Thorogood: New songs 'the kiss of death'
Courtesy - DemocratandChronicle.com
George Thorogood has been on what we'll call his No Apologies Tour for nearly four decades now. "I haven't changed a bit since '75," he says. "It's 
the times that have changed."
No apologies for every bluesy note he wrings out of what came before. Thorogood and his longtime cohorts in what he calls boogie blues, The Destroyers, open the summer concert season at one of our two big outdoor venues with a Saturday, May 30, show at Constellation Brands-Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center with Brian Setzer's Rockabilly Riot. We kind of ease into the season cautiously, like an animal sticking its head out of its burrow after a rough winter. CMAC has booked 17 summer acts in all, a diverse collection that includes a live radio broadcast of A Prairie Home Companion, The Avett Brothers, Ed Sheeran, Santana and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.
Darien Lake Performing Arts Center's season doesn't hit until June 18 with Fall Out Boy and Wiz Khalifa. Also 17 acts, very heavy on country. Genesee County will look like a Ford F-150 convention this summer.
But let's head back to the bar with Thorogood. You know Thorogood, you know exactly what he sounds like. You know songs such as "Bad to the Bone" and "If You Don't Start Drinkin' (I'm Gonna Leave)," both of which he wrote. And John Lee Hooker's "One Bourbon, One Scotch and One Beer," which is kind of a Thorogood standard. Goodtime George knows one sure way to keep getting gigs: Make sure everyone has a drink in hand. Moving drinks is concert gold whether you own a bar or an amphitheater.
You also likely know a few facts about Thorogood. He grew up in Delaware. In fact, he's included on a list assembled by DelawareToday.com of the 50 most-influential Delaware natives. I suppose we can arrange for some kind of award if you can come up with another one not named Biden or Du Pont. It's also well-known that Thorogood is a baseball fan. In fact, he used two baseball analogies during this 20-minute interview to define his place in the Music World Order.
And that's probably all you know about Thorogood. Even the Internet, which is the equivalent of that old lady on your street who's always peering out the front window of her house, checking on what the neighbors are up to, is strangely silent on the subject of Thorogood's personal life. There are few in-depth profiles. About all I can come up with is he's 65 years old, been married since 1985, has a kid, now seems to live in California and is very happy financially, which not a lot of musicians can say.
I do remember this detail from when I interviewed him back in the early '90s, and I rediscovered it again a couple of weeks ago: Thorogood doesn't talk about anything personal. He outright refuses to answer, or directs his answer elsewhere.
So we talk music.
Blues rocker George Thorogood talks music, touring and his new CD
Courtesy - WVXU
Blues music legend George Thorogood is back on tour this summer and will be playing at the new Rose Music Center at The Heights near Dayton with fellow guitar wizard Brian Setzer.
Stuart Holman spoke with Thorogood about his career, his new album, playing with Brian Setzer and more.
Click here to listen to George's interview.
