George Thorogood Interview: No Bones About It

In 1982, George Thorogood & The Destroyers rocked the house with their hit 'Bad To The Bone', and after 30 years they are still bringing crowds to their feet with the signature blues/rock vibe that was inspired by greats such as John Lee Hooker and Bo Didley. Now after 11 studio records and hundreds of songs, George Thorogood & The Destroyers are bringing the blues once again for their 2009 tour. "We will have a show that people will never forget," says the rocker. "There is no other standard than greatness."

Thorogood's press release announced that his band will perform a few dates with singer Bryan Adams, their first performance together since a 1985 jam session held in Nashville with Steve Cropper and Donald "Duck" Dunn. Thorogood will also perform some dates with Chicago-style blues guitarist Elvin Bishop, best known for his 1976 hit, "Fooled Around And Fell In Love". Thorogood's 2004 album, "Greatest Hits: 30 Years of Rock,'' went gold and topped Billboard's blues chart for 60 weeks. He knows that he has a great fan base throughout the St. Louis metro area, and promises to give a performance that will leave us buzzing. "It's great that we are finally able to get out and do some shows together," Thorogood commented. When the buzz is gone, I'm gone. It's the fans that make this so much fun."

Thorogood, bassist Billy Blough and drummer Jeff Simon have joined with newer band additions Buddy Leach (saxophone) and Jim Suhler (guitar) for the Destroyers' 2009 tour.

George and the band have come a long way from where they started in the 1970's. "I compete with myself," he says of his craft. "I have the constant drive to one-up myself. I never compare or compete, I just focus purely to hone my style as an artist." George is sharp, with clever wit, and his lighthearted, carefree banter is like a breath of fresh air.

How often do you rehearse with the band?

(He laughs) "We never rehearse. If we have to rehearse 'Who Do You Love' by now, we're in trouble. Our songs are really timely right now. One Scotch, One Bourbon and One Beer' will never go out of style. Drinking, love, lust and fun never go out of style. I write truly for entertainment; my songs are not based on personal experience. Mine are more jolly. Sinbad (the comedian) once told me that I do comedy rock, and that's truly what I do."

What songwriters do you admire?

"I admire the genius of Joni Mitchell. Songwriting is a craft. Chuck Berry wrote wonderful stuff in the 50's. McCartney, Lennon and the The Beatles wrote great and timely stuff. 'All You Need Is Love' went right with the times. When Chuck wrote about fast cars and teenagers, that's what was going on. I also admire Dillon, Brian Wilson and Cole Porter.

What are your hobbies outside of music?

"My passions are my family and my craft. The rush in my life right now is that I can do anything. I am so thrilled to make a living playing guitar that I can barely contain myself. I would love to record with Gloria Estavan;" he says with a chuckle. "I would just play the maracas. It would be awesome to jam with Carlos Santana. You never know what the next day holds, so I stay focused on what's important; my family and music. In music, I am an open book. I wear my heart on my sleeve because there is such joy in what I do."

What do you think the future holds for George Thorogood & The Destroyers?

"I will rock as long as my fans want me to rock. Our next recording will probably be a live album. Maybe when I slow down one day I'll do an acoustic album. I'm playing the hot hand here. I do hope to do a western sound one day - if rock and roll ever slows down!"

Do you ever write songs on the road?

"Sometimes I do. I have written songs for my wife. Personal is not my style. If I wrote something for my family, it would more than likely be an instrumental. Our music is party music. Without it, there would be far more violence and drug abuse. People need musical happiness," he says. "After our show, people are too tired to fight."

What's in your CD player right now?

Hannah Montana, Hillary Duff, and maybe Paul McCartney. As you can tell, it's whatever my daughter listens to," he says with affection. "We who play music rarely listen to it. I'll go to a live concert, but it has to be someone really heavy. I went to a Stevie Nicks concert recently, and she was amazing. Her fans FEEL her lyrics and music. Hers was a very powerful performance."

And the bad boy beat goes on. George Thorogood & The Destroyers are slotted to play nearly 50 shows during their '09 tour. "We pour our heart and soul into every performance," he says jovially. Our goal is to provide ultimate entertainment. That's what it's all about for me."

Thorogood's energy is terrific. He and the band have learned over the years how to bring a show that is truly bad to the bone, and they are ready to go in a city near you. Check out all the upcoming 2009 tour dates at http://www.georgethorogood.com/tour.html, or for tickets to see George Thorogood & The Destroyers visit www.ticketmaster.com.