Our proud corporate parents at Glide Magazine have just published a revealing interview with keyboardist Bruce Hornsby in which the Virginia-bred musician talks about his new live album, his childhood and much more with freelancer Joanne Schenker.
One of the topics Schenker discussed with Hornsby was his relationship with Grateful Dead front man Jerry Garcia…
Did you ever think you’d end up close friends with Jerry Garcia?
No, who would ever imagine that? And it was a beautiful time. He was a great person and I, like many, many people miss him a lot. I learned so much from him…he was a walking encyclopedia of folk music. It was an amazing moment for the old crowd who used to hang around The Octane Kids in ’74 to come up to Madison Square Garden 16 years later in September l990 and watch me just start wingin’ it with him on stage with no rehearsal. It was like I was painting myself into the mural I was looking at when I was a kid.
Fans believe you were a major catalyst to their revival in the ‘90’s…
Well, I wouldn’t say that, really. I came in the late ‘80’s and Garcia died in ’95. I think that was a tough period for them. One thing that seems to be generally thought was that when I played with The Dead, Garcia really enjoyed it. We had a great connection. Sometimes I would verbally pick him up when I felt he was flagging on stage. I would be next to him on accordion sort of shouting (laughs)…
In watching videos and listening to tapes from the Dead’s Hornsby Era, there’s no doubt Jerry was energized by Bruce. Hornsby goes on to discuss his forthcoming musical and the possibility he’ll tour with Bob Weir again. Head over to GlideMagazine.com for the full interview.
2 Responses
Bruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuce!Great Article.
It’s a pleasure to read a well-prepared interviewer have a conversation with an articulate, open artist. Thanks.
One tiny correction, Hornsby’s longtime guitarist is DOUG Derryberry– an incredible talent who somehow stays under the radar even though he’s been killing it with some of the best American rock musicians for 20 years. Nothing but great musicians in the Noisemakers.