Tracker Pixel for Entry

​HPR EXCLUSIVE: JOE BONAMASSA INTERVIEW

Music | May 6th, 2016

The blues guitar wizard has been a legend since opening for B.B. King and John Lee Hooker when he was just in junior high. At 38 years old, he has 12 solo albums under his belt, one Grammy nomination and he even performed at London’s Royal Albert Hall. His latest release “Blues of Desperation” saw him teaming up with some of Nashville’s top songwriters to record an album of entirely original compositions.

In addition to his solo career, Joe Bonamassa is part of Black Country Communion, a super group featuring drummer Jason Bonham, former Deep Purple singer Glenn Hughes and keyboardist Derek Sherinian, who has played for Dream Theater and Alice Cooper. The band formed in 2009 and released three albums before breaking up in 2013, but they recently announced plans to reform next year.

Bonamassa took the time to open up to HPR about his latest album, his massive guitar collection and the Black Country Communion reunion.

High Plains Reader: With your last two releases you made a move from albums with a lot of cover songs toward albums comprised entirely of originals. How easy has it been transitioning from taking on someone else’s work to starting from scratch?

Joe Bonamassa: Sometimes when you do a cover of a song you’re almost better off writing a new song and you end up writing a new song anyway. We never just did verbatim versions of songs and the last two albums I decided to rekindle my interest in making original music and it’s been worth it. All that hard work that goes into making a record ultimately comes out when we play the songs live. It’s just like the crowd immediately responds to them and it’s been a real nice transition and it’s been successful over the last two albums. The last two albums, ‘Different Shades of Blue’ at number eight [Billboard] top 200 and the new one was number five, so it’s been working.

HPR: Last I heard your guitar collection was at around 120.

JB: Actually I was a little bit mistaken. I was miscounted by like 140. It’s up to about 250 at the moment. I didn’t realize it accrued that much until I redid my insurance and I started going through case after case after case just like hitting serial numbers and just seeing what I had and went, ‘Sh*t. That’s my 250th guitar,’ and I was like, ‘Oh, man.’

HPR: And you had cut back a little bit too right? Because I know before you had said it was around 300.

JB: Yeah, I had sold off a bunch of guitars about five or six years ago to fund the purchase of one big one. You know what I mean? You’re basically trading 150 guitars or so for one guitar. And I ended up selling those off and I don’t miss any of that stuff that I sold off. I’ve just been kind off socking away ever since, so anyway, it is what it is. It’s an addiction.

HPR: So how many guitars did it take you to record the new album?

JB: Probably about 11, 10 or 11. I had different tool kits. I had a couple acoustics ... I had a Gretsch, I had two vintage Les Pauls, I had my ’58 Flying V, 345, and ES-5, just all the screwdrivers.

HPR: I read in an interview that you didn’t start singing until you were 18 and regretted starting so late. Having already been established as a great guitarist, what made you want to pursue singing too?

JB: I got tired of lead singers so I figured I’d become one so I didn’t have to deal with fear of success or fear of failure. And I knew I wanted to be successful and I knew I wanted to keep my head on straight and make a run at this thing. But if you’re constantly at the beck and call of a crazy singer, then you’re whole destiny is almost controlled by somebody else, unless you want to play instrumental music. That’s double tough, you know what I mean?

HPR: Was it difficult learning how to sing or rather learning how to sing and play such technical parts on guitar at the same time?

JB: Singing is probably the hardest thing that I do on a daily basis because it is very unpredictable. Your voice is just like a muscle and some days you have it and some days you don’t and some days it’s better than others. But I’ve embraced it and I think it’s become just as strong as a part of my shows as the playing. I’ve been singing it for 20 years now. At the end of the day it’s been well worth it.

HPR: While I’m sure you had trouble learning some songs as a kid, are there any songs you have trouble with in your adult life?

JB: Yeah, it’s very strange because I’ve never been one of those kind of guys that’s just out to learn a song. Take ‘Stairway to Heaven’ if you want, like I don’t really know it. You know what I mean? I never learned cover material, I only just learned songs that I was going to play for the show ... I would jam to records, I would totally jam to records. I’d put Cream on and jam along to ‘Crossroads’ or ‘White Room’ or something like that and learn how to solo and improvise.

HPR: Black Country Communion announced they’ll be reuniting. Will this be a new album and another tour?

JB: We’re gonna start an album, let me just say that. We’re gonna do an album and we’re gonna go from there.

HPR: What did it take for you guys to get back together?

JB: I just reached out to everybody. Life is too short to hold a grudge and we make good music together. I just reached out to Jason and I reached out to Derek and I reached out to Glenn and I had dinner with Jason ... And just kind of made my amends and said I’m sorry and there was a lot of stuff taken out of context and there was stuff taken in context, but it was one of those things where we said we we’re gonna keep on doing it. So we’ll see about maybe doing some shows and just take it one day at a time.

IF YOU GO

Joe Bonamassa

Saturday, May 7, 8 p.m.

Fargo Civic Center, 207 Fourth St N

Recently in:

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comArea children ages 10 and over are invited to join the Fargo-Moorhead Science Museum to explore how rivers work at two Fargo Public Library locations this summer. Stream Table Workshops will…

Back-to-school season is on the horizon, but there's still plenty of summer left. Check out our favorite August attractions and events in North Dakota and western Minnesota. And if if you missed them, here are a few excellent May…

Friday, July 25, doors at 8:30 p.m.Aquarium above Dempsey’s, 226 N. Broadway, Fargo"This is what you need to know about Daikaiju,” said Kelly Weidman. “They're loud. They're all instrumental (duh). And they're the band to see…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.com On July fourth, Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Eating Contest took place at Coney Island. The winners, Joey Chestnut and Miki Sudo, reigned victorious. Chestnut earned his 17th title by…

By Ed Raymond fargogadfly@gmail.comThere might be room for Trump on Mount Rushmore after allDuring King Donald’s first term he told Kristi Noem, then a congresswoman and now his secretary of homeland security, his dream was to be…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…

By Rick Gion and Simone Wairickgion@gmail.com The Red River Market returned to downtown Fargo on Saturday, July 12. The event will take place every Saturday except July 19. (That date will be moved to Sunday, July 20, due to the…

By Alicia Underlee Nelsonalicia@hpr1.comThe Moorhead Public Library will offer three free, all-ages outdoor concerts featuring regional bands this summer. The series begins on June 12 with the Meat Rabbits, a group that blends…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.comAri Aster’s political satire “Eddington” premiered in competition for the Palme d’Or at Cannes in May, where Jafar Panahi’s “It Was Just an Accident” received the prize. A…

Press ReleaseTouchmark at Harwood Groves will host a special artist reception featuring renowned glass artist Jon Offutt on Tuesday, July 29, at 2:00 p.m. in the community’s auditorium. The event celebrates Offutt’s temporary…

By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comPhoto by Yvonne Denault There is something intimate and personal about plays. Even in our age of multimillion dollar Hollywood productions and droves of streaming services, watching actors…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

The drug that keeps re-purposing itselfBy Ellie Liveranieli.liverani.ra@gmail.com There is a drug that is getting a lot of attention nowadays all over the world. It has various commercial names (Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus), but…

By Alicia Underlee NelsonProtests against President Trump’s policies and the cuts made by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are planned across North Dakota and western Minnesota Friday, April 4 and…

By Vern Thompsonvern.thompson@rocketmail.com Working in the Bakken oil fields of the Williston Basin is so different from my home in Fargo. I'm not judging, because the people working and living in western North Dakota are very…