got a very unique position in life right now. I’ve got a very unique position in having a church but still going on the road, traveling, doing concerts. Quite frankly, when I go into a place to play, we have done worship services with my band. My band is the worship band at our church. They learned all of my music, and we go out. 

    “I’m not out there to proselytize when I go into secular venues. I’m out there to share my life, and the biggest part of my life is the fact that Jesus Christ has saved me and loves me. He has given me the desires of my heart. He gave me the gift of music, so we always get to share with the people regardless. If they hear ‘A Good Feelin’ To Know’ and ‘Pickin’ Up The Pieces’, they still hear. We’re there and we’re sharing this, because we know where the gift has come from. It’s come from Jesus.”

    I always ask experienced artists this question at the end of interviews: Once you’ve stepped off of the tour bus for the final time and are at that great gig in the sky, how do you want to be remembered and what do you hope your legacy is? Richie was asked this, as well.

    “Truly, I want to hear the Lord say ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant.’ He didn’t tell me just to preach within the four walls of a church building. He told me to go into all the world and to proclaim his goodness, glory, and salvation. That’s what I want to do. I sincerely believe in my heart that is being accomplished by the response I get from all kinds of people. People who are believers, people who are nonbelievers, people who are Jewish, people who have no real understanding of faith at all. 

    “They come to me and say, ‘There’s something about you, and on that stage, there’s something that shines. Something that glows.’ At seventy years old, it’s really special to be able to stand up there and get that kind of feedback. I was just answering a person who I don’t even know from Montana who said, ‘I accepted the Lord a long time ago, but I walked away from the Lord. I don’t know why, but I feel the need to reach out to you to help me along and get back on this path’. If I can lead anybody to the foot of the Cross where Jesus’ forgiveness is, that’s what it’s about for me.”

    You can keep up with Richie and order his music at RichieFuray.com or check out his message and his church at CalvaryBroomfield.org.

    Read the Boomerocity review of "Hand In Hand," here.

     

     


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