Carl Posted August 11, 2014 Report Share Posted August 11, 2014 We've interviewed hundreds of songwriters over the years, and to the best of my knowledge they were all still alive and well heading into July, a month when two of our subjects passed away. The interviews are a great snapshot of what these guys were thinking in the months before they passed: 1) Johnny Winter A man of indubitable talent and influence, Johnny was stuck promoting a boxed set when Greg spoke with him earlier this year. He spent the whole interview giving terse retorts to Greg's increasingly desperate queries. There was very little to be gleaned from the piece, but I thought it was a great case study on what could happen to even the best and brightest when they cede control of their careers. Johnny made it clear from the jump that he was speaking with us only out of obligation. When Greg asked for details about the release, he said it was all Sony's idea. "They had control over it. I didn't," said Johnny. I found it disturbing that the great Johnny Winter was reduced to doing interviews against his will. 2) Dick Wagner Not a household name, but a titan of rock guitar and songwriting. He made the notes in Entertainment Weekly's dozier when he died on July 30. When Greg spoke with him, Dick told the inside stories of writing and recording "Only Women Bleed" with Alice Cooper and playing the guitar solos on Aerosmith's version of "Train Kept A Rollin'." He was excited about producing a new artist and recording a song for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. At one point, Dick talked about his near-death experiences, which made him appreciate his time on Earth. "I'm just the most lucky guy in the world," he said. "I've been near death several times and I could have been killed on Friday. But here I am." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chutzpah Posted August 11, 2014 Report Share Posted August 11, 2014 Joey Ramone checked out and it was never mentioned. I guess it was just a rough few days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zabadak Posted August 12, 2014 Report Share Posted August 12, 2014 Joey Ramone checked out and it was never mentioned. I guess it was just a rough few days. Tommy, surely... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chutzpah Posted August 12, 2014 Report Share Posted August 12, 2014 Tommy, surely... yeah my meds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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