That time I made Albert King laugh by saying that I thought “King of the Blues” was B.B.’s title

By Steve Newton Yesterday I came across a tweet from the awesome bluesharp Twitter feed that included a couple of minutes of guitar legend Albert King tearing up it up on his Flying V in the company of Stevie Ray Vaughan. After I retweeted it, I got to thinking that maybe I should post another … Continue reading That time I made Albert King laugh by saying that I thought “King of the Blues” was B.B.’s title

That time I asked Albert Collins which blues artists he liked listening to, and he mentioned three biggies

By Steve Newton Way back in September of 1985 I did my one and only interview with blues legend Albert Collins, the “Master of the Telecaster”. He was getting ready for a tour that would bring him to Vancouver for two nights at a Gastown nightclub called the Town Pump. At one point in the … Continue reading That time I asked Albert Collins which blues artists he liked listening to, and he mentioned three biggies

That time Albert King told me that Gary Moore could play guitar: “I guarantee it”

By Steve Newton During my 40 years of writing about music, I’ve been extremely fortunate, especially when it comes to interviewing guitar players. I’ve been able to interview some of the world’s greatest guitarists several times over, including amazing players like Joe Satriani (eight times), Warren Haynes (six times), Buddy Guy (five times), and Dickey … Continue reading That time Albert King told me that Gary Moore could play guitar: “I guarantee it”

That time Warren Haynes told me that the Marcus King Band was his favourite current band

haynes and king By Steve Newton I really admire Warren Haynes. I love everything about him: his singing, his songwriting, his guitar playing, his personality. I’ve been fortunate enough to have interviewed Warren six times, the last time being back in 2017 when Gov’t Mule was touring behind its Revolution Come…Revolution Go album. At one … Continue reading That time Warren Haynes told me that the Marcus King Band was his favourite current band

That time I asked Magic Slim if Magic Sam was okay with him having some of the magic

By Steve Newton Back in the summer of 1999 I interviewed blues guitarist and vocalist Magic Slim (real name Morris Holt), who’d been a major contributor to the Chicago blues scene with his band Magic Slim and the Teardrops. I called him up at his then-home in Lincoln, Nebraska, before he headed out to Vancouver … Continue reading That time I asked Magic Slim if Magic Sam was okay with him having some of the magic

Hoping the best for Buddy Guy and revisiting my latest interview with the blues legend

By Steve Newton I saw a tweet from my blues-rockin’ buddy David Gogo a couple days ago, in which he sent “love and healing vibes” to Buddy Guy as the 87-year-old blues legend deals with the health issues that have postponed his farewell tour. That got me thinking about how much I’ve appreciated Buddy myself, … Continue reading Hoping the best for Buddy Guy and revisiting my latest interview with the blues legend

Michael Schau dedicates Livin’ the Blues to Stevie Ray, Hendrix, and the two Alberts

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, FEB. 9, 1995 By Steve Newton During my years as a rock scribbler I’ve been fortunate enough to have interviewed lots of amazing guitarists. Unfortunately, many of them aren’t around anymore. Roy Buchanan hanged himself in a jail cell (or so the story goes). Danny Gatton shot himself in … Continue reading Michael Schau dedicates Livin’ the Blues to Stevie Ray, Hendrix, and the two Alberts

That time I called up Albert King and asked how life was treatin’ him these days and he said “shit”

By Steve Newton On August 18, 1990, I did my one and only interview with blues legend Albert King. I was very fortunate to have scored that interview, because a little over two years later he was gone. I called Albert up when he was on the road in Poughkeepsie, New York, and asked him … Continue reading That time I called up Albert King and asked how life was treatin’ him these days and he said “shit”

Album review: Little Jimmy King, Something Inside of Me

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT, JULY 29, 1994 By Steve Newton The death of blues guitarist Albert King in December of ’92 was a real downer for anyone who had followed the stellar career of the big bulldozer operator and master of the Flying V. King’s influence on the likes of Jeff Beck, Eric … Continue reading Album review: Little Jimmy King, Something Inside of Me

10 minutes on the phone with 29-year-old Steve Vai in 1990

By Steve Newton Steve Vai is one of those guitarists where you watch him play and you’re like: “How the hell does he do that!?” This is the first interview I did with him, when he was only 29, touring with Whitesnake, and had just released his solo album Passion and Warfare. During the first … Continue reading 10 minutes on the phone with 29-year-old Steve Vai in 1990

That time Jon Bon Jovi told me that his band’s new Slippery When Wet album was just meant to be a fun summertime album

By Steve Newton I did the third of my three interviews with Jon Bon Jovi in June of 1987, when his band was touring behind its massively successful third album, Slippery When Wet, which went on to sell over 12-million copies in the U.S. alone. A year earlier the group had barely caused a stir … Continue reading That time Jon Bon Jovi told me that his band’s new Slippery When Wet album was just meant to be a fun summertime album

36 years later I finally got turned on to the rockin’ glory of Warren Zevon’s “Even a Dog Can Shake Hands”

By Steve Newton I’m a little show on the uptake sometimes. For example, just yesterday I was typing up my old interview from 1987 with Rick Richards of the Georgia Satellites, giving the article new life on the internet after being trapped on yellowing newspaper and stashed in a banker’s box for decades. In the … Continue reading 36 years later I finally got turned on to the rockin’ glory of Warren Zevon’s “Even a Dog Can Shake Hands”

That time Dave Alvin told me what it was like being in the Pleasure Barons with Country Dick Montana and Mojo Nixon

By Steve Newton I’ve interviewed American singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Alvin, a founding member of the Blasters, four times over the years, ’cause he’s just plain great. This is the first time, back in November of 1991, when he was touring behind his second solo album, Blue Blvd. At one point in the conversation I … Continue reading That time Dave Alvin told me what it was like being in the Pleasure Barons with Country Dick Montana and Mojo Nixon