What made you get into music?
My dad played six, seven different instruments and he loved to sing. He would work at Ford, but then on the weekend he would play in bands. When I was about age nine or ten he showed me a few chords on the bass ukulele. I started playing Elvis songs, Buddy Holly songs, Little Richard songs and kinda taught myself, and that’s how it all started.
Is songwriting your favourite thing to do?
Sure. I’ve always had an affinity for people like Dylan and Tom Waits, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, people who wrote solo. But I not only write, I also help produce and I go on the road and I’m a band leader – a lot of different hats. But I still consider myself mainly a writer.
_You’ve spoken recently of retiring. _
I’ve had a great career. I wouldn’t say I’m in the planning stages of retiring, but I’m wide open to it now and I don’t know how much more there is to prove. I wouldn’t mind putting out one last swan song.
If you do retire, will you be able to just shut off your creativity?
Maybe. But if I write songs I might end up giving them to Kid Rock or somebody else. I don’t want to overstay my welcome.
