Interview: Don McLean

Don McLean’s epic song “American Pie” laments “the day the music died” – the 1959 plane crash which killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper – and also tells a beautifully cryptic story about the subsequent evolution of rock ‘n’ roll and society. An enduring classic, it spent four weeks at Number One in 1972, and in 2017 was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress.

But McLean wasn’t a one-hit wonder. The American Pie album also included the hit song “Vincent”, a meditation on Vincent van Gogh and his masterpiece painting “Starry Night”. Other notable Don McLean songs include “Dreidel”, “Wonderful Baby”, “Since I Don’t Have You”, “Castles in the Air”, and a hit cover of Roy Orbison’s “Crying”. His most recent album was last year’s Botanical Gardens.

This interview was for a preview article for noozhawk.com for the 8/16/19 Don McLean concert at the Libbey Bowl in Ojai, California. It was done by phone on 7/10/19. (Publicity photo)

Interview: Laurie Berkner

If you’re a parent, you know that a lot of children’s music gets old much more quickly than your kids do. But thankfully there are some children’s music artists that keep the kids happy while keeping the parents sane. One such artist is Laurie Berkner, who has been singing about dinosaurs, doodlebugs, chickens, bumblebees, songs in tummies, and the like since the 1990’s, with songs full of clever lyrics and catchy melodies. She has also branched out into videos, books, and musicals, and also makes many TV appearances.

This interview was for a preview article for Berkner’s concert on 4/19/15 at Campbell Hall at UC Santa Barbara. It was done by phone on 3/25/15. (Steve Vaccariello photo)

Remembering Musicians Who Died in 2014

A tribute to the famous and not-so-famous musicians who passed away last year

The following is a list of some of the notable musicians who passed away in 2014, including a few who performed in the Santa Barbara area in recent years. Some are well-known, many are not, but all are worthy of our respect. R.I.P. — Rock In Peace.

Interview: Arlo Guthrie

Arlo Guthrie is a beloved folk singer best known for his talking blues epic “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” and his Top 40 hit “The City of New Orleans”. But this is just the cream of the crop from dozens of albums that he has released and songs he has performed over decades of touring since the late 1960’s. He also starred in the 1969 movie Alice’s Restaurant, and made a “far out” appearance in the Woodstock movie, which used his song “Coming Into Los Angeles” as accompaniment to footage of some serious reefer gladness.

Guthrie is also the son of folk music legend Woody Guthrie, who wrote hundreds of notable songs including “This Land Is Your Land”. The family’s musical legacy continues with Arlo’s children.

The following interview was for a preview article for Arlo’s concert at the Lobero Theatre on 4/15/13. He answered the questions by email, with answers received on 3/26/13.