Do you remember the first song you learned to play?
The first song I remember physically sitting down and trying to learn, like from hearing it, was ‘Johnny Be Good`, Chuck Berry. That was one everybody learned back in my day. That`s why it was a top 40 song. I love music from that era.
You tour a lot. How many days a year do you think you are on the road?
I hate to say, because every year is different. I`ll say about 125 days a year plus the travel days. I’m gone a little longer than that but I play that many days.
Next Tuesday I leave for a month long European tour, Sweden for a couple of weeks, then to Holland, Belgium and Germany. I just got home. We were just in Canada, up in the Northeast and the Northwest. That`s why I was in the ice storm. It was a snowstorm in Ottawa, Canada. We went to Montreal, Quebec, and Ottawa. It was wonderful
It`s always good to get back home, isn`t it?
I love Texas. I miss my Chicken Fried Steaks. I miss hearing my boy play the drums. But I do like going on the road, touring. It`s fun to play with different people and different places. I love people. It`s a good reason to play. If you`ve got any talent at all it`s fun to channel that talent to entertaining. I`m an entertainer; I`m not really a guitar player, singer or songwriter. I`m a little bit of all of that, but mostly, I`m an entertainer. All that together, it makes enough to present. I don`t know if I can do any one of them and make much damage.
Do you have a favorite club or city that you play?
Oh, I enjoy them all for different reasons. I`ve always loved J&J`s. It`s a great blues club. It`s one of the older ones on the circuit, you know, it`s been around for a long time. I played here right after it opened. (With a twinkle in his eye) Back in the 20`s. (We laughed.)
Do you play mostly in Austin the rest of the time?
I do different things. Sometimes I`ll stay in Austin two or three months and play just weekends, playing different places. That would include going to Memphis and playing for two nights and traveling home. But still weekends. Then two, three, four times a year go on an actual tour. I probably play about half the year. Then half the year I`m off.
What do you do the rest of the time?
I have a boy nine years old and I spend some time with him.
Does he play guitar?
He plays drums. (Big smile.) Yeah, he`s good.
Does he ever tour with you or do any music with you?
No, he`s in school. He may one day. He wants to. I hope he does some day. Jake`s his name. He`s a good kid.
Is he your only child?
He`s my only one. He`s my oldest, and my youngest and my tamest and my wildest.
What else have you done that you want to talk about?
Oh, I don`t know. I`ve just played all my life. I have lots of records out, lots of touring.
You have several albums out.
I have 16 CD`s. We cut the first one in 1979 and it came out in 1980. It was on a Fort Worth label called Amazing Records. A guy named Jim Yanaway. Everybody around here knows him. His logo was, “If it`s a hit, it`s Amazing”. That was our first record. You can still get it overseas. It`s out of print over here. For a while you could get it on a label called Line Records and you could get it in Germany and I think in France it was on Dixie Broad Records for a while. Every once in a while someone will rummage up us a copy of it.
I’ve been listening to your Big Delta CD and enjoying it.
Thank you. I`m getting a little notice on that one. I`ve put out so many, you know. You wonder what`s the difference in one and the other. I think its just timing. Records come and go though, but playing live is really what the band is about. I like making records and its fun to put out CD`s, but the reason I do this is because I like playing live. I never think about the band being a by-product of the record, I always think of it the other way. The record is kind of an augmentation of what I do at any given time, because the band changes and evolves and goes different places. The records stay the same and you do something different later on.
Have you been playing with these guys a while?
Barry Bihm on bass has been with me for two years. Frosty Smith, he`s been in and out. I`ve played with him off and on for many years. He hasn`t been in the band steadily, but he produced my last to the next record, called ‘Screaming Cat`. Spiritually, we have been playing together for a while. Barry Bihm plays guitar.
The first song I remember physically sitting down and trying to learn, like from hearing it, was ‘Johnny Be Good`, Chuck Berry. That was one everybody learned back in my day. That`s why it was a top 40 song. I love music from that era.
You tour a lot. How many days a year do you think you are on the road?
I hate to say, because every year is different. I`ll say about 125 days a year plus the travel days. I’m gone a little longer than that but I play that many days.
Next Tuesday I leave for a month long European tour, Sweden for a couple of weeks, then to Holland, Belgium and Germany. I just got home. We were just in Canada, up in the Northeast and the Northwest. That`s why I was in the ice storm. It was a snowstorm in Ottawa, Canada. We went to Montreal, Quebec, and Ottawa. It was wonderful
It`s always good to get back home, isn`t it?
I love Texas. I miss my Chicken Fried Steaks. I miss hearing my boy play the drums. But I do like going on the road, touring. It`s fun to play with different people and different places. I love people. It`s a good reason to play. If you`ve got any talent at all it`s fun to channel that talent to entertaining. I`m an entertainer; I`m not really a guitar player, singer or songwriter. I`m a little bit of all of that, but mostly, I`m an entertainer. All that together, it makes enough to present. I don`t know if I can do any one of them and make much damage.
Do you have a favorite club or city that you play?
Oh, I enjoy them all for different reasons. I`ve always loved J&J`s. It`s a great blues club. It`s one of the older ones on the circuit, you know, it`s been around for a long time. I played here right after it opened. (With a twinkle in his eye) Back in the 20`s. (We laughed.)
Do you play mostly in Austin the rest of the time?
I do different things. Sometimes I`ll stay in Austin two or three months and play just weekends, playing different places. That would include going to Memphis and playing for two nights and traveling home. But still weekends. Then two, three, four times a year go on an actual tour. I probably play about half the year. Then half the year I`m off.
What do you do the rest of the time?
I have a boy nine years old and I spend some time with him.
Does he play guitar?
He plays drums. (Big smile.) Yeah, he`s good.
Does he ever tour with you or do any music with you?
No, he`s in school. He may one day. He wants to. I hope he does some day. Jake`s his name. He`s a good kid.
Is he your only child?
He`s my only one. He`s my oldest, and my youngest and my tamest and my wildest.
What else have you done that you want to talk about?
Oh, I don`t know. I`ve just played all my life. I have lots of records out, lots of touring.
You have several albums out.
I have 16 CD`s. We cut the first one in 1979 and it came out in 1980. It was on a Fort Worth label called Amazing Records. A guy named Jim Yanaway. Everybody around here knows him. His logo was, “If it`s a hit, it`s Amazing”. That was our first record. You can still get it overseas. It`s out of print over here. For a while you could get it on a label called Line Records and you could get it in Germany and I think in France it was on Dixie Broad Records for a while. Every once in a while someone will rummage up us a copy of it.
I’ve been listening to your Big Delta CD and enjoying it.
Thank you. I`m getting a little notice on that one. I`ve put out so many, you know. You wonder what`s the difference in one and the other. I think its just timing. Records come and go though, but playing live is really what the band is about. I like making records and its fun to put out CD`s, but the reason I do this is because I like playing live. I never think about the band being a by-
Have you been playing with these guys a while?
Barry Bihm on bass has been with me for two years. Frosty Smith, he`s been in and out. I`ve played with him off and on for many years. He hasn`t been in the band steadily, but he produced my last to the next record, called ‘Screaming Cat`. Spiritually, we have been playing together for a while. Barry Bihm plays guitar.
