What have been the best and worst mo- ments of your career thus far? I try to think of every day as interesting and enjoyable. I rarely think of what I have ac- complished but rather what am I doing today and tomorrow. Most of my highs and lows are not based on music but rather on what is going on at that moment. The worst is when I get a phone call, like the one I got and was told that Jeff Porcaro had passed away. Same with the call I got about Carols Vega. Losing so many dear friends has been the hardest thing I have had to deal with and there have been many. The high points have been inter- actions with people while I travel on tour. Also, meeting so many gifted artists and mu- sicians over all these years has been a blessing every day!
What’s the best jam you ever played in? What are some of the most memorable gigs you've had? The 1979 Flag tour with James Taylor was amazing. He was at the height of his powers and the band was killer. Recording Spectrum with Billy Cobham was wonderful and all the touring with Phil Collins was the best. But, that being said, I have really enjoyed so many moments in my career. Any chance that I get to play music with talented and gifted people is such a joy. I pinch myself all the time real- izing how fortunate I have been in this busi- ness. And, the fact that there is much more to come. I am busy right now as I have been for years. More pinching please!
Which memory from your career so far makes you smile? Once again, it is related to people I have met. I met a wonderful family while on tour with Phil Collins in 1990 at the airport in Glasgow on the way to Dublin. It was a mother, two daughters and a little boy named David. We had an experience that I will never forget. It is
a very long story but it had a great impact on me. Wonderful people. But, again, I have been doing this going on 44 years now and every day there is something to reflect on that becomes part of my life.
Who taught you the most about music? What is the best advice ever given to you? One of the best people I ever knew was the teacher, Mr. Ted Lynn, who got me started on bass at 12 years of age. I had been a piano player since 5-years-old and thought that would be my instrument, but when I entered Junior High School they needed a bassist and he convinced me to try it. I loved it and it changed my life. Also, Tommy Tedesco taught me a lot while doing sessions with him. Be- cause of him, I installed a ‘Producer Switch’ on my bass. It has no wires going to it. It is a placebo that makes people think you have done something when you have not, but if they really do not know what they want you can go crazy trying to find it. This way they see me flip a switch and they are happy.
Are there any funny memories from recording and show time which you’d like to share with us? There are so many moments in the studio that go from sublime to insane. Very difficult to narrow them down. The music business embraces unusual people and I have seemed to meet and work with a lot of them. Also, the variety of music I have worked on has ex- posed me to very many different genres and with that people. Each brings an adventure with them.
What do you miss most nowadays from the music of the past? How has the music industry changed over the years? Things were awful for a while. I was working but most of my time was going to peoples
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