Eddie Money Interview
With a hand full of hits in tow, renowned 80's rocker Eddie Money took the audience on an unforgettable trip down memory lane. Since the death of legendary singer James Brown, Eddie Money has become "The hardest working man in showbusiness". With an impressive level of energy, Money gave a performance that will not soon be forgotten. Money also shared the bill with rockers 38 Special at the Seminole Coconut Creek Casino on March 5th.
As gracious as Eddie Money is, he took time after his performance to invite me on to his tour bus and give us this exclusive interview.
Q: Your daughter Jesse has performed with you on stage and is, in her own right, a fabulous singer. As a parent, do you think that bringing her out on the road hindered her in any way? Or do you view it as a life learning experience for her?
A: Well, you know what? It's good to have her out on the road with me. She has a boyfriend out in the Coast Guard and I think he drinks too much. She's had her stacks of trouble and things like that. I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. But she's taking her career seriously. Now she's doing "Baby Hold On To Me." She does that with me, she does the parts of Jo Baker from the band Stoneground. Back in the ‘70s there was a band called Stoneground, with Jo Baker, who unfortunately passed away from sclerosis of the liver. What a great singer she was. So Jessica comes out with [starts singing], "Don't be thinkin' 'bout what's not enough, now baby. Just be thinkin' 'bout what we got." We do a duet with that and we do "Higher and Higher" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." She got a chance to sing with Michael McDonald at the Kentucky Derby and did "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." He had a big hit with that song.
Q:You do a lot of casino gigs. How are those, compared to a normal venue?
A: Oh, no, man, the casinos are a fantastic gig. I tend to get a crowd that likes to get away for the weekend, and they come out just to see us. I bet a lot of them never hit the tables.I like every place I play, pretty much. What's not to like when you can get up there and do your thing? You got your big shows and your smaller ones — did a show in Raleigh last year in front of 250,000 people or something. But I don't mind playing shows at small places, little local clubs or places like B.B. King's. Those small places, man — that's where rock and roll comes from. But yeah, the facilities in the casino theaters are usually real good, too, so that's nice. They treat me well, 'cause they know I'm gonna make them some money, y'know?
Q: A lot of people don't know that you used to be a police officer. Why the transition to music?
A: A lot of people think I was like Starsky and Hutch, but it was nothing like that. I took the mental aptitude and physical aptitude tests, like anybody else, but I went on the job as a trainee and mostly sat at a desk. It didn't take me long to figure out I wasn't cut out for it.
Those are great guys, cops, and they're great to hang around with. I just couldn't see myself wearing that uniform for too many years, having to keep my hair short all the time. I mean, jeez. So I quit the police and came out to [the University of California at] Berkeley, and I was there for a while and Bill Graham heard my cassette and signed me. The rest was a big roller-coaster ride, man.
Q: I heard you're writing a musical about your career.
A: Yeah, we're real excited about it. I'm hoping to get it on Broadway in the next couple years. I'm calling it Two Tickets to Paradise, and it's basically the Eddie Money story, but I've kind of condensed everything and moved all the events back so that I'm writing "Two Tickets" in the late '60s, about 10 years earlier than I actually did.I wanted to capture that whole era, because it was such an important time when it seemed like everything was going on at once. I had a brother who was in the war zone in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive, so I wanted to capture that. The whole show takes place on the night before I left [New York] for California. It shows how I met Laurie [his wife], it shows the overdose, all of that stuff.
It's kind of like Jersey Boys a little bit, but in a different time period. That show reminded me a lot of myself, except in Jersey Boys it's Frankie Valli's daughter who dies of a drug overdose and in my play it's me that has one. So we'll see. There's a lot of interest in it in New York right now, so I'm hopeful.
Q: You live in L.A. these days. Do you like it there?
A: ‘Well I love L.A. for the beach and stuff, that's the reason I live here.
You know, I'm just a beach bum. I can go surfing all the time down on Huntington Beach and Malibu beach. I just hang out and surf with everyone down there. But I'll tell you, I hate it when the 16 year old kids surf a wave better than I do!! They just come up to me and say - ‘sorry Mr. Money'! I love surfing and hanging out with the boys - you know we're just sitting back right now having some brewski's! - taking it easy!'
You still party then?
‘Oh yeah! Sure! I still do a bit of this and a bit of that. Some brews and there's nothing wrong with a bud or two!!'
Q: Do you still have great memories of the "Good ole' days" or are they a bit hazy??
A: ‘No man! I still remember! I was never that waisted I couldn't remember!
You know, I did a lot of stuff, a lot of drinking, and I did some blow and that, but I never stuck a needle in my arm or anything. I just partied!!
Eddie Money continues to tour extensively. For more information on Eddie Money, log on to his website (one of the best I have ever seen) at eddiemoney.com
As gracious as Eddie Money is, he took time after his performance to invite me on to his tour bus and give us this exclusive interview.
Q: Your daughter Jesse has performed with you on stage and is, in her own right, a fabulous singer. As a parent, do you think that bringing her out on the road hindered her in any way? Or do you view it as a life learning experience for her?
A: Well, you know what? It's good to have her out on the road with me. She has a boyfriend out in the Coast Guard and I think he drinks too much. She's had her stacks of trouble and things like that. I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. But she's taking her career seriously. Now she's doing "Baby Hold On To Me." She does that with me, she does the parts of Jo Baker from the band Stoneground. Back in the ‘70s there was a band called Stoneground, with Jo Baker, who unfortunately passed away from sclerosis of the liver. What a great singer she was. So Jessica comes out with [starts singing], "Don't be thinkin' 'bout what's not enough, now baby. Just be thinkin' 'bout what we got." We do a duet with that and we do "Higher and Higher" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." She got a chance to sing with Michael McDonald at the Kentucky Derby and did "Ain't No Mountain High Enough." He had a big hit with that song.
Q:You do a lot of casino gigs. How are those, compared to a normal venue?
A: Oh, no, man, the casinos are a fantastic gig. I tend to get a crowd that likes to get away for the weekend, and they come out just to see us. I bet a lot of them never hit the tables.I like every place I play, pretty much. What's not to like when you can get up there and do your thing? You got your big shows and your smaller ones — did a show in Raleigh last year in front of 250,000 people or something. But I don't mind playing shows at small places, little local clubs or places like B.B. King's. Those small places, man — that's where rock and roll comes from. But yeah, the facilities in the casino theaters are usually real good, too, so that's nice. They treat me well, 'cause they know I'm gonna make them some money, y'know?
Q: A lot of people don't know that you used to be a police officer. Why the transition to music?
A: A lot of people think I was like Starsky and Hutch, but it was nothing like that. I took the mental aptitude and physical aptitude tests, like anybody else, but I went on the job as a trainee and mostly sat at a desk. It didn't take me long to figure out I wasn't cut out for it.
Those are great guys, cops, and they're great to hang around with. I just couldn't see myself wearing that uniform for too many years, having to keep my hair short all the time. I mean, jeez. So I quit the police and came out to [the University of California at] Berkeley, and I was there for a while and Bill Graham heard my cassette and signed me. The rest was a big roller-coaster ride, man.
Q: I heard you're writing a musical about your career.
A: Yeah, we're real excited about it. I'm hoping to get it on Broadway in the next couple years. I'm calling it Two Tickets to Paradise, and it's basically the Eddie Money story, but I've kind of condensed everything and moved all the events back so that I'm writing "Two Tickets" in the late '60s, about 10 years earlier than I actually did.I wanted to capture that whole era, because it was such an important time when it seemed like everything was going on at once. I had a brother who was in the war zone in Vietnam during the Tet Offensive, so I wanted to capture that. The whole show takes place on the night before I left [New York] for California. It shows how I met Laurie [his wife], it shows the overdose, all of that stuff.
It's kind of like Jersey Boys a little bit, but in a different time period. That show reminded me a lot of myself, except in Jersey Boys it's Frankie Valli's daughter who dies of a drug overdose and in my play it's me that has one. So we'll see. There's a lot of interest in it in New York right now, so I'm hopeful.
Q: You live in L.A. these days. Do you like it there?
A: ‘Well I love L.A. for the beach and stuff, that's the reason I live here.
You know, I'm just a beach bum. I can go surfing all the time down on Huntington Beach and Malibu beach. I just hang out and surf with everyone down there. But I'll tell you, I hate it when the 16 year old kids surf a wave better than I do!! They just come up to me and say - ‘sorry Mr. Money'! I love surfing and hanging out with the boys - you know we're just sitting back right now having some brewski's! - taking it easy!'
You still party then?
‘Oh yeah! Sure! I still do a bit of this and a bit of that. Some brews and there's nothing wrong with a bud or two!!'
Q: Do you still have great memories of the "Good ole' days" or are they a bit hazy??
A: ‘No man! I still remember! I was never that waisted I couldn't remember!
You know, I did a lot of stuff, a lot of drinking, and I did some blow and that, but I never stuck a needle in my arm or anything. I just partied!!
Eddie Money continues to tour extensively. For more information on Eddie Money, log on to his website (one of the best I have ever seen) at eddiemoney.com
Source...