That time 20-year-old Davy Knowles told me that Rory Gallagher was his absolute idol

By Steve Newton Rory Gallagher fanatics will know Davy Knowles as the astounding guitarist who joined Gallagher’s former bassist Gerry McAvoy and late drummer Ted McKenna in Band of Friends, recreating the Irish guitar legend’s music live in recent years. But Knowles was professing his love for everything Gallagher long before Band of Friends hit … Continue reading That time 20-year-old Davy Knowles told me that Rory Gallagher was his absolute idol

That time Alex Van Halen told me how Van Halen would “raise a stink” across L.A. until it paid off

By Steve Newton If you want to know the real story of how Van Halen went from being a backyard party band to America’s hard-rock kings, check out author Gregg Renoff’s 2015 book Van Halen Rising. And for the condensed version, check out this excerpt from my 1995 interview with Alex Van Halen. Have a listen: … Continue reading That time Alex Van Halen told me how Van Halen would “raise a stink” across L.A. until it paid off

That time Guess Who guitarist Randy Bachman told me about creating the riff for “American Woman”

By Steve Newton Canada doesn’t seem to have an overabundance of rock-guitar heroes. Sure, you’ve got your Lenny Breau when it comes to jazz, and your Jeff Healey if you’re talkin’ blues. But when it comes to Canadian rock-guitar heroes, I can’t think of tons. Alex Lifeson, Kim Mitchell… Obviously Neil Young, but isn’t he … Continue reading That time Guess Who guitarist Randy Bachman told me about creating the riff for “American Woman”

That time I asked Robert Cray if he was surprised that Eric Clapton covered his song “Bad Influence” on August

By Steve Newton I’ve interviewed Robert Cray four times, ’cause I reckon he’s one of the tastiest guitarists who’s ever strapped on a Strat. This was the first time, back in January of 1996, when he was touring behind his Some Rainy Morning album. Ten years earlier Cray had gotten a bit of a boost … Continue reading That time I asked Robert Cray if he was surprised that Eric Clapton covered his song “Bad Influence” on August

That time I asked Jimmy Barnes about his boozer reputation, and why he left Cold Chisel

By Steve Newton When I went to Australia for my little sister’s wedding in 1986 I managed to see two wicked Aussie bands–Midnight Oil and the Angels (aka Angel City)–play killer shows in Melbourne-area clubs. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to see Cold Chisel play a killer show in a Melbourne-area pub because they’d already broken … Continue reading That time I asked Jimmy Barnes about his boozer reputation, and why he left Cold Chisel

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 Joan Jett told me about the sect in San Francisco that worships her as a god

By Steve Newton The words “rock god” get thrown around a lot, but when they land on somebody like Joan Jett, they fit pretty well. If you’re gonna worship anybody in rock ‘n’ roll, it might as well be someone like her, someone who’s been at it forever, who’s never sold out, and who always … Continue reading That time Joan Jett told me about the sect in San Francisco that worships her as a god

That time Doyle Bramhall II told me that he was “all over” B.B. King and Eric Clapton’s Riding With the King

By Steve Newton I absolutely loved the B.B. King and Eric Clapton album Riding With the King when it came out in 2000. It was a shoo-in for my Top 10 Albums of the Year list, alongside other guitar-centic offerings like Joe Satriani‘s Engines of Creation and Steve Vai‘s The 7th Song. But with such … Continue reading That time Doyle Bramhall II told me that he was “all over” B.B. King and Eric Clapton’s Riding With the King

That time John Doe from X couldn’t believe that I’d seen the Viggo Mortensen horror flick Prison

By Steve Newton Just heard recently that L.A. punk-rockers X were back together, so to celebrate I figured I’d digitize my old interview with X vocalist-bassist John Doe from 1990. At the time Doe had just released his debut solo album, the alt-country/roots offering Meet John Doe. At one point in the conversation, for … Continue reading That time John Doe from X couldn’t believe that I’d seen the Viggo Mortensen horror flick Prison

That time I asked J.J. Cale who he’d been listening to in his spare time and he wasn’t exactly sure

By Steve Newton When you’ve been interviewing musicians for as long as I have you tend to develop some trusty old standby questions that you can ask pretty well anybody in a pinch. One of those for me has always been “So, who have you been listening to in your spare time?” I like to … Continue reading That time I asked J.J. Cale who he’d been listening to in his spare time and he wasn’t exactly sure

John Mellencamp and Kenny Aronoff on the amicable demise of their singer-drummer dream team

Mellencamp middle, Aronoff far right By Steve Newton For many years the resounding thwump of Kenny Aronoff’s drumwork could be heard worldwide on the heartland-rock hits of John Mellencamp. People first came to notice Aronoff’s skin-bashing abilities big time on the massive 1982 blockbuster “Hurts So Good”, but his percussive powers would continue to meld perfectly … Continue reading John Mellencamp and Kenny Aronoff on the amicable demise of their singer-drummer dream team

That time I asked Billy Idol why he got Texas Chain Saw Massacre director Tobe Hooper to shoot the video for “Dancing With Myself”

By Steve Newton I interviewed Billy Idol at the height of his solo artist fame, when he was touring behind his hit-packed Rebel Yell album in March of 1984. If you’re old enough, you may recall that music videos were all the rage back then, and the timing couldn’t have been better for Idol, who … Continue reading That time I asked Billy Idol why he got Texas Chain Saw Massacre director Tobe Hooper to shoot the video for “Dancing With Myself”

That time Buddy Guy told me how badly he wanted Stevie Ray Vaughan’s photo on his album cover

By Steve Newton Buddy Guy is one of my favourite old-school blues guitarists, right up there with Albert King, B.B. King, and Albert Collins. I’ve been fortunate enough to have interviewed him five times, and seen him perform live many more times than that. I did my first interview with Buddy in August of ’91, … Continue reading That time Buddy Guy told me how badly he wanted Stevie Ray Vaughan’s photo on his album cover