If you ever get a chance to talk to George Thorogood, don’t even suggest that rock and roll is dead because he’ll give you a thoroughly convincing argument. The man lives and breathes rock and roll about as authentically and true-to-heart as humanly possible. He’s played over 8,000 live shows since 1973, and he still exudes the same level of intensity and enthusiasm at each and every concert.
For 2015, George Thorogood & The Destroyers — Jeff Simon (drums, percussion), Bill Blough (bass guitar), Jim Suhler (rhythm guitar) and Buddy Leach (saxophone) — are on their Badder Than Ever tour, which will take them around the States, on their own and with Brain Setzer, before heading over to Europe for dates in July and August. It’s likely after a short break, they’ll finish out the year with more concerts. They just never stop.
The following interview was a bit of challenge in some ways. Like his music, George Thorogood is pretty much a no-nonsense kind of guy, so he didn’t mince words when it came to answering my questions. I mean, for years, I was sure I had seen a Heineken beer in his hand at a show in the late 70s, but he quickly set me straight about that. Aside from discussing his current tour and most famous songs, we touched on a few revealing tidbits I didn’t see coming. Nothing shocking, mind you, just some ideas and views on rock and roll I never gave much thought. He did the same thing with his music when I first saw him — turning me on John Lee Hooker and Bo Diddley in vivid terms I could appreciate. In short, George Thorogood opened my eyes about the meaning of rock and roll in today’s world.
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Conversations with the Masters:
The VintageRock.com Interviews, Par Deux
