Christopher Cross

And I bought a Rosemary at the gift shop. My girlfriend bought me rose mey. He blessed it and I don't know, He's a very special person. So that was very exciting.

a lot of money and everything. But they said, but there's a you know, there's a perk. You get to have an audience with Pope. I said, no, wait, okay, So that was because it wasn't being about the show. I've done a lot of those kind of things, so that was really a deciding factor to do it, because you know, how often do you get to meet the pope. So he's eighty seven now and so, and I like him as a pope as popes go, and so it was.

It was really really an amazing experience. I feel I'm still kind of walking on air a little bit from it.

said well, how can we bring you back? You know, and I said, well, you know, but no, So I was raised Catholic, so I certainly know a lot about the history tradition of the Catholic Church. And I you know, I went away from it and not a big fan of a lot of things about it. But as I said, he seems like he's so gentle and wonderful, and he seems to be trying very hard to get women in the church, and and it'd be inclusive with LGBTQ and all that, and I applaud that. So I think it's great.

We went through this beautiful garden it was actually a graveyard, and we went into this really beautiful room that held maybe one hundred people because there were some sponsors and all the artists that were on the show got to meet him as well, and theyve video and you know, they had the whole thing figured out, and he came.

You know, we waited for a bit and His Holiness came in and he sat in a big chair and I was in the front row, right across from him, and he read a statement in Italian which I didn't understand, which had to do with the event and just thanking the artists. And then one by one we went up and you introduced ourselves and had a moment with him. I'm not going to say we hung out in a conversation, but you know, I thanked him for his work, and I asked him if he would, you know, bless my Rosary,

and he did something kind of cool. Normally, the bishop was telling me he'll just do the sign of the Cross, but he covered my hand with his hand to bless my Rosary. And the bishop later told me that's kind of cool that he doesn't do that all the time, so but it was it was brief. You know, It's not like I said, we didn't hang out and have a beer, but just he has a wonderful smile and his way about him is just he's really really a

you know, pretty special person. Obviously don't get to be the Pope without it, but I don't know, it's just one of those things. My girlfriend got to meet him too, and she said, you know, I never thought I would get to meet the Pope. So yeah, it was. And

the show was wonderful. There were a lot of great artists, all that kind of thing, and I got to do I played sailing, but then they wanted me to put a traditional Christmas song, but I asked if I could do a song that Rob Muir and I wrote called A Dream of Peace at Christmas Time that has a children's choir, And it took a little wrangling, but the Vatican agreed and so I closed the show with that,

and that was very nice. And I think it's because it's about, you know, a dream of peace, and with the war in Ukraine and the Goaza situation, I think Pope Vatican thought it was a good message, you know.

Rady cart Well. But you know, those these people that were just you know, on some other planet me when I was starting out music and just following and learning from them and then later to get to meet them or know them or whatever. Yeah, those people, I'd say, Randy, Jony, Paul, you know, never met Tom Waits, but I'd like to. But anyway, Yeah, so I didn't get to meet John unfortunately, but I've kind of read there were some books that came out about John, and apparently he liked my song Sailing.

Apparently he liked it, so I act Jack asked Jack Douglas, who produced Double Fantasy. I said, so, if John had lived, I'd be hanging out with him at the Dakota and Jack said, and Jack said, yeah, he really dug your

song and he definitely would have hedge over. And so I'm thinking, you know, but anyway, so Barta, you know, when you meet people at heroes like Brian and people like that, it's a it's a out of body experience at first, and then of course, you know, then you spend a bit over time with him, but you never really get completely you know, when I see McCarthy or write or something like that, you never completely get used to it, you know, because there they are, you.

you're either Lebron James or you're not. You know you're Tiger Woodsy, you're not, You're Joni Mitchell, you're not. So No, I don't talk about music, which is I talk about books or you know, other areas of art, like Joni would. She gave me a book of An Sexton's poems to read for inspiration, that sort of thing. But no, I

would never just directly ask anybody. Randy Newman told me once I asked him about songwriting came up and Randy said, I don't care if I get any better, as long as it I'll get any worse, which is so Randy. But so no, I tend to not try to ask about process because you know, most people like that. I feel like it's sort of beamed from outer space and

you're just the receptacle and how it actually happens. Like you saw the Get Back movie I mean, you know, they're coming up with get Back just sort of improvisationally in the studio, and that's sort of how it is. You know, it just sort of happens and you look around the room and go, wow, what was that? So?

I played clubs and fraternities, playing you know, bos Gua Exton's on the radio to make money, and then I kept my phone music to the side, just the demos and that sort of thing. But also, you know, my music's more of a California sound. South the California sound. It's more harmonic. It's not typical of sort of the the style of music that people think of in Austin,

the sort of rock blues, country, uh thing. So I wouldn't say that I really identified too much with the Austin sound, you know, per se, because I was always my brand was always in California with Brian. But interesting trying to tell you, I h when I was doing demos in the studio, I sent I needed to send a demo. So I looked in Billboard magazine, but I didn't know anything about an R or any of that stuff. I looked in Billboard magazine and I really loved Warner Brothers.

They had Randy, they had Joni, they had Hindricks, they had a lot of artists that I really like, Van Morrison. So I thought I'd like to be on Warner Brothers. So I looked at the billboard. It said Moe Austin share of the board, who I you know, I think miss him so much. It was an incredible man. Uh so, so I can't get to him. But I knew nothing about an R or anything like that. So I looked below his name and this game David Berson, assistant to Most And I said, okay, well I could send him

my tape. It turns out David is an administrative he does anything to do with an R, but he'd never gotten a tape in the mail. And he took the tape and he made Lendy Warner Cuz head of man or listen to it. And that's how the whole they got started. And Lenny told me later, had you just submitted to tape, Dan R, we would have stuff in an envelope sent it back to you because we weren't really accepting submissions. But you sent it to the wrong guy,

and that's how we got started talking. So it's serendipity, how about that?

and all these great people were on it. And I can't say that I voted for Reagan, but you know, still an opportunity to go to the White House and meet the president and all that. So that was pretty cool going to the White House. I did get to meet him. I did get to meet Bill Clinton at a small event at Carol King's house that Carol had and I went and got to meet Clinton, who I did vote for. So that was pretty great. But so

I've got a few politicians. But you know, I'm going to be mad at myself later when I can't think of it as far that's okay, other genre, but you know, you get I'm so singularly passionate to the music, think Bob that it's like, I don't know, I'm kind of boring. That's all I do. That's all I've ever done, you know, dropped out of high school, just went for it.

purpose of seeing me. It's not because it's some insurance company and they've got a bunch of money to pay a bunch of money. So I you know, I don't enjoy that I don't enjoy that sort of model where you're going. And now it's gotten so commonplace that a lot of these private events they don't really pay attention to you, per say, anyway, because they just got to sing Rod Stewart, you know. And so I find it sort of impersonal and unintentionally disrespectful. So I don't do it.

with long hair. I went to my for my senior year at my high school, which was a public high school, and they told me you can't come out with long hair, so, which is ironic, as I have none now, and I said, fine, I'm not coming in. So I dropped out, and shortly after that I moved up to Austin because I just knew that Austin was a more virginy music scene. It was kind of hip for there was a lot more going on. So, uh, some of my compadres and I

learned up a truck and moved to Austin. But and it was kind of Mecca compared to Santonio.

are the best times of life. And he he I think, loved music, and he used to play a lot of music around the house, like Glenn Miller, that sort of thing, and that's how I got exposed to music. When I was about twelve. My dad kind of drank too much, but occasionally he'd get out his upright Base to play along with his Glenn Miller records in the dining room, and so he was. I think he was. You know, he told my mom he'll manage, he'll figure it out.

And he always used to tell me too, He said, look, school is fine, but as long as you read, if you read, you'll be fine. But anyway, I went down the music store and I asked the guy I was twelve. I said, you got my dad listens to Glenn Miller, Pete Fountain, He got any music like like for younger people, And he brought out bab Brubek Time Out and that that was the first album I got and I took it home. Was just asked for set of drums at Christmas and the rest is sort of history.

a little sleepy. And so you have these the big Hispanic bands that were you know, big stars and everything, but there wasn't There was a little teen can play thing called teen Canteen that cannamed Sam Kinsey ran all the bands and play there, but there wasn't really a way out, you know. It just seemed like it was just a metre alugnation society of all these musicians that

were so nice to each other that wasn't competitive. They were like, you know, we don't go see each other and say you're great, you're you know, you're great, you know. And I kind of figured, well, that ain't gonna get me anywhere. So I wanted to go to the dre into the pool and I heard about Austin. There was luck going on there and that's where it was happening.

So it was accessible. I could drive up there, and we got on a little crappy house and started trying to find our wind to the scene, you know again, playing cover tunes.

a lot of it until the Beatles came out. And the minute I heard I guess someone holds your hand? That sort of changed my life. And I was playing drums for about six years, and I was a singing drummer, and I just decided I got to get a guitar, and I gotta I gotta do that, you know, So I bought a seventeen dollars guitar. I'm left handed, but the guitar bought seriars. Cadillac was seventeen dollars. It was right handed. I didn't know any better, so I play

right handed. But the Beatles, it was the songs, of course, but the sound of those flat wound strings on those gretch guitars through those vox amps. I mean, the whole thing, just the experience was transformative. And so that's what really got me to want to, you know, try to try to do that. And actually the first song I learned on guitar, my little Texas country cowboy guitar, was you really got me, thinks. So the whole British invasion, you know,

it was a huge impact for me. I was very drawn into that and all that, the Hollies, all that stuff. But the Beatles were you know, it was cathartic for sure.

teach you if you're going to do that. And I said, well, you know, Ringo's the greatest, and he said, Ringo's terrible, you know, So I said, I said, well, yeah, f off and I left. And so I was just, you know, I wasn't. I mean, wipe out was my big moment in the show. These little makeout parties and stuff we played, because the wipe out this kind of my moment. I only had one tom coom, but so, you know, the drums were just you don't have to know a lot

played drum. It's just more of a physical thing. But I was the singer because the other two guys are too embarrass to sing. But then, you know, getting into the guitar was a big, big thing. Like I said, I was happy playing the drums. Still, I heard the beatles and then I realized, man, you know, all these girls screaming. I gotta I gotta figure this out. So I got a guitar and left the drums behind, which again was no big loss. But and I've always been

self taught. I never cook any music lessons or anything like that.

So my poor parents, I just tortured the hell out him until they bought me this five hundred dollars Rickenbacker guitar. That was my first. And I got a super reverb Fender ramp, and that was a big, big thing for me. You know, I was at actual equipment, so it just it grew. But again, you know was my probably was in the army. He was a colonel. But you know, we lived on the bass. You know, he probably made

twenty five thousand dollars a year. There wasn't a lot of money to throw it, you know, this sort of thing, and I would go down to the music store and stare at all the cool stuff. But you know, I just grew as I could SA. It really wasn't until I was thirty years old. Then the album came out and I actually had some money to do something, you know that I got cool equipment and did all that.

a drummer. When I switched to guitar, I took a little. There was a break because I had to kind of learn what I was doing. Then I went from Catholic school. I asked my parents if I could leave Catholic school and go to public school, and so I did. But it was a very lonely transition because I didn't know anybody. Everybody had come from public junior highs. So the first couple of years I was kind of a loner and

I just basically focused on learning the guitar. But there were other people in high school trying to do band stuff, and I met them and you know, and did things. But also in the community of San Antonio, trying to reach out to especially older guys who I could possibly play with, who teach me something. But that was a slow process. I don't think I really played anywhere with the band until I was a junior high school, probably maybe sophomore.

my guitar and we'll kind of jam around. And then before too long, my parents let me practice in my bedroom at our house and we had drums and everything set up there. And so I started to you know, I said earlier that aren't really a network, but I did. I networked for my own purpose. I found guys who could play decent and you know, did form a band. And so I was networking to that degree, trying to find guys that I could put a court to together. We could we could try to do something, you know.

And I was writing songs pretty early on with that whole thing. Not that they were any good or doing anything with them, but I that was the beatle thing. I wanted to do that, you know. And it was a long process of experimentation, but so, you know, it was but junior year, my band were called Flash and we were kind of a big deal in Sentenio. We've kind of you know, made a few waves.

clubs and stuff. We could play your own music. And again in San Antonio there was this all the other kids that all the other guys had come out and see your band, you're great, and then you will see them and and so I played my original material and we

were good. And a local promoter in town, Joe Miller, lovely guy, had company called Jam Productions, and he brought groups into San Antonio, and he brought led Zeppelin in and I think there was a there was a lawn in Texas at the time where in concerts they had to have a local band play on the show for thirty minutes. Yeah, God bless him. That's a great rule, you know. So you don't see that now. So Joe arranged he kind of believed and we saw something and

we used to practice at his house, his wife Nancy. Anyway, Joe let me open for Zeppelin the first time that came up with Jeff Throte and Zeppelin and we opened for Zeppelin.

Do your parents have money or something like that. You know, we get doing this and uh, I said, no, our band were playing. He thought they thought we were just hanging out. I said, no, our band is opening the show. So that night in the wings, I looked over and there was planting page and we were terrible, trust me. But the cool thing that happened out of it was Jimmy used these great, these really cool lamps called high Watts.

They were sort of like a Marshall lamp, but they were even newer, and they're made by this Dave Reeves in a garage in London, and I'd seen him in magazines, but Jimmy had him and Pete Townsend Adams. So I asked Jimmy about it, and I said, boy, that they're just so cool. He said, well, if you want one, give Clive and my roadie money and I'll get Dave to build you one. So I gave him sent I get Clive seven hundred bucks, which was a lot for me,

and everybody said, I'll never see your money. And a couple months later, by boat, I come home from school and they're in my living room are two cardboard boxes and it was a high, white headed cabinet that I got to Jimmy Page. And I was the coolest motherfucker in town man, trust me. I mean not only because I had a highway, but I got him jim Page.

Another thing that Joe did. He had brought in Deep Purple to the club and there was their first show in the US and Richie Blackmore got a flu shot and he got quite sick, and they talked about what to do, and they decided they didn't want to cancel the show because of the very first show in the US, and Joe said, look, I've got this kid that I know pretty good, Tark Bind He's a big fan of Richie's. He could sit in. So I sat in. I played for Richie Blackmoorg with deeper.

kind of a mess. But you know what Richie called me. Some years, if not too long ago, they did a documentary about him and he said, you know, I want you to be interviewed because he said, in all the years we played, lots of people sat in, but no one ever subbed for me. And it was the thrill of a lifetime, you kidding. It was like and you know what, It's interesting. You know who opened the show was Eric Johnson, Wow, the guitarist, and that's how I

got to meet Eric. So I got to do a lot of cool things like that, we open for the Airplane, all these things because of Joe Miller, and they were really good learning experiences for me, you know, because I got to hang out on shows like Blind Faith and I got to hang out with It was just different. You know, it wasn't much of security, you know, like Blind Faith. I wouldn't I sat out during soundcheck, you know, So I had access to some pretty cool stuff.

the radio. He could pick out anything. And I never played the solo right in any of us. So I can show it to you, And I said, I don't care. It'll be off the radio in two weeks. I'm writing my own songs anyway. You know, it's a hard question to answer. I mean you have to ask other players. I mean, you know, in Austin you could throw a rock and hit a guitar player. So I'm not gonna

you know, I'm okay. I get by. I mean I think when I have someone play on my record, like Larry Carlson or Eric Johnson or Steve Luketther from Toto, I can't play their solos. I just play some other shit. So you know, I'm okay.

See over and over and over again. And Brian was kind of faster. He said, really the Lonely Sea and he went cool. But I began to emulate them, he and Carl, you know, and try to sound like them. And that's the thing. I'm not a rock singer, like I can't sing like you know, Sammy Hagar, who I think is amazing. I wish I could, but or Steve Perry,

those kind of people. But part of that's just how I've trained my voice, because Carl Wilson especially is my mentor vocally, and I just tried to learn to sing like them.

and go, Okay, I got good gear. I just don't play music, you know, I don't. I want I want to listen to another pedal. I just want to play. But yeah, I'm pretty into the gear thing, kind of a gearhead for sure. I got signature signature amps and all that stuff.

well made. I find for myself that the newer guitars that are really really well made, stay in tune and you know, intonation and stuff are better for me than the old guitar that has a lot of character and a lot of mojo. Maybe, but they're just not practical to take around, you know, on the road.

I had ten ms. I've got eight of those, eight of those combos because I have multiple sets of gear. But you know, I don't play real loud bob on stage. I use inner monitors. And my whole thing is I'm working with jazz musicians, so it's all about, you know, really clean and musical, you know, So we don't play loud. It's about, you know, I really try to show off the virtuosity of the guys I play with because they're just unbelievable. And that's comes from the Asia model, you know.

effects and stuff like that. And what's great about you get a lot focused because the cineramp is dry. It's like being in the studio. The delay and stuff is not mixed in with the dry but on the sides it's like eighty percent wet. So it creates this incredible wall of sound, which the front of house guy's got to be good, but he has a lot of control. Then over I can play with as much delay as I want on stage, but out front he could dial it back. But it's a huge sound in stereo, and

it's it's pretty massive. I mean, some guys, I'll say you should hear my rig and they go, I don't want to hear it.

a server. So the guys have iPads and I'll bring up a set list and so basically working for me, it's all reading music. I haven't rehearsed in twenty five years. Everything's on charts, and every to work in my band, he got to be a really good reader. So I'm working with guys from New York, LA. It just depends who I who I you know, what I'm doing, who's available. Lately I've been working with an ensemble out of Paris, Trio, which just amazing guys out of Paris that I work with.

But I work with us guys like I play with Keith Carlock, who plays of Steely Dan. Keith works with me when he can, Travis Carlton, Larry Carlton, some plays Basement when you can. But it's a lot of who's available, you know. But I have a nice network of people in four or five places that I can call on, and because we don't rehearse, it's easy. I just they show up and play.

That's kind of a teleproctor. So I have the I have the chord chart and the lyrics, so I can. I can read those kinds of charts, but no, I cannot read like a violin chart or something. Those guys can, but so I can. I can exist in their world enough. But of course I wrote this song, so I know. But there's so many of them that the guys, yeah, they know sailing probably without looking at the chart, but most of the stuff they need to have a chart to play it. But I'm playing with them because they're

it's like Asia, you know. Donald Walter started bringing in guys like Michael Lomartian and Greg Fillingates, these incredible jazz players to interpret that music, and it brought it to a home to the level.

being terribly perceptive to Michael Lomartian, who's a genius. But so I said to him the Wonder Brothers Rep. Michael Austin, who was most son who signed me, said, you know, Michael plays with Steely Dan. I said, oh really, like what did you play on? Michael said, humbly, he said everything. So I said, you know, Larry Carlton, this is a true store. I said, you know Larry Carlton. He goes yes. I said can you get him to plan my record? And he said yes, And I said he doesn't do

sessions anymore. He's like a star he's like, you know, because I was a huge fan of Larry's and so Michael said, well, I know, Larry, I think I can do it. I said, well, here's the deal. If you can get Larry Carlton to plan my record, you can produce record. And that was that was the deal we made. And I finally told Carlton this story a few years ago and he said, man, I should have been getting points. But true to form, Michael Hamardine got Larry Carlton to

planed my record. He played on two tracks, and it was just it was the thrill of a lifetime, one of those times like the Pope, you know, sitting with Larry Carlton because he's he's you know, a huge, huge hero mine and so many players you know. So but yeah, that whole model. Even back then, I was into that. Having these guys that could play like that bring that sensibility to my songwriting and so and I think my songwriter has got more sophisticated over the years, but they

bring it to home toother level. These guys.

Hatchett that booked everybody. And we just started playing fraternity parties and clubs, anything we could play, just to make a living, you know. And so we did that for quite a while. But I was always writing, but I just didn't see any point, you know, the people that, like I said, Stevie, who is true artist. You know, he wasn't making much money doing that. He's playing for

his soul and that's wonderful. But you know, Austin, but there wasn't a town yet where you could really get appreciation for playing around music at my level at least, So I just kept my head down and played cover tunes and made money. I could play make fifteen hundred bucks a nights for the band at the fraternity party. But I'd never really bothered playing my tunes out. I just made demos and I sent them for Warner Brothers.

you don't care what your surroundings are like. But uh so, yeah, we lived in that house and played tunes like you know, played cover tunes and stuff that did. I I had an arrangement with a studio there in Austin, and I could go in at night and record. I invested some money in uh in some equipment and set up their B studio so I could go in and record in the twenty four tracks studio and start doing demos and I sit sent two sets of fork song demos to warners.

play and make good money playing cover tunes. It's just that to be an original band was pretty hard, and it was only people that were really really special like Stevie who you know, it was just a prodigy who went out and people did go to hear them. But even at that level, you know, playing these places that artists like that played, they didn't get paid a lot of money. They did it for the love of it, and there's a lot of integrity there, and I have

incredible respect for those people. But for me, I had a child at the time, you know, I'd gotten married at a child that I just I felt it was a better plan just to keep hacking out the radio tunes. Plus all that music had an influence on me too, you know, learning those songs and singing and playing beach Boys and that sort of thing. But that was just my model. That's what the way I did it. And again, through this strange quirk of fate with warners, I got

a deal. When I was, like you said, twenty eight, twenty nine, how.

up for us at the courthouse. And I'll never forget as soon as a female judge a sin as, she said, I pronounce you met her wife. I heard Rob under his breath go, this is not going to end well.

I'll never forget Rob saying that was pretty funny. But so, you know, I got married and kid, I just I felt like I responsibility to you know, Justin was literally he was, you know, two or three, and I had to support these people in an apartment, and so I needed to go out and make money. And I said, we get paid fifteen hundred bucks to play Attorney party. And that was a lot of money than Bob, it was, you know.

You know, I got a family. If if I don't get something going pretty soon, I'm just going to call it and just you know, go get a job and do something we after school or whatever. And so I gave myself sort of a six month window to see what was see what was going to come of it, if anything should come to fruition, And then fortunately I got signed. Yeah, but I was, I was going to, you know, pretty much call it today. I was because I've been trying for a long long time, and like

you said, I was older. Most people had deals by then, and so uh and that was part of the problem too. You know when I when all this happened, it was so medioric. I didn't have a regular art to my career like someone like the police and those people. You know, I just it just I went from playing in fraternities back we finished their record in seventy nine, I went back to Austin and went back to playing clubs until the album was released, playing Eagles songs. And then the

next thing had happened. The album comes out and I'm opening for the Eagles. So it was overwhelming. And I wish very much that I could go back and play those early shows with the kind of confidence and professionalism I have now, because I was just up there, you know, totally out of my element. No I from playing a little club, playing twenty thousand seediter, I had no business doing that.

so he said, I give it a damn tape. So you got the tape and they reached out to me and said, listen, you know, we really like your voices through a radio friendly, and they did what they all do at the time, So send us some more material. We're interested, and they keep stringing you along. So I did another set of demos and sent those and Michael Austin, who was Most's son, he was new to the an Are but fortunately he believed in me, you know, and kind of put his influence behind it. But they still

didn't believe in the songs. I remember them saying, your voice is great, but we may have to feature other songs to record. Not too sure about these songs. And they had heard sailing and I'd like to win in all those songs, and the demos were, you know, real good representations of what you hear on the record later. But so Michael Lomarty and the producer, was the one who said, listen, let us go in the studio see because I think there's something here. And so then we

went in and you know, and recorded. But and Michael did a great job of making the record, you know, enhancing with the strings and all that. But initially they just were focused on my voice. They said, your voice is like James, you know, it's like James Taylor, as good as James. But it just that when you hear James Taler on the radio, you know James Taylor, and they said that there's a uniqueness to that that's important

at radio. So we liked that about your voice. And so then it's funny because I want to say, really, I was just trying to sound like Crol Wilson. But eventually they signed me, and I made the record.

other labels who passed. But I always really wanted to be on one of us, like I told you, so it was like, you know, your first choice at a college or something. So but I did go to a couple of labels and got passed on, and M passed on me. They had just signed Captain and Taneil kick Cohen, the head of van Ar, said, we don't need another act like that. We just signed Captain a Tanil.

And so Tim went out to LA and he represented me, and then later after my ALBM came out not too long left that later, Tim went in with Irving and they co managed me for a while. Then eventually I just was managed by Irving. But right away Irving said, you need a lawyer, and so I got Michael Roosevelt and so right off the VAT I had a really good law firm. Can't across Michael Roosevelt. But you know with Irving, he don't. I mean, Irving came in, so that to the first record. But what I got to

do was doing another record. That's when Irving, you know, really stepped up, because you know, he was like, Okay, hold on a second. You know, this guy just sold his AID records and he has a standard record deal. Let's I'm not gonna do that again, you know, in that cause so I was at Therevy for a long time, long time. In fact, I think chronologically I was within longer than any other artists at the time other than Hindley, you know. But you know, as time went on, Irving

gets so big. You know, he's with Christina and all the stuff he does, and so I just I felt I needed someone who was waking up more day to day and trying to make me a buck. And nothing against Serving, but I left and went with a guy. Now he's managed me for about fifteen years. Then Toby Ludwig it's great because you know, Irving is a ruler of the world. I mean he's you know, he's busy and understandably with you know, managing you two and the

Eagles and all those people. But there were some great things that happened. I mean, Don Henley I'd known because he's from Lyndon, Texas, and so I knew Don. Don sang on the record, which was huge. P and JD. Salder's sang on the first record. But then Don arranged for me to go open for the Eagles, which was a real big moment. And then Don gave my record or induce very to Stevie Nickson. I ended up opening for Fleetwood for a long time. So both those things

were real big catalysts too. But having Michael McDonald on my record and Alderry Carlton, all these people at radio, that's undeniable that that gave me a leg up because you know, these DJs get fifty albums a day and they're reading the credits and they're like, who's this kid. You know, I'm McDonald, Barry Carlton, what's going on? Put it on, listen to it. So I really believe that having Michael on Brodac. The wind was huge.

I was a studio I and the Doobies are in the studio a doing Take It to the Streets and Omartyan knew McDonald from Steely Dan, so he went over and brought Michael over to listen to what we were doing McDonald and McDonald thought it was cool and he said, hey, if you want a background bugs, let me know. So we stuck on Mike in his face and he's sang, I really don't know anymore first, and then we brought him back letter for I'd like to win. But that

was through Marty and Martin got Larry Carlton. I was a huge Valerie Carter Van and Lenny Waterker made it called the Valerie, and she liked the song Ted Tempelm was pretty snical let Larsen and so that came together with NICKI, which I'm so thrilled since we lost her

boss Valerie too. Who else? Uh? Yeah, so and Eric Johnson of course played on my track, which nobody really knew who he was at the time, but I was determined to make sure that changed, and so he played on Mitchell Jiggelow and that kind of helped people find out about him and subsequently he got a deal on orders. But yeah, so the people came different ways. But it was a pretty star studed record for nobody.

initiated us me into that world. And as we went on and I started using more session players as I went on later that was something Michael was very comfortable with because you know, I used to gab people like that, but now the record was we were kind of for us. We were just remaking our demos and then Michael was playing on it, which is brilliant. Robert play Roads, Michael played Grant and then of course some already did the strings,

which were fabulous, you know, on those songs. So we were I would say it was pretty easy and seamless because we had a great producer.

they did plans and tracks on the second record. But OMARTI and you know, was used to work with studio musicians, and I had this burning desire to you know, up my game and work with those kind of people. And so Michael, you know, understood that. So with the second record, I started using some studio players like Steve gabb Ablueberry El Senior, people like that, because I said, from the very onset, I always wanted to make records like Steely Dan and the best way to do that is to

get those kind of guys. But the band toured with me initially, you know, even to the second record. But I think it's just a natural evolution, at least from my standpoint as an artist, as a singer songwriter. You know what's best for my music?

I could use to, you know, go under. This was just a release of mine, and Devon said, why don't you try yourself Christopher Cross, and the DJ still sorting it to Criss Cross, and so I went okay, And that's how it became. She just suggested. I said okay, because I just figured Geffert wasn't very memorable, and I also thought there could be some privacy advantage to it. So that's how the name came out. Devon to suggest that we went with it, and we released this little

single that was Christopher Cross. It was really me in the studio with Eric Johnson and some of the people. And it didn't do anything, but that's kind of how the name came about.

so I prefer Christopher. But people that know me a long time just can't do it.

a hearing and so it came out and boom. You know, I'd like to win, would have it never made its number one because Blondie had called me and it was only a single, so it kept us out of the singles charts being number one. But then Sailing, which I was not in favor of releasing MO released it then went to number one. But so yeah, about three months after we went back to Austin. We were planning more cover gigs and stuff, and it came out in January and then the very first tour, I did you know

my chronology made I'd be perfect. I apologize this so long ago. You know, it's like asking Rango if he used a te towel on tax Man, you know, can't. People asked me, did you just a click on your record? And he was like, I don't know, I don't think.

So my first tour was I got to open for Bonnie Raid because Bonnie was on Warders, and so they sent me out for six weeks with Bonnie, which was the perfect indoctrination into the world of touring because she's just fantastic and so and she was so sweet and you know, it was it was great. So I got to do that. And then shortly after that this went down, took me out with the Eagles, and that I did quite a few things with him. So it's all pretty heady, Okay.

delivery of a baby or something. He just that was like, hey, that's our album cover. And when we went to Warner Brothers, we showed it to him, and you know, we were one of fifty new acts, so like, yeah, okay, that looks okay. And they sent it to a guy Naed Floroid Holmes in Atlanta, who put the green around it and all that, but the initial and he did the back nighttime scene. But that initial image was was created

by Jimmy Newhouse. And yes, I would say that my physical insecurities, It's not so much that I requested that I not be on the record, but I was relieved, you know, because I didn't feel terrible. I felt self conscious about my weight. I've lost a lot of weight now, but you know, at the time I didn't feel particularly like sex simple. So I was happy to have the album be kind of anonymous. But Warners seemed fine with it, and of course maybe they were fine with it because

they didn't feel I was pootogenic. Whatever the case it's. You know, it's become pretty iconic, and it stayed because like Linda Ronstadt's heart, I mean, Flamingo's just carried through now and everybody wants to read all the significance of it, and there really isn't any other than it, just a corp of fate. But but yeah, I would say that's all true. And I think that I'm much more comfortable now. But you know, and I did Howard Stern Robin said something.

Howard was being so nice to me that Robin had to mix it up, so she said, I was I was so disappointed when I saw you, because she said I loved your voice, but you didn't look like Kenny Loggins. And Howard proceeded to jump in and defend me. They wait till there's a good looking man, Riddy, what are you talking about? He said, Well, listen his hair, I mean, he said, what is he supposed to go get plugs in his head? And looked like somebody shot him in the name of the head as shot in there with

a head with a nail gun. And I always joked with people that you know, if I look like Brad Pitt, forget it, I'd be like bigger than the Beatles, you know. But that's all probably true, and that's why the MTV thing. I did make a few videos, but it was very It was very reluctant on my part because I wasn't used to the visual visual medium. And I think the Buggles radio video killed the radio stars is very was very prophetic and true.

And then pretty soon people were buying the record, the album because there were so many singles. They just bought the record that it was just all happening, you know, And then I was playing these big shows and playing at the super Dome with the Eagles for seventy thousand people. It was overwhelming, so you know, I heard on the radio.

But then it didn't take too long before the train sped up, and it was I was just kind of hanging on to pay the truth because my personal life was falling apart, and you know, my marriage was falling apart, and you know, there's a lot going on.

it or whatever. I really don't know, but like a lot of marriages, that was falling apart, So I was dealing with that at the same time I'm dealing with all this stuff. You know, that was demands, people wanting me to do everything, and you know, I took my son to Disneyland and we had to leave because there were too many people. Bugget, you know, it's crazy, and I was just an army brat.

we still don't hear a hit. So I heard on the radio this boss Gag song. I'm a big fan of Bozz Camera Action do it Again. And it starts with the chorus. And my song form had always been the Beatles, you know, verse, chorus, verse, chorus bridge. I said, that's what's I gotta start a song with the chorus. If I wrote this song, say of the Mine, which Nico Lets sang on and Lenny Mordakers said that's a hit,

that's a radio record. Well, Amarty and with all respect went against that and said, I think right, like the Wind's got four on the floor coming out of disco and all that, I think it's that's what we go with that. He was right, but either way, no, I had no inclination that anything would happen. I was just hoping to sell fifty thousand records and get to make out of the record.

So I don't know I mean, I think I always got the feeling, like, especially when we're out with Fleetwood, that you know, they just people would just wanted us to get off the stage so they could see Fleetwood. You know, they just because they're they're Fleetwood back and they're the Eagles all that. So I didn't get a sense that, as I said Bob, at the time I walked out on stage, I had nine songs to play,

It's all I had. And it was just overwhelming for me, you know, just to see all these people and to try to somehow step up my game from being a local club guy to being this successful pop entity or whatever that I was clearly not prepared, you know for it. I did my best, but I don't know that anybody could do a whole lot, you know. It's just what happened to me is very unusual. It was so meteoric, so quick that you just could barely capt your breath, you know.

jump around, and it just wasn't. My physicality wasn't. I had this really lilting voice coming out as a big guy, and I just I don't know, I never so performing stretch. I think what I do is I'm a singer songwriter that tries to present his material in the most you know, professional, respectful way I can. But I wouldn't really call myself a performer entertainer, you know what I mean. That's for guys like you know, Freddie Mercury. You know.

from Robert Stigwood. And Eric's book he said that he came back from going to George's house and said to Robert Stigbot, well, I hope someday I can have a house like that. You know, I saw one on the way back to It was for sales like six hundred pounds, and maybe some day Robert stigwould said, you can afford that, no problem. I just put you guys on a stipend to keep your and blow on your money. But you want to go buy that house and George's they went for six grand, go ahead. But Eric had no idea

that he could afford that. So I think it's the same with me. So I think it struck me when I bought a house. We lived in an apartment, and I talked to my people and said, you know, kind of buy a house. And I said, sure. It wasn't anything fancy, but you know, and then I bought a Porsche. You know, all the usual things that people do. But you know, you acclimated that pretty quickly.

so you know, I didn't beat Sergeant Pepper. I mean, there were some good albums up that year, but I mean so I just sort of accepted that as validations that these that year. You know, I made a good record and people rewarded me with it. But I think that, you know, there maybe at times you'd hear things other artists would make comments, but it was rare, you know, somebody would say, oh, I don't get that, you know,

what's the big deal with him or whatever. You know, there's no I never I don't think I really felt that. I think that I was just kind of I accepted it. And what meant so much to me, as I said it, was that the way the voting is now, the Grammys have changed a lot, it's gotten to be this huge spectacle, but at the time it was sort of a reward for your work, where your peers said you did the best work of the year. And I really took that to heart.

of ballots on it. And I suppose if I had released a record like Doctor Faith, which is one of my later albums that's more eclectic like the first record, that probably would have been better. But you don't control your process. I wrote the songs I wrote at the time. You know, it sounds like Word's a Wisdom and talking my sleep and you uh. In fact, you know all right was the last song I wrote, because it was sort of an attempt at, you know, having a radio song.

But so the album maybe it was a little mellow, but their fans of mine, that's their favorite record, my second record. So but I couldn't have controlled it anyway, Bob, because I wasn't writing purposely, trying to write hits or anything. I was just doing what I'd always done, you know, just make make songs.

ones generally do that. So I recorded it and then I asked her parents if it's okay if I put it on the record, because I really wrote it for her, and her parents were really gracious and said, well, maybe you can bring some solace to someone else, because she was their only child. And so I released it. And then Tony Geary, who was on was Luke on the soap opera The Genie Francis that played the Laura character had left to go pursued acting career in films and

they rady suffered stuff. So Tony was a big fan of that record and got the idea to bring her back using the song. Unfortunately, I wasn't I wouldn't have been a favor of that.

character back. But I had no control. I couldn't stop it because I felt particularly bad for Laura's parents, who I'd just trying to honor their daughter, and then suddenly it's become this you know, but you know, it certainly helped the song get a lot of attention, but stupidly, if I could have stopped it, I would have because I just felt this a very personal thing and it wasn't meant to be, you know, a prop at a TV show.

I met the Pope. So I don't know. I just it was it's again, it's all about the work. And I said at one point I did have this sort of self doubt and I asked Rob, why do we keep doing this? We keep making these records that are I think better than that We've done it yet he said, it's because it's what we do, you know, And that's true. So we were always doing them again back to joy as the soundhole on my knee, you know, doing it because that's what we do. So we did them, and

I think the records have gotten better and better. Had an now like doctor Faith or secret Lout of these later ones that I made. You know, there I think to me as good as anything I've done better, probably as far as the number of good songs on there and the quality of the production and all that stuff.

I've I've gotten better with age. But and the people that discover those records and like them would say that, but you know, on a on a bigger scale, No, But it's okay because I've you know, I had my turn at the trough and I'm doing fine. You know, I've been able to support my family and have a good life and do what I love to do.

something like that. Well, Warners After the second record, we did well, but not as well as the first record. I had changed management because irving with GMCA, and I started being managed by Sandy Gallen, and one of the guys in his office said, you need to make a more rock record, show your guitar playing and do that kind of thing. So it made Every Turn of the World my third record that didn't have a flamingo on. It had me in a race car because I raced

cards for a while. It was a very edgy kind of more rock record, and the single rush I reat with Warner's wonted release Every Turn of the World, which is more of a rock pop tie track. But Sandy's people want to release Charmed the Snake, which is this very aggressive kind of avant garde record, and pop radio couldn't play it because it was too heavy for them. Rock radio wouldn't play it because it's some Christopher Cross,

and so the record didn't do anything. Then finally Lenny said, Lady Walker, so just go make a Christopher Cross record. So then I made Back on My Mind, which I think is actually quite a good record, but the love and feeling was gone by then. They just, you know,

it was too long. After that, I think that possibly that things started to transition and it became DreamWorks and all that anyway, But it was just sort of Bonnie left and went to Capital and where she had a massive hit, and so it was just sort of agreed that, you know, it was over, like a marriage or anything else. It'd been a good run, but probably the best time I move on. And I couldn't really argue with it, because you know, part of me, I suppose you always

blame the record company. Wasn't their fault. But so I I left, and I moved up to Santa Barbara and was not doing anything for quite a while. And then I got a call from my attorney who had some money from Japan. Some Japanese label wanted me to make a record. So I made a record called Window, and I just you know, kept doing that. Every few years, I'd make another record. Somehow got money and found money and made a record, and as I said, you know,

humility aside. I think the records have gotten better and better over the years, and I think this real good work there. But you know, most people come to my show's probably come for those five or six songs that they know, but there's always a few out there, they'll yell out some obscure in fact, really funny. There's a song on Doctor Fifn called Dreamers, which I think is

a Robin I wrote. It's a good song, and I'll admit in the concerts I'm with them and secure when I play the deep cuts, because I've got my hits. But when I'm playing the deep cuts, I realize a lot of people are waiting for Arthur or whatever. In fact, some night's second song right like they'll win. I'm like, hey,

delay gratification, you know, hang on a second. But so one night recently at a show, some guy yells out something and I thought he said free bird, and so I said, hey, look scattered and I have an agreement. I don't play their songs that are playing my songs. But he actually said dreamers. He wrote it on social media and said no, I said dreamers. So I'm so kind of, you know, a shell shocked by that that I couldn't even imagine that someone would yell out an

obscure deep track, but I did. I did a couple of shows in Austin some years ago called the No Hits Show. Tony Bucks, come hear me play unplugged but no hits, and now I got one hundred people, small club. It was great, just played inside tracks, you know, but all artists want that, you know, all artists want, you know, people to embrace their obscure material.

for me. I can't remember my own some of my own songs, I you know, so it would be an interesting experiment, you know. But people yell out things sometimes and I'll go, oh, thanks so much for that. You know, We're not playing that tonight, but thank you. And then sometimes people are going to say, hey, could you play this tune at the show in San Diego? They will learn it, you will play it.

I should have like a regular life, you know. And like Michael McDonald, he and Aby have been married for thirty five years or whatever, and you know, our kids grow up together. So I had other role models that have successful marriag just so try again. So met Jane and we got married. We were married for eighteen years. So that was a good run. But you know, it just ran itself out, you know. And I don't know. Maybe it's my fault. Maybe I'm difficult to live with.

I don't know, but I think one thing is when I got married the first time, I eloped, and when my father got I called my parents to tell him I was getting married. I never met her. My mother got on the phone and tried to be welcoming, but my father at one point he groffly grabbed the phone so let me talk to her, and he said, hey, listen, my dad was you know, he was a brilliant man, but alcoholic and you know, didn't have the best bedside matter. But he said, I want you to listen to me

very closely. And you know my wife first wife said yeah. He said, you're marrying a musician. Do you know what that means? And she said, yeah, it's very exciting because no, I'm not talking about all that crack. You're marrying a musician and they are a different breed, so just be

sure you know what you're getting into. And he gave a come back to my mom, and I thought that was one of the most insightful things I'd ever experienced when I thought about it later, because musicians are a different breed artist, and you're married to not just them, but you're married to their career and their work, and if you get jealous of it, it's over. And I don't care what the gender is. You know, you know, Larry Klein Graham Nast there with Joni Mitchell, so they

did fine. But I'm just saying, you.

want to reinvent the Wheel. I just want to get people. And when Todd left, he got Colin Hay back. I think he said, I just want to get somebody I've already gott I've already used because I know what I'm doing. I'm not going to do this that much longer. So it never worked out, but everybody tried, and it was certainly a big dream of mine, but I never got to do it. I've done a lot of these Beatles shows with Todd run Gren where we go out and play and any like.

and David Pack and Wilson John Outwhistle from Who. So then the next time Todd and I started doing them with Denny Lane, and we've done a whole bunch of them, and we just last time Todd picked Revolver in River Solim. We chose to songs from that. So put a band together. We just go out and do a few of our hits and do the deal things and they're very successful. People really love it and it's fun, you know, because the songs are timeless, and h Todd's really brilliant and fun to work with.

patience for that. But he's funny as hell and uh, you know, really well read and a very clever guy. And so I was a huge fan. I mean the ballad the second record that Todd made.

very self deprecating. But I've I've considered it to be real honored to get to work with him because he's a big influence on me in terms of my I used to play those tunes and bars and Quarterly the structures and all that stuff. He's incredibly brilliant, So I love having the opportunity I can to work with him.

I got it mixed goo. I don't know. But at again, there was no you know, the government wasn't telling us a lot. You know, there was not a lot of information about it. So I got very, very sick, and I started getting over. I started feeling better for a couple of days, and then I was sitting at my couch at home and I suddenly said to Joy, I can't I can't move my legs. I'm paralyzed. And we called the doctor and he said, you have gallambarre syndrome. Get to the get to the ear right away. So

I went down there. By that time, my hands were also paralyzed. On my face kind of like I had. Ah. I mean, what's that disease? Uh? People get anyway. Uh, the bill's point to Bell's policy, it's kind of like that. But it was from my hands from paralyzed, couldn't walk, went to the hospital. I was in ar about a month, got treatment. Uh. It was tough because during COVID protocol, people couldn't visit me. I was alone in the in this room, alone day after day of pain because it's

a spinal thing, and so it was very painful. But I finally got out of hospital. I got good treatment quickly, and most most of the symptoms abated over the next year. They say all the damage happens in the first two weeks and then all the healings in the next year. So over the next year, my legs through therapy physical therapy, I got used to my legs about eighty percent back, my hands, relaxed my face, and so I kind of came out of it. My legs are still compromised a bit.

Stairs are hard to climb and that sort of thing, but I can get around. But that was tough. It was a very tough time for me in my life. It was very humbling and really gave me a window into people with disabilities that I've never had it's not a fair world to those people, I mean, trying to get around in a wheelchair. It's just we've done better, but we had a long way to go making the world accessible, you know. So that was a real, you know,

taste of character. But I think I you know, my girlfriend was incredibly supportive, and friends who were in My friend jeff Foscuett, we haven't talked about yet, Jeffrey. He would stay on the phone with me at night, three in the morning, just talking me through just you know, my experience with this thing. It was just terrible. So I got through it and h thanks to the doctors and everything and nobody. Lot of people don't die from it. The guy Joseph Heller who wrote Catch twenty two, he

got it. He was in a coma for two years on a ventilator. I fortunately was treated quick enough to where I never had pulmonary involvement. But MIMA is all scalable. But it was a real eye opening thing, Bob, for sure, I feel very blessed to have gotten through it, but also to have it happen when I was younger, I mean older, because if I'd been like twenty, I think it would have been rough. Now you know, I get a run fine, and I'm not trying to ski anymore anyway, So that's okay.

It helps aerobically, but None of that's going to ever change my leg the way my legs are because it's spinal damage. It's not musk, it's not you know, muscular. But I'm doing fine. I can get around okay. I worked with a walker for a long time after the chair and that it came, but I can. I have to be super careful, like on stairs and stuff. But I'm I'm doing okay and I'm not playing. I rest a lot during the day on the bus so I can stand the ninety minutes. But yeah, I'm very lucky.

I get calling you Foskett anyway? And he goes, Carl, Carl called me Fosquett, and I said, oh, so all comes back to Carl. So in nineteen one, they when I was starting to another page the album with Laura on it, The World that Open was my oyster because I'd had this big record, so I could call anybody, you know. I called Art, Garfuncle, and I helled these people, and of course my dream was to have Carl Wilson

sang on my record. So I called Carl as he was it said so gracious, and he came down and sang with me, and it was just, you know, unbelievable dream come true for me. But through that connection, Carl and it became fast friends, and I started getting involved with the Beach Boys, but I opened for them a lot.

Sometimes I would sit in and sing tunes of Brian's and that sort of thing, And of course Jeffrey was in the band, and then he also later transitioned to being Brian's MD and so I got into that whole beach boy world and Jeffrey was in the middle of all that. So we just became again fast friends through Carl, and that friendship sustained till the day died. You know, and great amazing singer. He and I always joked that

the two of us together made one Carl. You know what we sang, but you know, skilled harmonic musician, guitarist, producer, amazing singer and one of these guys networks. He knew everybody. He knows everybody you know he and but a lot of that was he would admit through Brian because because he had such access to Brian, and he was sort of Brian's guy. You know, he'd be hanging out with McCartney or hanging out with whoever because of Brian. But so you know, he always had he always knew everything

before anybody else. Like if you try to scoop him by saying, hey I heard, he said, yeah, I know. He was that way. But he was an incredibly good friend and we had a lot of fun playing that music too. I went to London to Albert Hall and played with them and did some songs with the band. Brian wasn't there. But and through that all association, when Brian first started trying to come out, he did an album called Imagination that was sort of a constructed record

by this guy, Joe Thomas. But they wanted a band, yeah, and they formed this band. It was Paul Schaeffer, myself, Timmy Schmidt, and a couple of national guys and we were Brian's band and we did Letterman and we did Farm Made Medity, things like that where we we you know. But it was and Brian was first coming back and

it was tough because he was very uncomfortable. You know, he's gotten much much more comfortable, but at that point it was really terrifying for him to suddenly be thrust out on stage again.

here in my house that Brian sent me. This handwritten God only knows, signed by Brian because he said, you know you love Carl, so I thought you'd like to have that. But so God only knows. But there's a tune that Mike and Al wrote called all This is That, which I love too. But then I just did a cover. Uh everybody says, watch you do a Carl cover record. I'm not, you know, I'm gonna touch that stuff, but I did. Recently I did a cover of this two Field Flows, which is on I think it's on Holland.

But anyway, I did it completely different than Carl would do it. But so I'd say God only knows that certainly. And you know I wasn't made for these times. I mean, you know, the warmth of the sun. I mean, I just go on and on and on. I mean his catalog is crazy, but I do love that tune. All this is that but there and of course surfs up. You know pet sounds me. This serfs up a whole other level. It's kind of like Asia or something. It's just uh. I love the work as much as some

people didn't like the collaboration with Van Dyke. I did. I love those obscure, heaty lyrics that Van Dyke used about music.

them and emulate them. And so Carl was definitely my vocal hero, and Brian's certainly a major writing hero. And it's funny. I went to dinner with Brian and Jeffrey and we went to McCormick miss or something, and so I picked up the check and Brian said, you buying my dinner? And I said yeah. He goes why and I said, well, I just want to somehow say thank you for all that you've done for me. Brian said, what did I do? I said, I don't know. It's

taught me everything I know. But he's so humble, you know, he kind of just kind of shrugged. It was cute, but yeah, I learned a lot from those guys, all of them, you know, even Dennis. I mean that song Forever that didnist saying oh nomenal, yeah, unbelievable and Brian. Dennis brought Brian that and he had the song, but

he needed a bridge. And the bridge song is so Brian because it's a you know, in my huhever and then it goes into this bridge that goes to a whole nother planet, and that's so Brian, and Brian sort of helped Dennis you know, write that, But I love that song, love it, you know, on.

say you're publishing. But so I was able to get it back because after thirty five years you can do that. You got to be do it right, figure out how to do it, but you can do it. And the same with the masters.

Johnny Wright, who produced and managed in Sink, got the idea and used his Florida people to construct this R and B pop version of sal It was on their first record. The record was massive. BMG made all their money back in one feel smooth. So had I just not done it, I couldn't. I would all lend it come myself. I mean, you know, McCartney's a big collector of catalogs and it's a smart thing to do from

a business decision. But uh, and on these these these three sixty five deals and stuff, I'm a big fan of all that. You know, royalties have always been too low. I mean my first royalty rate was twelve percent, you know, So yeah, I uh, I've been around long enough. I could get it back, but you got to you got to make a concerted effort to hire a good lawyer

to do that. But there's a law now that it reverts back, just like there was a law seven years after the seven years after you record your record, you can re record it. That used to be a lot that the labels are changing that you know they're going to say now you can't do that anymore, because you know, Taylor Swift just did that. She recorded all her stuff again. But you know these are all just turns of the road, you know, bread less traveled or whatever. I mean, it's

all good. I mean, you live and learn. And again I'm sitting here talking to you getting ready. I just got tough with the seven week term. I just got the pope. I'm going to be going out in the summer again. I get ready to go to Lincoln Center and do a benefit for Michael Brecker, the great Jess sax player. So you know, I'm I'm doing lots of fun stuff and life is good.

I love that. And that's where this thing gets. Like my girlfriend Joy is so fantastic because she gets it. She gets me, She gets all that and she that that's where I want to be. But she doesn't take it personally and she gets that that's part of the animal I am. But yeah, you can ask my manager. I'm like, when are we going back out? But i mean, after seven weeks, I'm fatigued a little bit and a little break, but I'm I'm definitely ready to go out again.

helping people with health care needs. But she's you know, we got together. We've been together around ten years or so, so it's later in life. So she's just and not that you know, this thing with not understanding artist is that pervasive. It's just that it can be a problem you've got to understand. And Joe laughs about it. She thinks it's funny that you know. But maybe she loves the break too. Maybe she can't wait for me to leave.

I don't know. But I'm really enjoying what I'm doing more than ever, and partly above because that all that early in security. You know, I've lost a lot of weight. I lost fifty pounds. I used to weigh too eighty five and now I weighed to twenty. I lost fifty pounds because of gambret and I've Type two diabetes. So I'm really conscious about my eating of it so now, and I want to lose a little bit more about lost love with So I'm feeling more confident physically but

also musically. I feel much much more confident in my skills and what I'm able to do. And now I'm surrounded by these amazing musicians on stage that are just world class, and so every night they bring stuff to the stage that's just inspiring. So it's really fun for me to step out there and you know, see what's going to happen each night.

talking to you today. But you know you did tell me, you said it's not a gotcha, you know, and you're you're you're true to your word. You know.