Sleep? Who needs Sleep?
I’m in NYC and I can’t sleep. It’s the night before I interview Eric Clapton and I’m too jazzed to go to bed. The day I received word that Eric Clapton would sit down to talk about Johnnie, that was a very good day for “Johnnie Be Good”.Art HollidayDirector, JOHNNIE BE GOOD
Get to Buddy Guy’s Legends “Quick”
Historic establishment will be moving.
If you are in Chicago before June, RUN, don’t walk to Buddy Guy’s Legends, 754 South Wabash. Why before June? Because the legendary blues club is going to shut down and Buddy told me he’s looking at other locations in Chicago. The walls of Legends are full of memorabilia, signed guitars, photos, and artwork featuring the likes of Muddy Waters, Eric Clapton, John Mayer, Little Milton, Steve Ray Vaughn, Jeff Beck, G.E. Smith, Willie Dixon, and Johnnie Johnson.
Legends Lining Up
Clapton and Guy commit to project.
Within the last five days, two members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Eric Clapton and Buddy Guy agreed to do on-camera interviews for “Johnnie Be Good”. I’ll interview Guy later this month, and I’ll interview Clapton in mid-April.
Mr. Clapton Comes to St. Louis
Unexpected visit during Steve Jordan Interview
Today was the day I met Eric Clapton…yeah, it was a REALLY good day. Rewind to the night before: Clapton and his band were en fuego as Dan Patrick used to say on ESPN. They rocked downtown St. Louis so hard the Gateway Arch was movin’ to the beat. I was supposed to interview drummer Steven Jordan in St. Louis, but the band’s travel plans changed, which meant I had to make my own travel plans for Ohio the following day.
Aerosmith Rocks the Blues
Perry ponders Johnnie’s impact
Today, I took another major step in the production of “Johnnie Be Good.” In an earlier blog, I told you about being in Georgia to interview Chuck Leavell of the Rolling Stones and getting the email that Aerosmith’s Joe Perry had agreed to an interview. Tonight, Aerosmith was in St. Louis to perform and Joe Perry spared about 25 minutes between his sound check and the concert.
Late Night Interviews
An afternoon with Paul Shaffer
My east coast swing is winding down.I’m sitting in Paul Shaffer’s office at the Ed Sullivan Theater, headquarters for “Late Show With David Letterman.”, listening to “Johnnie B. Bad” to get me in the right frame of mind. There are autographed photos with the likes of Carl Perkins, Fats Domino, Billy Joel, and Johnny Cash.
In Memmorium…
9/11 Anniversary a time to reflect
Being in New York City on the fifth anniversary of 9/11 is a very sobering experience. All morning I listened to the reading the names of the people who died in the Twin Towers. It was a day that changed the world forever.Musician, arranger, and producer Jimmy Vivino was my first New York interview.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
President Terry Stewart on Johnnie’s Induction
If you’ve already been to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I’m preaching to the choir. If you haven’t seen the Rock Hall and you’re a music fan, you’re missing out. What an amazing collection of rock and roll history.
Michael McDonald Inteview
St. Louis native remembers Johnnie
All music fans have their own life soundtracks, the music they grew up with, and Michael McDonald has been part of my soundtrack since my college days at the Universiity of Missouri. From McDonald’s days with Steely Dan, then the Doobie Brothers, followed by his solo career, I’ve been listening to his wonderful music for more than 25 years and still do courtesy of my iPod.
Steve Jordan Interview
Grammy Winner on Johnnie Memories
A double dose of good news today. Drummer extraordinaire Steve Jordan has agreed to do an interview for “Johnnie Be Good” and that’s significant for a couple of reasons. Jordan, a Grammy winner, was the drummer in the all star band featured in “Hail! Hail! Rock ‘N’ Roll”, so he got an up close look at how and why the Chuck Berry concert and documentary jump-started Johnnie’s career.
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