George Thorogood Interview 2024

Beasley Digital

4/23/2025

Transcript

00:00George, my name is Paul Kelly from Classic Rock.

00:02We got George, we got Paul, and he's John and Ringo.

00:06You're from 102.9 MGK in Philadelphia.

00:09I've never gotten to do this, so please allow me to introduce, ladies and gentlemen,

00:13the one and only George Thorogood.

00:17Yeah, I am the one and only George Thorogood.

00:19I hope there's only one and only.

00:21I don't think the world's ready for two of us.

00:25That you know of.

00:27So the tour just kicked off.

00:30You got one date under your belt, and yeah, this tour marks a major milestone for you.

00:36Why don't you tell the listeners what this tour is all about for you?

00:39Well, a lot of the dates are being done with John Fogarty, who was an international legend,

00:45and he's also a part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

00:49But touring with him, you have to understand something.

00:53John Fogarty, when he was with Creedence Clearwater Revival,

00:56every time I have to remind him that the Beatles came to see Creedence Clearwater,

01:01all four of them at the same time.

01:03Now, how many people can say that?

01:05So to tour with John is more than an honor.

01:09It's historical.

01:12It also marks a milestone for you and your band on your 50th anniversary.

01:15Tell us a little bit about that.

01:16I'd like to tell you very little about it.

01:20It's not something I'd like to elaborate.

01:22Hey, we've been playing for 50 years.

01:24That's what it means.

01:25I get it.

01:26Ain't no real big deal about it.

01:28It's just a matter of we were lucky enough to stay healthy and stay on the radio

01:34and keep our fan following going.

01:39There's hundreds of bands out there that have been playing for 50 years.

01:42Aerosmith and Van Morrison, they've been playing for 60 years.

01:48So everybody else treats it like something big of a deal.

01:51I just say, hey, I punched the clock for 50 years.

01:55How's that, Paul?

01:55Well, you've got a couple more dates there in the Carolinas

01:59before you come to the MGK Big Gig Show here.

02:02And in Philadelphia, let's not understate your fanhood here.

02:05I want to mention some of the places that you played here.

02:08Go back to the early days, talking about the Wilmington Stopping Grounds,

02:12the Barn Door, the Buggy Tavern.

02:15You know, you're going to have people that saw you at these shows

02:18coming to see you in this pavilion on Friday night.

02:22What's your question?

02:24The question is, can I read some more of these venues

02:27where you played around the Philadelphia area, like the Bijou Cafe,

02:29the Main Point, the T-shirt that I'm wearing today?

02:33Yeah, we played those places, the Bijou.

02:35We played the Main Point.

02:37We did about every one of those streets,

02:39every street we did in Philadelphia, you can name it,

02:46Walnut Street, Chestnut Street.

02:48They're all named after nuts.

02:50Maybe that's why they wanted us to play.

02:52The Schubert Theater.

02:53There, you know, there seemed to be one on every street.

02:58And, man, we played them all.

03:01J.C. Dobbs.

03:03Yeah, we did that.

03:05Absolutely.

03:06So the crowd is looking forward to seeing you here in Philadelphia, obviously.

03:10Really?

03:11Yeah, absolutely.

03:12Who have you been talking to?

03:14Well, there's Steve from Wilmington.

03:15There's Joe from New Hope.

03:17There's Dennis from Kennett Square.

03:20Any women?

03:20Well, their wives, but they didn't want to give their names at this point.

03:24Their wives?

03:28That's not what I want to hear.

03:30Well, I'll tell you what, brother.

03:32They might be their wives then, but when I get done playing,

03:34they won't be their wives after that.

03:37Always bad to the bone, man, no doubt.

03:40Always been number one, no doubt.

03:42My mind is number one.

03:44So the home crowd, it's got to feel good for you to be up in front of this crew

03:48this coming Friday night.

03:49How much are you looking forward to this?

03:50I mean, you're in the Carolinas now, but coming back to the Delaware Valley

03:54to play, looking forward to it.

03:58Yeah, I look forward to all our shows, but that'll be a little, you know,

04:03remember something.

04:04We played that area with, you know, the other high-profile acts.

04:11We played in the Delaware Valley.

04:12We played there with the Rolling Stones.

04:14We played there with ZZ Top.

04:15So to do it with John Fogarty is like another notch in a pistol belt.

04:20And, of course, you were here for Live Aid.

04:22I saw you at Live Aid here at JFK.

04:25I thought you looked familiar.

04:26I'm a little more together at this point, but thank you.

04:31I appreciate that.

04:33I'm glad you're appreciated.

04:36A call from a listener.

04:38This obviously goes back to the Bad to the Bone video, the concept for it.

04:42The pool hall, getting together with Bo Diddley and Willie Moscone.

04:46Whose idea was that?

04:47I mean, just a great concept.

04:48That was our Mark Robinson who directed that video.

04:53That was his idea.

04:55Originally, I wanted to do it with a poker game.

04:58Like, so we had to flip a coin whether I wanted to be Steve McQueen or Paul Newman.

05:05Small question about that.

05:07And which one did you want to be?

05:09Really?

05:10I mean, really?

05:10You knew which way you wanted the coin to fall?

05:12No, he pointed the way because Steve McQueen did the Cincinnati Kid where he was a stud poker player.

05:18And Paul Newman played the part of a pool shooter, an extra pool hustler in the movie The Hustler.

05:26Right.

05:26So that's what we were looking at, that kind of theme.

05:29And I was swaying towards, not that I'm a bigger fan of either of them or either movie,

05:34but I just felt more comfortable with cards in my hand than a pool cue.

05:39But Mark Robinson said, no, we're going to do what's going to be pool shooting.

05:42I said, because we could get Willie Moscone, that's why we did it as a pool concept.

05:51Or as they say, billiards, pool, whatever.

05:55Tell me about the show that happened, you and John.

05:57How are things working out with you guys on the tour?

05:59I mean, I know it's early on.

06:01Well, we started last night.

06:02And, you know, I've known John for a long time, which is great.

06:09And, you know, like I said before, working with him, I mean, he's the guy that the Beatles went to see.

06:14So this is a high watermark for me.

06:17And it's a high watermark to Snow and John.

06:20To have him as a friend is, to me, I hold even a higher value than playing with him on tour.

06:28Although I love that.

06:29The fact that we're friends means even more to me.

06:33That's really cool.

06:34You know, I was thinking the other day, as the interview was coming together,

06:38and, you know, people like that, John Fogarty, that you are a friend with and touring with.

06:42Is there anybody out there that you would like to collaborate with on a recording that you have not?

06:47Sure.

06:48Sure.

06:49There's people I want to collaborate with.

06:51Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Keith Richards.

06:55Okay.

06:55I mean, that's the top of the scale, isn't it?

06:59Well, not everybody wants to work with other musicians.

07:01Some just know I'm me.

07:03You got to have goals in life.

07:04You got to have dreams.

07:06You know, if you don't have a dream, how can you make a dream come true?

07:09Well, we'll work this word along.

07:10You never know who's listening and what could happen.

07:13That's right.

07:14This guy from Philadelphia, Paul Kelly, was talking with George,

07:18and now George wants to work with some of these folks.

07:20And, ding, there goes the phone.

07:21There goes the text.

07:22You never know.

07:24You never know.

07:26I'm waiting for Lady Gaga to call, but I don't think that's going to happen.

07:29All right.

07:30Well, you know, Taylor's out there.

07:31She's got an extra couple minutes here and there.

07:33Maybe she'll take your call.

07:36Well, I ain't cheap, but I can be had.

07:40Everybody's got their price, right?

07:45Right.

07:47Good.

07:48Well, I appreciate your time today, George.

07:50And, like I said, the radio station, Big Gig 2024, featuring you and John Fogarty,

07:55the celebration tour for us on Friday.

07:58And we can't wait to see you.

08:00So, again, thank you for your time.

08:02Rock and roll never sleeps.

08:03It just passes out.

08:06Love it, man.

George Thorogood Interview 2024

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