By Steve Newton Very sad to hear the news tonight of the passing of Americana artist Justin Townes Earle. He was a helluva singer-songwriter. I only got to interview him once, back in May of 2009, when he was touring behind his third album, Midnight Movies. Having interviewed his father Steve Earle numerous times, I … Continue reading That time Justin Townes Earle told me that it was Jason Isbell’s songs that made him a big Drive-By Truckers fan
That time Alex Van Halen told me which drummer first blew him away with style and feel
By Steve Newton Everybody has their favourite all-time rock drummer. Mine, for example, was the Who's Keith Moon, who won me over forever with his frenzied work on Quadrophenia. Many others point to the precise timekeeping of Led Zeppelin skinbasher John Bonham. When I interviewed Alex Van Halen back in 1995 he told me that Moon … Continue reading That time Alex Van Halen told me which drummer first blew him away with style and feel
That time I made Gary Moore laugh by asking what drives him
By Steve Newton I've interviewed scads of incredible guitarists over the years, but I can't think of any more amazing than Gary Moore. Everything about his playing just blew me away. So I was mighty psyched when I did my one and only interview with him way back on May 11, 1984. At the time … Continue reading That time I made Gary Moore laugh by asking what drives him
That time I asked Nancy Wilson if Heart were Canadians from Vancouver or Americans from Seattle
By Steve Newton Heart was one of the first great rock bands I saw live. I was still in high school when they came and played the hockey rink in Chilliwack around the time of their debut Dreamboat Annie LP, which--with songs like "Magic Man", "Crazy on You", and "White Lightning & Wine"--is still my … Continue reading That time I asked Nancy Wilson if Heart were Canadians from Vancouver or Americans from Seattle
Thin Lizzy and Rory Gallagher packages bring hope for the future and proof that there is a god (for fans of Irish rock)
colm henry photo By Steve Newton With the COVID-19 epidemic causing death and economic destruction worldwide, there hasn't been a lot to cheer about in the last six months. But that all changed this week when a new double-disc collection by Rory Gallagher and a massive box set from Thin Lizzy were announced. Let's hear … Continue reading Thin Lizzy and Rory Gallagher packages bring hope for the future and proof that there is a god (for fans of Irish rock)
That time Jeff Golub told me that, as a kid in Akron, Ohio, you could either be a juvenile delinquent or a guitarist
Rod Stewart Fan Club photo By Steve Newton One summer day back in July of 1989 Rod Stewart played Vancouver's BC Place Stadium on his Out of Order World tour. It would have been great to meet Rod the Mod down at the pub and do a little interview, but he wasn't available, so I … Continue reading That time Jeff Golub told me that, as a kid in Akron, Ohio, you could either be a juvenile delinquent or a guitarist
That time Edgar Winter told me about playing Carnegie Hall for Les Paul’s 90th birthday celebration
Carl Lender photo By Steve Newton When I interviewed Edgar Winter in July of 2005 it had only been one month since he'd performed at Carnegie Hall as part of Les Paul's 90th birthday celebration. He'd been joined at that event by the likes of Steve Miller, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Steve Lukather, Stanley Jordan, Peter … Continue reading That time Edgar Winter told me about playing Carnegie Hall for Les Paul’s 90th birthday celebration
That time The Pursuit of Happiness’s Moe Berg told me how much of a Todd Rundgren fan he was
By Steve Newton I loved Canadian rockers The Pursuit of Happiness back in the day. Their 1988 debut album, the Todd Rundgren-produced Love Junk, was jam-packed with catchy power-pop tunes. The band's 1990 followup, One-Sided Story, was also produced by Rundgren, and though not as consistently impressive as Love Junk, boasted some strong tracks as … Continue reading That time The Pursuit of Happiness’s Moe Berg told me how much of a Todd Rundgren fan he was
That time Todd Rundgren told me that one of the greatest recording experiences of his life was with TPOH
By Steve Newton Todd Rundgren has some amazing credits as a producer. He's helmed such influential and/or successful albums as Badfinger's Straight Up, the New York Dolls' selt-titled debut, Grand Funk's We're an American Band, and Meat Loaf's multiplatinum Bat Out of Hell. He also helmed an LP near and dear to the hearts of … Continue reading That time Todd Rundgren told me that one of the greatest recording experiences of his life was with TPOH
UFO bassist Pete Way left his musical mark on some of the wickedest rock tunes of the seventies
By Steve Newton Hard-rock bassist Pete Way passed away yesterday at the age of 69, two months after sustaining life-threatening injuries in an accident at home. He was known for his work with bands such as Fastway and Waysted, but mostly for his lengthy tenure with the highly underrated UFO, of which he was a … Continue reading UFO bassist Pete Way left his musical mark on some of the wickedest rock tunes of the seventies
That time Joe Satriani told me that he vowed to take up guitar on the day Jimi Hendrix died
By Steve Newton Jimi Hendrix has to be the most influential electric guitarist of all time. Joe Satriani surely wouldn't argue the point. When I did the first of my eight interviews with Satch back in 1990, after the release of Flying in a Blue Dream, I asked him if it was true that he … Continue reading That time Joe Satriani told me that he vowed to take up guitar on the day Jimi Hendrix died
That time I asked Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger who his alltime favourite rock musician was
By Steve Newton It's been said by many that, as far as Nickelback goes, you either love 'em or hate 'em. I disagree. They aren't my favourite band by any stretch, but I'm not a serious hater either. I mean, they've got loud guitars and a wicked drummer. Who hates that? I interviewed mainman Chad … Continue reading That time I asked Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger who his alltime favourite rock musician was
That time Canadian guitar wizard Jack Semple told me about winning the 1992 Guitar Warz competition
By Steve Newton Canada isn't really known for its abundance of guitar wizards. I mean, you've got your Lenny Breau--"The Humbler", according to Danny Gatton--and guys like Jeff Healey. And Neil Young has been known to crank out a tasty note or two. But for the most part the Great White North isn't known as … Continue reading That time Canadian guitar wizard Jack Semple told me about winning the 1992 Guitar Warz competition