The Rich Redmond Show

Unknown: Nick coming to you from
crash studios in Music City,

USA, Nashville. This is the rich
Redmond show featuring special

guest Nashville studio legend

Eddie Bayers

and now rich Redmond.

What is up, everyone? Rich
Redmond here. Welcome to the

rich Redmond show. So excited
coming to you live from crash

studio in Beautiful Music City,
USA, Nashville, Tennessee. Of

course, I'm giant joined by my
partner in crime, Jim McCarthy.

Jim McCarthy, voiceovers.com and
so excited to have this guest,

my good friend. Eddie bears, how
are you? My friend? Great. Have

you brother? Good. Good to see
you. Good to see you. It's a

real thrill to have you at my
place here, because if people

don't know our history, I moved
to Nashville in March of 1997

and you were so instrumental in
helping me get started. You were

so kind to me. You were so
encouraging. You were what they

would call nowadays, these crazy
kids, a mentor. Oh, yeah. And so

I sent you my my cassette demo,
rich Redmond drums and

percussion in early 1997 you
were like, Yeah, kid, you sound

great. Get to Nashville. And
then before I knew it, you were

throwing me showcases and little
road gigs and and then same with

Lonnie Wilson, our friend Lonnie
Wilson got me connected with

some cool stuff. And even you
even wrote me a letter

recommendation like Rich is a
great human being, and sounds

really great. If you need any
references, please call me Eddie

bears Jr. You know so, so just
all these years later, nearly 24

years later, it's awesome to
have you 2424 years I think you

were my eight I'm in my late
40s. I think you were my age

when I moved to town 24

years ago. So it

was so with your history. Let me
ask you something, yeah, and

somebody you got to get hit, hit
up all the time from people

coming into town. You really
wanted to help rich out. Yeah,

for some reason, why was that?

You know, you can. It's almost
like a innate, intuitive

situation where, when somebody
contacts you, and, of course,

then you get a reference of
their playing and their ability.

That's where you can pretty well
tell with somebody's talent. And

you know that this is worth, you
know, supporting, right?

I can get behind this guy. Yeah,

thank you so much. I mean, you,
you started, it was like the Big

Bang. It was like it was, it was
a slow grow. Go for me. In the

early days, Jim was surprised to
hear our last podcast. I said,

you know, I had trouble getting
connected. I mean, getting

really connected into it took me
three years to get that Pam

Tillis job, right? But in the
beginning I was like waiting

tables and substitute teaching
and parking cars and doing data

entry and teaching drum lessons
and playing down a lower

Broadway and doing free show,
doing anything I could. So, you

know, three years what is that?
It's about 1000 days before I

got that job with Pam, and
someone was setting up my drums,

and they gave me a bottle of
water. Here you go. Mr. Ribbon,

you know. And then after the
show that someone tore down my

drums. So cool, I know, I know.
But um, to catch up, everyone

who might not be familiar, are
they sleeping under a rock that

they're not familiar with? Mr.
Eddie bears, one of the most

recorded drummers in history.
You've played on over 300 gold

and platinum records. 14 times,
Academy of Country Music drummer

of the year, three time
Nashville drummer, Nashville

Music Awards, drummer of the
year, and countless times you

won country drummer of the year
in Modern Drummer magazine. So

in back in my, you know, I've
read every issue of Modern

Drummer magazine, for folks that
aren't drummers out there, this

is the most widely read drum
publication in the world, and I

remember seeing you Lonnie Jerry
croon Tommy wells, Owen Hale and

Milton sledge on the cover of
the magazine at the Opry. And it

was so inspirational. So that's
why I said, Oh, I've got to

reach out to these guys and see
if they'll give me any nuggets

of wisdom, any advice, and you
took it one step further, and

you get me some jobs around
town. You know, which was

really, which was great. Now,
how many years have you been in

Nashville? I came in

Christmas of 73 Wow. But of
course, a keyboard player,

were you? Yeah, yeah, tell us
about that. You're from

Maryland, right, right, and you
were playing your classically

trained piano player.

Interesting, and yeah. And
through that, of course, as the

process goes, you know, and
you're in that mode, you. Uh,

and to make it really quick, is
that you know your travels

playing in bands, which I did,
and I wound up with a band in

New Jersey, and we called
ourselves the original cast. And

while we're playing around in
Jersey, there was a band that

was one of the top 40 bands
discovered by Nancy Wilson in

Las Vegas, called the checkmates
Ltd. And they were pretty well

known, you know, but they came
in where we were, and at that

time I was sliding off the drums
too, you know, like, what? When

our drummer would go out and I'd
play, so he could do whatever he

did, and then I'd get back onto
b3 they said, that's exactly

what we're looking for, for the
CheckMate. So me, three of us

out of that band, left and went
with the checkmates and moved to

Las Vegas and became their
backup bands. Because they did

the same thing. You know, when
their drummer, sweet Louie,

would go out, I'd get on, and
when Sonny Charles got off the

organ, then I'd get on. So as
that went on and on, Joe Romano,

who was the trumpet player, was
also a great orchestrator and

musical director, and he moved
to Oakland, California, and he

called me when all this was
starting to disperse, and said,

you know, you really always
wanted to finish your college,

you know? I said, Well, I just
want music, musically. And so I

followed through. I moved in
with him at Oakland, and I went

to Laney College, you know,
basically just double A, you

know, but through that process,
I've got more into that network,

just the same thing as I always
advise, like I do with you. So

networking around Oakland, I got
into a guy named Tom Fogerty,

who was John fogerty's Brother,
right? Who had a little group

that, when everybody was off
tour, they would play around,

you know, like Keystone corner,
and then go over to San

Francisco and play. And so I
became their keyboard player. I

was the piano. And Merle
Saunders, who was a great b3

player. Jerry Garcia play
guitar. Tom played, you know,

the acoustic and guitars. So
through that, then obviously it

became more mainstream of
knowing that music. So after

about three years there, I heard
from some people in Nashville

who said, We're you need to come
here, you know? So I did. And

when I came sore as a keyboard
player, I said, Well, I got to

sustain. So I heard about
auditions down at printers

alley. So I went down. There was
like three other piano players

in front of me, and I'm waiting
for them to do their thing. And

then I got up and I played.
After I played, this big burly

guy came over. He said, you're
my guy, hmm, it was a quartet,

and I want to he said, you're my
guy. And he said, What are you

doing? I said, Well, I'm working
at an Alba fabrication plant

right now

here in Nashville. Yeah. Day

job, yeah, a job, a job and
something, yeah, making album

covers.

Wow. At least you're in the
industry,

in a sense. But anyway, I gave
him, I told him my name. He

said, I'm Larry London. Wow. I
had no idea until, of course, as

we friended and friended and I
worked with him. I mean, we were

really close. He was your
mentor. Oh, my God, he was so

when you use mentor, and I told
him, I said, I would really like

to professionally get into this,
you know, he goes, I've got a

little pad up between shows,
because we were, like the

quartet in between main artists
that would come into printers,

and so we go up, and he would
show me a few things. And then

after a while, when it got a
little more complex, I said, you

know, Larry, I just want to beat
him, you know? I said, I I've

been in an interpretive mode all
my life, right? You know? So I

can read and I can do all that,
but I just want to feel the

play. Yeah, so after about a
year and a half there, there was

a top 40 group downtown that was
the most popular one in a club.

So I auditioned for them, and I
got that. So I spent probably

maybe more than five years
there, but then wanted to pursue

the studio, yeah, scene. And I
was going around, and I was

hearing about studios and going
and checking out. And then I

heard about one. It was just
opening, and it was called audio

media, and it was over off the
vision. And I walked in, I said,

Man, I would really love to get
inside here and know they said,

well, we can't afford to pay
anybody. I said, it doesn't

matter. I just want to learn and
be inside and I'll play. Yeah.

Well, simultaneously, somebody
who became my partner for 30

years, Paul whirly, who's a
known

producer, you guys owned the
money pit, right? Was this?

Well, we well, that was
subsequent, because this studio.

We were in was a production
studio. So we never did

mainstream. We were doing
National Geographic albums

attributing somebody like we
would do an album that

of John Phillips, also

Susan marches, John Phillips,
salsa.

That sounds let me tell you why
I say that, because that's like

a parody, yeah, when I would
say, you want to hear John

Philip salsa,

anyway,

so, but we would do that and all
kinds of different things, from

Walt Disney, doing a lot of the
Mickey Mouse disco things like

that.

So you were in, you went and
just cold called. You stopped by

the studio. Said, This is what I
do. This is what I'd like to do.

Can you use me? Yeah, it's like
the Phil Ramone story of he

started sweeping the studio
floor and cleaning the bathroom.

Yeah, and you work your way up.
Do you tell I got on the radio?

How do you do you see that
happening with today's youth? Or

no, no, I

don't, and I'll tell you why.
It's because, let's face it,

right in your room here we could
cut a full blown album. Yeah,

yeah. So that pretty much is the
way of the world. Most of the

facilities, as we know. You
know, we knew sound shop went

away. We knew that condos now,
yeah, yeah. But you know, the

only thing that I say, I mean, I
know, I see all the squawk and

everything, what a shame.
Historic Bubba, you know, Ray

Stevens a you know, 17 grand
gone.

They leveled it. I saw it well.

But you know what, as a
businessman? Because the one

thing I know, even though we're
doing what we're do, you've

learned this is business music.
Yeah, it's not music business.

So with that being said, as you
have your places and your

properties and stuff you get in,
let's just hypothetically say

somebody came up to you, and you
had a iconic studio that

depended off the phone to ring
so you knew what the way of the

world was at that point of how
many times are you frequented to

be doing sessions, you know, and
making your nut and knowing what

it would take as Somebody comes
in and says, I'll give you $3

million and I'll take it, yeah.
I mean, you're going, Wait a

minute, I can secure me, my
kids, my family. I think,

I think Ray sold that for 20
million.

I because it's a prime spot
right there on the corner, yeah.

I mean, wow,

it's just the way. I mean, it's
happening with all the creative

arts these days. That that the
barrier to entry is getting

lower, you know, like you're
talking about, you can do it

right here, in a studio, in a
house. Make a great sounding

album. The only thing you miss
out on is, is there a difference

in how these albums are sounding
now? Oh, now that everybody's

not in the same room, tell you
what I was feeding off.

I was just talking about that
last night again, you know we

were reflecting on the records
today. Yeah. So we know that the

little wizards that are coming
out, the Pro Tools wizards,

demeaning them. But when they
get in and they do all of their

plugins and everything like
that. The sounds aren't, I mean,

they're ones and zeros, right?
So they're just a wall. There's

like that. You don't go inside.
There is no dynamic. You know,

it's what it is. It might go
louder and softer and have some

kind of verb on it, but it's not
like because somebody told me,

they said, Man, I listened to,
and I was trying to think of the

recording they listened to. It
was once something I did, and

they were commenting because it
was done back in the 90s. And of

course, you know, they were just
listening said, My God, it was

so big, and you could hear
everything. And while you put

the phones on, you were
listening to landscape, you

know, you heard something
through there, through there,

and Corey layers, yeah, it's
molecular, yeah. And I said

molecules magnetized or
different than ones and zeros

delegated to a frequency.

That's really, really
interesting. Because, I mean,

you know, when I moved here and,
you know, 97 everyone was still

tracking in the same room at the
same time. And I will say that

about Nashville more than the
other coasts. We are still doing

that. We're still doing it. It
is somehow being affected, like

I just did a session, you know,
yesterday, where so many tracks

were on the grid, and I knew
that I didn't necessarily know

what drum machine fills they
were going to keep so to play it

safe, I played incredibly
simple. You know, I didn't do

any fills, and so you're just
using the colors on the kit.

Like I'm going to play a tight
hi hat here. I'm going to go to

a loose hi hat here. I'm going
to go to a variety, making

choices, but knowing I probably
need to figure out how to stay.

Out of the way to play it safe
and make it easy for their

editing. And so like the musical
choices we're making now are

different than when we were
playing that big country and and

1997 eight guys on the floor at
the same time, I will say, Thank

God. Thank God to Michael Knox
and Jason l Dean and Pete

Coleman and all the folks over
at treasure Isle, all the Aldean

records all at the same time.
That's right on the floor at the

same that's

why they sound the way they do
this. Yeah,

they are. They're incredibly
sounding. And they creep keep

the legacy, you know, from where
I started, back when, all those

records and everything that I
did and and you know, then my

year so far, I've been able to
enjoy because Jim Ed Norman did

a record on Dylan Scott. We were
a sound Emporium. We did that.

Kyle inning produced a three day
album on skip, Ewing everybody

on the floor, same thing, yeah,

let me ask you, this guy's
professional drummers and

players in the industry. You go
back to an album like Van Halen,

1984 right? Love it. I put that
when I was in radio, I was

trying to actually do something
with it and beat, mix it with

other songs and put it along
with metronome. He is all over

the flip and map. As far as
tempo,

it just feels amazing, right?
But you don't feel so you don't

feel that, Oh, you don't want a
band, and they're all doing it

together. I listen to

hear, hear some songs, yeah,
that just have legacy to them,

you know, they're gonna be
around

for another 100 years. It's
gonna be cool. Time will tell to

see, you know, the lifespan of a
bro, a bro country record, like,

how long it's gonna be around?
Like, are we still gonna be

spinning it in

10 years? Right? The same thing,
you know, I mean, there's

artists that we know just like
Jason now is one of our

treasures you look but over
decades, and that will continue.

And I guess hypothetically, you
wonder about anybody in the new

that comes on and they're doing
what they do, will they be there

in 25 years?

It's almost like the mid 90s
right now, for country, mid 90s

rock, yeah, was kind of like
they were trying anything. You

know, it was before the active
rock genre was really defined. I

was getting into radio at that
particular moment. Yeah, they

were transitioning from grunge
and Nirvana, and the Seattle

thing kind of was fizzling at
that point. 9495 96 was

happening because I was in a
cover band at the time, playing

drums. Jim also plays drums,
yeah. And we were playing, you

know, Smashing Pumpkins. I don't
think the Foo Fighters was out

by then, but ever Rage Against
the Machine, ever clear. And it

was just really wonky music. I
mean, they were literally just

throwing stuff against the wall
to see if it sticks,

you know, but they're still
playing a lot of it, yeah,

you go back. There's a lot of
nostalgia. For me, when I listen

to it, they call that classic
rock. Now, is it classic rock?

Yeah, it's like, it's like, the
young girls call it old timey

music, like, why are you
listening to this old timey

music when we could be listening
to Drake, his journey, old

times oldies class,

I'll tell you what the reality
of that is. Just go on and check

foreigner journey, hmm, even Van
Halen check their tour schedule.

Busy. Yeah, yeah, really. And
some of them don't even have,

like, one original member. Some
of them have one original

member, and they just get great
side guys, and they hang the

banner in the back, and it's a
notable brand. And you the

people in 90% of the people in
the audience, 99% of the people

audience, just want to hear
dirty white boy in double vision

and cold as ice. They don't care
who's playing it. Yeah, you

know, but it, but there is some
god, there's, there's wings to

that music, and you're
responsible for when Alan

Jackson says, we've gone
country, yeah, you know that was

like, what, 9293 94 before that?
Yeah, it was like, maybe, like

91 or something, yeah,

probably because straight was 84

now straight, I'm so sorry,
straight has had, what, 60

number ones, and you've played
on almost

all of them, probably 90%

actually more than that. So you
can't, so folks, listen, you

can't put your you can't get in
your car and turn on satellite

XM or terrestrial radio and
drive down the road to the

Walgreens to do anything without
hearing Eddie bears on the

radio, right? That's pretty
that's got to be does it still

fun to hear yourself in a
supermarket elevator there on

the radio? Kind of over it? Does
it? Does it? Does it bring back

a memory of that session on that
day?

Absolutely anything like that
that I hear and I'm going, oh my

god, yeah, that was so and so.
You know, now,

have you thought about writing a
memoir? I have,

but I just wouldn't know any of
those fundamental beginnings of

how you do that.

So you need a co author. Yes, we
gotta get you a co author. But,

I mean, we're just talking about
the 90s. I mean, look at this

track record, Jim. Check this
out. You being a drummer, you

can appreciate this. Tanya
Tucker, John Denver, Ricky

Skaggs, George Strait, almost
all the stuff. Garth Brooks,

Glen Campbell, Kenny Chesney,
Vince Gill so it goes on and on

and on. And talk about
reinventing yourself, self,

continuing to work, staying
relevant. You're the house

drummer at the Opry, right? Yes
as well. And then our friend

Mark subs for you. Mark Beckett,
yes. Now, when I see Mark

Beckett play, I say to myself,
that guy was heavily influenced

by Eddie bears. I told him when
he was 13. I mean, we're talking

about, he's a lefty, yep, the
same setup, like your brand. I

hear it not that he's not a
unique and well,

you know her dad, the infamous
Barry Beckett, yeah, famous

records that, yeah, producer
that we did, Barry would always

bring home the tracks and
everything that we recorded, a

great education, yes. So he
would get those to Mark, and

Mark would just play along,
yeah, play along with those. And

that's what he did. So he's
actually now or once while he

go, man, do you remember this?
And it'd be like, because

obviously Barry was diverse, so
we did a heavy metal artist,

Dora Pesh from Germany. So it
was like, double kicks, you

know, and Dan huff and
everything.

And I think a lot of people
would be surprised to hear you

play that style.

Oh, yeah, yeah, I know exactly.
I mean, I've got when you put

the records on and they just
sound for not, was it like a

speed metal kind of thing?

Yeah, it was like, there was a
few cuts like that, yeah, oh

yeah. And the kick kicks, yeah.

Are you still playing with the
players? That's your side

project.

Well, you know what? John Hobbs,
our keyboard player. I started

that band in 2001 because there
was a friend I had from CMT at

CBS cable named Martin Clayton
who since retired, and he had

cornered me, we had met each
other, and I can't remember how

we ever did it. It might have
been a nearest thing. But

anyway, we got to talking about
ideas and everything and

creating shows. So the first
thing we did was a Christmas

special which Glen Campbell. And
basically our format was going

to be, yeah, we'll go on and
record the record. We'll film,

you know, Glenn singing the
songs with Yes, or maybe not

yes, and then sell, which we
did, after that was done. He

said, you know, what about like
a music based thing? And I said,

Well, I wouldn't want it to be
like a American music shop

thing, you know, with the
musicians. I said, What about if

we did a musician, artist
record. So with that said, Yeah,

great. Put a band together. So I
put together Brent Mason, Paul

Franklin, Michael Rhodes and
John Hobbs. And the premise of

that record was, we got we
brought in Vince Gill, Peter

Frampton, Travis, tritt, Sean
Colvin. So that was a diverse,

yeah, but what happened after
that show and DVD and everything

was done, it stuck. So we just
became brothers in arms with

that. And we played around for
like, 11 years. And then John

since retired, and it was
obviously somebody would say,

even in a band sense, you know,
what are you going to get

somebody to take us place? I
said, No, this is it. The

players are it, right? And so we
just let that rest. And

everybody's kind of like in
their own world and what they

do. But of course, we're still
connected, yeah, sure, very, but

very heavily. In fact, in
October, will really be it?

I, you know, I used to come see
you guys play at third and

Lindsley all the time. If
there's any Nashvillians that

listening, you guys know the
original third and Lindsley was

this small room. And that's
right. And then Ron knocked the

wall down and expanded, and
little, small room was magic. It

really was. The man is in the
corner. Oh man, get the pinball

machines in the back by the
dressing room. And, you know,

it's pretty good bar food. And,
you know, you know, Ron, the

owner, is a he's a fan of music.
You know, there's always great

acts in there, regional acts,
national, local acts. Yeah, he

supports them. You know, people
always ask me all the time, I'm

coming to Nashville, where
should I go? I say, okay, third

in Lindsley, 12th in Porter,
Douglas corner, the Sutler, the

basement, lower Broadway. And
they say, No, what's your

favorite spot on lower Broadway?
Rich? I say, Well, you got to go

to World Famous tootsies
because, yeah, you just have to.

And I like Robert's western
world because it's like the real

old school Don Kelly band, and
the old country guys played, and

they're wearing the nudie suits,
and they're wearing the shirts,

and you can go in there and you
get your crinkle fries and your

core is original. In the bottle
fried bologna sandwich, let's

buy a pair

of boots. That's where we are.
We are so health oriented. You

know, really go after the health

food fried bologna tofu. It's a

tofu. Welcome to the south. So
So you it was. It's very well

known, for those of you who are
listening at one point. Like,

and probably still this way, it
was, like a handful of people,

like a fraternity of two or
three guys that you always heard

on the same stuff that was a
scent, like, when in the

voiceover business, which is
where I live, most of the time,

talking about the A team in
Nashville that Eddie was right,

right? Where did we referred
with true before for that, like,

you know, the movie trailer,
guys who voiced all the movie

trailers, you know, in the
world, those guys, Don

LaFontaine, yeah, it was like
four or five people doing all

the, all the work. And you know,
what was your kind of view on

that for somebody coming in?
Because I remember hearing an

interview with Don LaFontaine.
They said, Well, someone asked

him, I said he was, he was very
tongue in cheek, funny guy.

Yeah. They said, You know, there
was only four or five of you,

from what I understand. He goes,
Yes, as it should be, yeah. He

says, Yeah. There's only, like,
five of you making all the

money. He's like, yes, as it
should be. That's great. I mean,

your attitude, I guess, was a
little different. I mean, did

you care and you were a part of
that fraternity? Was that

something

that you know, the fraternity
really in that and that days

from the 80s to 90s, it was
really under production, because

the way it was, which is
different today's world. Let's

say Brent Mayor produced an act
that we did, we did the demos on

the judge, and then they go
through the roof. Well, then the

label Joe Galani or RCA said, We
want you to produce this, and we

want you to produce that. So
under one producer, I'd have

four major artists that I would
be playing on. And the same

thing, when Jimmy Bowen came to
town, you know, he tested me

out, he said, you're going to be
my guy. And that talk about a

windfall. Now that was the same
crew for a good 1011, years. And

what it did not from my efforts,
but because he just controlled

this world and produced
everybody here, because he ran

the label too. Yeah. So with
that. I mean, a good example

would be like, so this is
August. I would be booked

through next August every week,

and you were doing two, three
sessions a day,

oh, sometimes two sessions a
day, yeah, and five days a week.

And then if they had squeeze up,
man, it'd be a Saturday, but

again, it was every artist. So
because of that, you

have an amazing pension.

Let's hope it survives,

yeah, well, if it can, yeah, you
know. And I think it will. I

think it might get cut, but
it'll be, it'll survive, yeah,

that, but I think the stats
were, and for a lot of us that

were with Bowen for those 10
years, because he controlled the

world, you know, I would have
see the top 11 singles for six

and a half months in Billboard,
and the top 13 albums in country

in Billboard, yeah, for like,
six months, you just look and,

you know, just be amazed. You
know, the one thing I never did

was absorb it into like, yeah.
You know, I was gonna ask. I

knew what it was, yeah. I mean,
you know, if this guy that

you're working for is doing
everybody that's on those

charts. Well, obviously

that speaks incredibly to the
power of relationships.

Well, and I guess what we're
saying as far as the the nucleus

of every one of those camps, I
had it with Brent mayor. I had

it with Jimmy Bowen Barry
Beckett. When he left Muscle

Shoals came out, and he was
seeking out somebody for his

national rhythm section, which I
was blessed to be able to be in

that so that was another 10
years of him producing

everything internationally. I
mean, we did from Seager and, I

mean, all these different
artists like Brendan croaker,

who was with the Nottingham
hillbillies and stuff. So it was

really good adverse music. But I
guess back to the question,

there wasn't a nuke this, it was
just who was ever in those

production camps like

you were in with everybody,
which really speaks to like,

wow. People have their faith in
your ability to show up and

deliver the job. And I'm sure
they knew you. They like you.

They trusted you, and you showed
up consistently. So for the

viewers out there and listeners
that that aren't in the music

business, a recording session is
from 10 to 1:10am to 1pm and

then a short lunch break, and
you might have to go to another

recording session across town
with another set of drums set

up, and you would record from
2pm to 5pm and this is all kind

of governed by the American
Federation of Musicians, which

says that you have to make this
amount of money in this amount

of time, and it adds up, and
they pay into your pension. And

it was, it was like the golden
age of the music. Just totally

where now it is the Wild West.
There's so many things happening

off the card, yeah, and off the
card, you know? And, and. A you

know, what would your advice?
Because I know you, you mentor,

you have you're involved with
the Grammys, and you go speak at

Berkeley. And so you have a
young kid, his parents are

spending 250 $300,000 for the
kid to go to Berkeley and

graduate with a piece of paper.
And they go, Wow, now I'm gonna

go into the music business. I
gotta pay back these student

loans. How am I going to do
this? What advice would you give

to a 22 year old kid graduating
from one of the top music

schools, or somebody that's just
self trained and they know that

they have to be in New York, LA
or Nashville?

Let me. Let me ask something
real quick. Are you still paying

off your student loans?

Actually, because of the Peralta
college system, I went free.

There you go. If you were a
resident around Oakland and San

Francisco, you could get your
double A

free. That's incredible. Yeah,
you ever miss California when

your time there? Not now, yeah,

not now, not Oakland now. No,
no, no. Oh no, no,

no, no, no. I watched it
deteriorate, yeah, I mean,

within years after I left, yeah,
that was a shame, yeah, but,

but, you know, I and I get those
questions a lot, because what I

do is I work with a couple of
professors at Berkeley. So every

year they bring down, like 125
students. We have a week that we

program all the hierarchy here
that encompass every facet. I

mean, you can have publishing,
label, management, legal, and in

musical, songwriting and all
that. And, of course, they all

have, you know, the same
questions, and as far as when

they get out and what they do.
And I think it would be the same

thing. Now, even with your
success of where you evolve to

where you are, you'd have to ask
yourself the same question. What

would you say? Yeah, you know,

roll up your sleeves. Find the
people that are doing what you

want to do. Meet them. Model
yourself after that.

Emulate Emily.

The only thing I advice I give
them, as I said, I know

sometimes you guys can be
separate from each other in

whatever facet, and have your
own little core, your only core

group that you do. Yeah. I said,
break that down, network with

each other. I said, because that
songwriter or that guy who's

going to be in publishing, or
anything like that, might give

you a call and say, you know,
compassing our public company,

we're going to start a
production studio, you know,

would you, you know, this is how
a lot of my contacts happen.

Did you understand what you're
doing at the time, though, when,

when you were doing it, did you
or just, you know, it just

happened.

No, you know, all I did is,
after a while with, with the

experience, you put it together,
you start saying, Wow, I mean

that he Don Cook, he called and
took me into Acuff rose, and

then moved me over to tree and
Don Gant, buddy killing and all

that. And then you start going,
Oh, I get it, you know. So this

is, and that's, and I guess that
there's also when you talk about

lower broad, you know, and
people who come down get into

the jams and stuff like that. I
said, love those people who come

down and play. Sometimes they're
also in the network of the

studios doing the demos,
whatever, whatever, they might

never know who's going to be and
they might hear you and go, Man,

let me have your

number. I mean, every time you
play your instrument or work on

your craft in public, you are
advertising your business. Do

you think they understand that,
though? I mean, I remind you

you've been told I don't want to
put I don't need to play lower,

broad. Well, there's a lot of
kids that are moving to town

that are just like, they maybe
they save smartly, they save

money, and they don't
necessarily need to work a day

job. So they just go out every
night and crash parties and meet

people. But they're like, you
know, I don't want to go play

for tips. I was like, Hey, I
didn't either, but I learned so

much, so quickly

and and again, that one person
that you might befriend through

that who goes, Man, let me have
your number, and the next thing

you know, you get the call. Sure
you know. And that's that's the

beauty of in networking, and
that's what I always advise you

got to get in the community.

You know, relationships,
absolutely. Oh,

that was your advice to me. You
know, we'll see in town. Get

involved with the community. You
know, looking forward to having

you here, which is great. And I
can't believe that was what's

365 days times 24 that was a
long time ago. You know, and

look at my band. The greatest
thing that ever happened to me

was meeting those two
individuals that introduced me

to a young Jason Aldean that
introduced me to their producer,

and we're at five presidencies
later, we're still be in the

trenches creating, bringing the
music to the people. That was a

real gift. People always ask me,
like, how did that? Happened was

in an audition, I was like,
really, it was your same path.

It was relationships with
people.

And to back that up, it's like
when people come in and say, But

what I'd like to do is be able
to get in know some audition,

you know, and I would have to
tell them, I said, Let me tell

you something. Most core bands
of artists, if they have

somebody who's leaving, the
other musicians know who they'd

like to they're calling a
friend. Yeah, yeah, they'd like

to know who, who, who do you who
do you know? And everybody will

have their own little side of
let's get him and him and him

and try him out. So it's not
going to be like a resume, your

artist auditions. We just know
somebody, it's not going to

happen. You know. Which do you
think that could possibly happen

is if there's a new artist on
the horizon, and maybe their

management might reach out to
somebody like me, but like that.

Hey, do you know some people
that might want to blah, blah,

blah, any young drummers, any
young guitar player, stuff like

that. That might happen. It
doesn't happen that much, you

know. But like you were talking
about lower broad, yeah, it was

the same thing 18 years ago. I
couldn't be working any more

than I was. But then I got a
call from John Gardner, who said

he's going out on the road with
the Dixie Chicks. He said, Would

you serve it for me at the Opry?
He said, I'm going to be gone

six months. I said, Absolutely,
I'll be happy to do that, which

I loved. It was legacy and
everything there. When I did

that, I enjoyed it. You know,
what's interesting is the same

people that told you, is people
kind of goes, Man, I don't know,

yeah, I mean, the opry has a
stigma there, you know, grand,

oh yeah, it was look, look,
frowned upon

if you, if you played it, huh?
If you played these, the house

draw, if you were in a house,
but people know that you're

doing that. So anyway, when John
got back, it turns out they're

going to do a three month
European tour, and then at that

time, general manager came and
they said, We're not going to

have him back. If you want the
gig, it's yours. I said, I do.

I'll take it. I said, but I
can't do every week, so I want

to hire somebody to alternate
weeks with. So I hired Paul

lime, and he did it for several
years, and then he said, I'm

gonna leave. And so then I said,
Well, Mark Beckett,

so this was 18 years ago. You've
been doing that in addition to

all your other session work. And
what is the time commitment?

Tuesdays? And well, now we're
Tuesday, Friday, Tuesday,

Wednesday, Friday, Saturday.
Wow. And starting September,

we'll go five, five nights,
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday,

Friday, Saturday, but just like
last night. You know, I do these

young artists. I mean, they're
young, but they're incredibly

talented. Maggie rose, a new
artist last night, which was

Haley Witter. I mean, that's the
whole thing about it, of course,

like you say, not as much bro
country in our way. But I mean,

it's intricately done, yeah, you
know, with a drum machine that

playing inhuman beats, right,
right, right? And it's like,

okay, well, I don't have that
loop, but I can replicate as

close as I can, sure, you know,
to it what you do, and it's

amazing. Some of the artists who
really don't have that

production control appreciate it
because of, wow, it felt so

great.

Yeah, and now, what like? What
is, what is that typical Night

at the Opera? You might you've
got a cast of characters that

are coming through. You got this
awesome house band. Of course,

you're reading charts, and
someone sends you an mp three or

and then you reference it, so
you kind of know it's happening.

And then time to go,

yeah, it's usually within a day,
like my, I won't know until

maybe tonight, what music I got
to learn for Friday and

Saturday, but it'll be uploaded
to an opera band site with the

MP threes there, and then we
pretty well delegate. Larry

Paxson, he is our chart.
Meister, yeah, there's always

one guy that's the fastest man
he but it's so articulate, yeah.

And he charts everything out.
You download the mp three boom,

boom, mark it up and go play.
Sometimes it's within a 24 hour

period that you learn all the
songs. And like on Tuesday and

Wednesdays, it's what they call
a non hosted like, maybe

somebody like announcer Bill
Cody is the host. Every artist

gets three songs. So if you have
four artists, you've got 12

Songs to Learn.

Phil's such a cool guy

too. Man, hardly great.

He is nice guy. You're, oh,
you're earning your you know,

and that you're working that
craft. I mean, right behind this

very wall here, there's a closet
and there's filing cabinets full

of every Nashville Number chart
or phrase chart or drum chart I

have performed in the last 20
OH. For a year. Seriously, I've

saved everything why that's
good. I don't know. Just like a,

you know, I know for sure. I
eventually want to, it keeps you

humble. I want to do like an,
like an Aldean songbook, where

it's like, here's the number
chart I was given at 10am this

is the marked up number chart
with the notes that I made on

it. And then this is the
transcription, oh, my God, of

the song, of what I actually
played. You've got gold sitting

in there, man. Well, I tried, I
tried to have a young student of

mine, like, sign up, like to put
it together. And he's, like,

doing a lot of work, old man.
And he abandoned the project. So

if there's any listeners out
there that want to be involved,

any interns, any intern college
students you want to put this

project together, I will give
you full credit. It really will

cut you in on the profit
authorship, right? That's right,

well, because now, I mean,
obviously everyone's schooled.

So Larry knows that if there's
something intricately

Incorporated, like synchronized
licks and things that you have

to go with. Look at that. He
writes it out. He writes all

that out and, and if it's
something between that

syncopation, that quarterly has
to be played to that, he writes

the number to each one of those
notes, so that who's ever

reading it can learn it from
that way. And know, oh, this is

where we go, you know.

And see, this is why I'm better
off as a voiceover artist and

not a professional drummer,
because you're speaking

hieroglyphics.

No, no, you know. Because if
you've ever read the TED Reed

syncopation for the Modern
Drummer, like page four, but and

there's a lot of, you know, band
leaders in town, chart guys that

write charts, and if there's an
intricate lick, they just write

lick, right?

But then, you know, because some
of the new artists who have a

band leader, yeah, they said,
okay, the MP threes up there,

and they sent a chart, and you
look at

the chart, go, that's sad. You
got to do my own.

Then I wrote, I write my own. So
charts are kind of open to

interpretation. They give you
subjective

Well, there's different types of
charts. Say there's like a

there's like a cruise ship type
chart, where it's it's Western

notation with drum set notation.
Then we have the Nashville

Number System, which is
basically outlines the harmonic

structure of a song, which is
what you're going to get on a

recording session in Nashville
or at the Grand Ole Opry. And

then there's, you know,
classical Western notation,

where it's the notes are all on
the staff. We don't really get

that very much in Nashville.
They get that in New York and

LA. And then there's a drum
chart, or a phrase chart, which

is where I like to live a lot
because I can put more drum

information exactly, or there's
a hybrid, like on the Aldean

session, we're referencing a
we're referencing an mp three of

the demo. We have the number
chart, and then any drum

information that I want, I write
above the numbers. You could

do that, yeah, which is
basically what we do. But people

don't realize because they
always claim, oh, so and so.

With whatever group it was, it
came up with the number system.

And of course, when I saw that,
I went, No, because I knew in

college, there was a known
educator, bass player named John

mcagan, and he came up with a
numerical system, but it was

done in Roman numerals, and he
could spell out the chord, yeah,

with the Roman numerals, yeah.

You know, wasn't it Elvis
backing singers that came up

with the Nashville Number
System?

It was one of the, let me think
the Jordanaires. That sounds

right, so you're right, yes,
you're right, exactly. Yeah. I

think one of those guys, maybe
his name was Neil, escapes me,

but yeah, he, he may. I mean, he
did come up with it where you

just actually using the numbers
comparatively to Roman numeral,

sure, you know. But it was still
an innovation.

On that thing, we talked about
hard truths, right? We talked

about what somebody needs to
know coming into town, right?

Yes, when I went to broadcasting
school, there was one teacher

that we had that laid down a
hard truth that I'll never

forget. And he said, if you're
not willing to move in this

business, you might want to
consider not getting into it.

And it was one of those things
where all of us were singing,

and the dude is laid it on the
line. I mean, moving to moving

to other markets, you know? He
says, If you want to move up in

this business here, and you're
not willing to move, you might

want to find something else to
do. And I was like, Holy crap.

You know, I've lived in
Connecticut all my life, and I'm

sitting there at 22 you 21 years
old at the time, going, Holy

crap, I'm gonna have to move
from Connecticut. That's not

such a bad thing. But I never
really thought I would have to

do that.

And that's interesting, because
one of the things that I always

talk about when somebody says
the advice, what advice? I said

White genre out of your mind.
Because if you want to make a

living and work in his business,
you don't know. I mean,

everything that you so uphold of
this is, oh, this. This is the.

Brain music. This is so far
greater than blah blah. I said,

then all of a sudden you're
cutting yourself out because you

don't know that that jazz fusion
group that you were in, or rock

fusion grits, it breaks up, and
all of a sudden there's a

country opening and a country
band. What are you going to do

if you have to make a living, if
you're paying your bills with

that. And I said, overall, let's
look at the reality of this. I

said, you don't condescend to
humanity, you know, I'm sorry,

but interesting. The person who
delivers your mail, paves the

road, roofs your house, just
fixes your plumbing, all I'm

sorry they're not privy to your
state of art, so the simplicity

of what they want to listen to
is either from fun or it's for

somebody, our crafted
songwriter, that is putting

words in that you will hear that
that are saying what you would

want to say, Yeah, whether it's
love, whether it's you know, who

knows what it is,

we need songwriters in The whole
culture of Nashville, right?

And the whole thing is, it
doesn't need to be genre

Pacific, you know. So I always
really want them to understand

that, you know, because you
don't know for sure. Let's just

say hypothetically, that you
were, oh, no, I just love this

big band. This is what I want to
do, everything like that. And

then all of

a sudden, limited, limited.

But you had a very healthy open
mind. You understood you would

have to be very

that's good. And you know what
you can detect that? It's like I

could detect that even when we
were conversing, you know? And

again, it's the same kind of
thing. And I'm sure now, my God,

the network that you're doing
now, God bless you. Because I

came to one of those. It was a
damn thing. Was it about two or

three years ago? Oh, we were
over at, uh, the sound check,

oh, yeah, yeah. Oh, the drummers
weekends, yeah, drummers

weekend. And I just saw that,
and I went, oh, it just is so

incredible, you know, so in a
sense, it is like passing on and

giving, you know, and nurturing
and,

well, I was nurtured. So it's
our it's it's our responsibility

for any successful person to
continue mentoring and to

inspire a future. Just share
what you've learned helping one

of our guests on our my other
podcast pick rich brains, was my

student, Sarah cardille, and
she's the real deal, Sarah

cardil, and she's just like a
student of the drums, and so

focused, and so wants to do it.
So she goes, Can you introduce

me to liberty Devito? Can you
introduce me to mark Shulman?

Can you introduce me to Kenny?

Like, of course, that's the one
thing I was gonna bring up

before the networking aspect of
it. She's actually asking for

warm referrals, which is
something and, you know, I do a

lot of business networking, and
we're taught on on how ways to

ask for warm, hey, could you
give me a warm introduction to

somebody I you know? And, okay,
am I going to be able to put my

neck on the line for somebody?
Yeah, ask him. Shall Receive,

right? But, I mean, she asks
unapologetically, and that's

good, that's fair. It is
fantastic.

Yeah, well, I guess my point
was, is that still, there's

something innate. And you that
person that is wanting to know

you pretty well have an idea,
yeah, of who they are. You know,

that's just an innate Bible,
because we're so energy

motivated, yes, and you could
tell if that person has

it, yeah, yeah. I ran into a guy
the other day, an old friend of

mine, actually, and he does a
certain blue collar trade. I'm

not gonna mention what kind it
is, but he, you know, I said,

look, there, I've got a project
for you that could hand off to

you. Are you interested in
quoting this? He's like, Well,

what is it? I said, Well, it's
this kind of a project.

Nah. Okay,

well, God, God bless him. I
mean, you, you recommended me

the guy to get this sign made,
and he came and he did it in

record time. And it's like, you
know, awesome. It's like, we

need these guys.

But the funny thing, what am I
point is, I do plot. I'm not a

plumber. But, I mean, if
somebody you like, Hey, I've got

business. I want to give you, I
know your capabilities, but I'm

not gonna give it to you all the
time. If you're gonna start

turning really, you know? Yeah,
you're not even gonna look into

it. Take the work. Take it out.
I mean, do you come across that

as well? From, from, you know,
you guys come across that from,

from Pete, well, you know, I'm,
it's not really my thing, you

know.

Or it's happening more often
these days. I mean, it's if,

when I moved here, when I was 27
years old, and somebody offered

me a job playing the drums, no
matter what it paid. I did you

did it? No, that's exactly I did
it. And no. Job was too small.

And if, literally, I'm playing a
restaurant and the and the guy

wants me to learn 60 songs by
the next day, I'm going to learn

all 60 songs. I'm going to write
them out, because you never know

who's going to be in that band,
who's going to walk in the room

and hear us playing, the guy
with the yes, the cigar goes,

Hey kid. And that's what I was
hoping would happen to me in

Dallas, Texas, yeah, and it
never happened. So I knew I had

to go to New York, LA or
Nashville, and I got that

audition with Trisha. I got that
audit. Audition with Dina

Carter. I got that audition with
Barbara Mandrell, and the

writing was on the wall. They're
like, kid, you sound great, but

you don't live here hard. You
must be present to win. So like,

when you're talking about
broadcast, yeah, you realize you

would have to move to a market,
but to play an instrument or to

be in the big leagues in the
music business, there's only

three cities. There's three
cities and and New York is even

questionable, because you,
you're going to be playing

Broadway, right, which is right,
you know, you're going to play

13 shows a week of cats, and
you're going to live in New

Jersey or Connecticut and have
to commute in, right? That

doesn't sound like fun to me.
And or you're going to be

playing in wedding and Bar
Mitzvah bands, yes, and so,

like, I think a lot of people
are moving to Nashville because

it is one of the last places
where the music business is

thriving and and I know a lot of
my friends who have podcasts or

drummers who are creatives, they
always want to talk a little bit

about this. And it's something
that a lot a lot of people have

talked about in the past, and
that is, you had all those years

of major earnings. What do you
do as a creative when you start

to make a little bit of money?
What do you do with your money?

What do you do? Buy real estate.
Do you do stocks? What advice

would you give to a 23 year old
kid that starts to make money?

Well, first, don't live beyond
your means, right? And try to do

it so that if, if what you're
earning at that point is just

maintaining, then that's fine.
If things start when falling for

you. Yeah, real estate, there's
nothing. They won't make any

more of it. Yeah, I love it, and
that's what I did fresh

waterfront property in
California. Yeah.

So I'm probably like dining and
or doing business at a bunch of

places that Eddie bears owns.

No, no. But one of the first
things I did when I came in and

I could afford, I didn't buy a
house, I bought a duplex, and I

rented out the other side,

perfect. You were such a you're
so far, you were visionary, if

you're thinking that way, yeah,
a lot of that is our upbringing.

Yeah, no, because there's not
many people that think that way

now,

oh no, no. And unfortunately, I
knew some that when, oh, they

hit the big time. Yeah, you
know, triple six figures and all

like, that, and all of a sudden
they're building $700,000 homes.

Yeah, I said, Well, you know,
you don't want to go ahead

unless you know you don't have
to go back, you know, make sure

that every move that you make
that you can do that, you know.

So or you can justify the
payment on it. Have something

that cash flows, the payment.

Well, you can justify it, but
make sure that you're you have a

mindset to say, I can make the
payment, because right now I

have this job.

And if anything, you see a lot
of people, what if I don't?

Yeah, there's a lot of people
out there that, you know, the

bottom falls out. Okay, now
what? And there's so you know,

people are selling

stuff. I know a couple of our
guys, certainly not Mr. Name,

but I know a couple of guys who
planned on that they'd been with

major artists for 1718, years,
and all of a sudden it's done,

yep. And you would only hope
that during that time, did you

put away? Did you save, did you
invest, you know, correctly,

yes, so that you can exist after
this. Now you're talking about

John Hobbs retiring. Yeah,
that's, you know, I think more

about that the older I get. I'm
like, a high energy guy. I'm

always going somewhere. I'm
going you're the same way. Is

that gonna happen? Are you gonna
retire?

No, me, yeah, no. Why? What do
you like? I don't play

golf. I did retire and and the
only statement but he made, I

retired over 10 years ago from
the union, yeah, but the only

thing I have a friend that just
said, I'm glad you retired so

you can do all this work, but
no, you know what, and people

even talk about longevity, and
I'm sure both of you and every

facet can appreciate the one
thing about it. Every morning,

when you get up and you realize
you know what, you either get to

do a voiceover, you get to do
this podcast, you get to go

play. You're going to be out and
doing and teach and do

everything like that. I get to
get the call. I can go to the

Opry. I can do my session. There
is not a given day that I am not

in love with, that never and
there's just no way that I could

ever envision myself getting to
a point of going I don't want to

do that, you know. And I've seen
the adverse of that, where some

people, because work, diminished
to a certain point where they

become depressed.

Their identity is gone, yeah,
and

they were living in that high
time and everything like that.

And it's not even that they
can't exist after that, but

they're depressed because
they're not doing that anymore,

right?

Yeah. Yeah, you know, and it's
tough to get a gig, yeah,

which I, you know, if that time
comes, I accept that, you know,

luckily, when I talk about the
stigma the Opry, it was funny

people would, oh, man, you don't
want to do that. I'm telling

that people are going to start
stigmatizing you about being an

Opry drummer and all that. Have
you got the equity that's

building up to that? Well,
what's funny is, in the past

three or four years, they're the
ones that call me, hey man, if

you ever need a sub,

yeah,

maybe you're changing your
shifting the perception of the

opry drummer. Well, I mean, I
remember when I well,

you know what the artistry, the
general management when Pete

Fisher took over, diversified
the artistry that came on

subsequent to him was Sally
Williams, who's now leaving, but

we got Dan Rogers, but they
always brought in social media

stars. So there was such a
diverse group. When you look at

the lineups at the Opry and
you're going, wow, you know. And

you look at even the opry stars,
now we got Kelsey ballerina pro

medicine show, yeah, you know,
yeah.

I remember when I used to play
several times a month with Pam

Tillis, you know. And I would,
you know, I'd have to, you'd get

up and, you know, for there's
any musicians out there, the

opry drum chair is so
interesting because, literally,

it's like, ladies and gentlemen,
tonight's show is brought to you

by Martha white flower, and
you've got 30 seconds to get on

the drum set as a hydraulic
throne. You can't be precious.

It's like, you just got to get
on and then, boom, the you got

your wedge, and it's just
nothing but steel guitar, and

you can't hear the vocal, and
you're just like, All right, we

got to do this. We saw each
other there last year. Yeah? You

just got to do it like I'm high
fiving you, yeah, and then I do

my thing, and then you get off,
and you got to get on and get

the show. It's the longest
running radio show in history.

Oh, yeah, yeah. And, and so, you
know, you changed, you know,

recorded history with your body
of work, retired, you have

security, you have a legacy. And
now you go into your second part

of your life for 18 years in
that seat, you're crushing it,

yeah, but changing history
again. The funny thing is, is

that there was a time where,
because I worked in Vegas for

four years and for CBS Radio,
and there was a time that if you

took up a residency in Vegas as
an artist. It was basically

where he went to die, right?
Okay, and we're doing one this

year. But the funny, but here's
the thing, Celine Dion, they

built her an actual or, you
know, space the the Coliseum at

Caesars Palace back in, oh, two
or so. And she did her show

there. She had a residency, but
I think she shifted the

perception of that same way that
you're doing because, hey, I can

make my own choices. I don't
need to do this. I'm doing this

because I want to do this. So
the perception of it is probably

changing.

And I think overall it's like,
oh, now rich and Jason Odin are

going to take residency to fit.
Well, no, that's been the lay of

the land there for years. You
know, like you said, Celine did

it, Marie and Donnie did it.
Olivia Newton did it. And she

would take one on and one off
with Diane, Marie, she'd do a

month. They would do a month at
the Flamingo, you know, and

alternate that. And like with
me, the word retirement was just

a word, you know, because I'm
not doing anything different

than I've done for over 50
years.

Well, you know our buddy, Russ,
Paul, I do sessions with him all

the time. He's retired, yeah,
but he's working every day.

Yeah. You know,

whenever I receive something,
it's, it's interesting because,

and you know, you mentioned the
players are, the five of us are

going into musicians Hall of
Fame. That's incredible in

October. Congrats. But, but but
the thing about it is, is, when

I was put into the Country Music
Hall of Fame Nashville cat

series, what cost my mind? I
mean, there and your peers are

in there. It's an hour and a
half, you know, and Bill Lloyd's

asking you're pulling things out
that you go, Holy macro. Where

did you find that? You know? But
as it's going on about

midstream, I start thinking,
Hey, can I just say something? I

still, I'm still working. Yeah,
yeah, this isn't a gold watch.

It's not a gold watch here.

It's really, it's really funny,
like, you know, I have this

studio here, which is, it's nice
to be creative and have a

creative space, even if it's
just 500 square feet, to just

call your own, throw a Persian
rug on the floor and play some

drums. This House that this
studio is connected to, I have

three young drummers that are
that are in the place and and

when I moved out, I decorated
the place with my memorabilia.

So like, all sorts of press
clippings and interesting little

things from my life, and I
framed them all. They're like,

Rich. This place is like a
museum. It's like, it's like a

red machine. Really weird. I was
like, yeah, it is kind of weird

now, guys, but it was just a
really affordable way to

decorate. But, um, but yeah, we,
you know, we're alive. We're

kicking, we're moving, we're. I
want to stay relevant. I'm

changing, growing. Different
things are happening. You know,

put right. That's your book. I
am so excited to give this to

you, and it's like, I'm too
young to write a memoir. You

need to write one, because
you're the right age to write a

memoir. We're gonna get you a co
author, and you're gonna crank

out that book in it. People are
gonna love it. But this is just

my take on what I know about the
world and drumming and people,

and we talked about
relationships, and that's a big

part of the crash philosophy.
Totally. Big time.

Huge, wonderful.

So, um, is there any other thing
that you want to, just like,

leave out there in the world and
just say on this particular day

about the state of the music
industry, or where you're going

with your

career? You know what I mean,

I guess, in perspective, because
I know there's always a lot of

controversy when it comes to the
music today, comparatively to

that, you know, and whenever you
talk about, well, country music

isn't country music anymore. And
I said, well, guess what, rock

and roll isn't boogie woogie
either. Yeah. Yeah. You know,

there's been innovations on all
genre that comes through.

But I mean, you know, even back
in the day with the train beats,

that was an adaptation of a
previous generation as well, of

course,

you know. And when you really
think of so called rock and

roll, when they think of some of
the people like Bill Haley,

Little Richard, stuff like that.
I said, you know, I was doing

music for a play out of Canada,
and it was about Hank senior.

And I started learning all the
songs and everything. And there

was one song when you think
about how long ago, called move

it on over, yep. And you know
the song, but, but the the

structure of that song, moving
on over, because the big dogs

moving in. I mean, that's rock
and roll. Yeah, early rock and

roll,

yeah. I mean, talking about
train beats, you like, on the

Johnny Johnny Cash song, like
dude, real light with brushes,

or light sticks on the edge of
the snare drum. And then Eddie

comes along in the 90s, and he's
got rim shots and gated reverb,

and the drums are like right
here in the mix. And then the

Shania Twain records come
around, and Paul limes got 80.

They choose 80 snare drums to
figure out the best snare drums.

And it's like a Def Leppard
record. Things grow, change and

evolve, you know. So we just, we
just are either going to be left

behind or moving forward.

Well, and the innovations on our
our enhancements, you know, I

really started years ago, when I
was with Brent mayor, and we did

the Judd records. We did Michael
Johnson actually record on

Richard Perry. But Brent and I
started putting brains together

about triggering things, sure.
So we basically took PCMS, and

when I first became aware of the
lindrum, we were able to

innovate in there and fire those
samples off with the piezo

triggers. Yeah. So, so the kick
drum and the toms on, like a

there's a song that I'm noted
for was called, that's that from

Michael Johnson. Then the Judd
records, when you hear them,

it's the same thing. And so, in
a sense, because when people

say, well, sample, samples, I
said, Yeah, but that's like a

verb, you know, yeah, it is
because I started using a

Simmons five without the
stereotype, you know, just but

yes, and that triggering those
was a unenhanced verb per se. So

all those things that I would
innovate on and come up with my

own method of doing anything
that technically would come out.

And if I heard it and I didn't
know it, I would learn it. Yeah,

you know where some people were
adverse going. I don't ever want

to get into that.

I remember buying my first drum
cat. It was 1000 bucks. I was

like, Oh my God, that time. It
was like, that could have been

$10,000 at the time, right? But
I guys like, I have a drum cat,

right? And then moving through a
Yamaha sampler, sequencer and

and now, like all this gear that
we would learn with all the

knobs and everything, it's like
the same technology, and like a,

like a Keurig coffee

maker, you know, the drum for
the layman that I've never heard

of a drum cat, it was a, it was
a service that the rubber pads

had the shape of a cat's head
exactly, and ears on it and

stuff. Well, there's the first
thing that comes to your mind.

I'm gonna ask a question. We
gotta we'll wrap it up, sure.

Just instant response, the
favorite song you've ever

played. I was about to say that
that's gotta be pretty hard to

first one that comes to mind.

First one that comes to mind is
that's that, Michael

Johnson, Michael Johnson, that's
that, can people, can people

find that? Oh, they can find it
okay.

Because the way the song was
structured, it was like a

deceptive you think you know
where the feel of the song is,

and by our inspiration at the
end of it, when it breaks out, I

was thinking. Phil Collins, so I
was doing those sporadic fills,

and then I got in because the
feel of the song was right.

That's what I did the whole
thing. And then when it got into

the end, I went boom, and it got
into that, yeah. So it is a, it

is a, you know, where you
creatively are inspired. The

rest of things were, man, I it
would be hard to say that's the

first one that comes to mind,
but there's so many more, you

know,

1000s. Well, you came on my
radar when, when the Trisha had,

everybody knows record, yeah,
boom, did the boom, yeah. And

that's a fill I used to this
day, shut that, that flam Baba,

and it's and then you are so
recognizable on the radio, like

all your little the transitions
that do, dumps, cross stick. And

I think it's because you have
that musical mind of being a

trained piano player and knowing
what to stay out of the way

musical, you know, have a
musical mind, and that's

probably more important than
being a chop

Meister, like, like the guy from
Dream Theater, right?

Well, he plays that music the
way he sees way

supposed to be played, yeah?
But, well, you know,

interestingly enough, because I
had talked to him before, when

my wrist was destroyed and I was
put back together. It was like a

Les Paul syndrome, because the
orthopedic that did it on the

ongoing he said, If you ever do
play again, I'll go, what? Yeah,

excuse me. He said, How are you
going to hold your sticks? I

said, overhand. Yeah, I would
be. And so he put all this

together that way, because I
have a rebuilt scaffold, your

bike, your bionic Yes,

you know, with that, there was
some technical aspects that went

away, unfortunately, but meat
and potatoes,

you will always have your feel.
You always have your heart. You

will always have your soul and
your recognizable approach to

things.

Barry Beckett always just said,
it's about a groove, yeah, man,

that's

what I tell the kids. Can you
choose the right thing to play

quickly and do that for three
and a half minutes, and make it

feel good, make the band smile,
make the artist smile, make

people dance. That's the goal,

and be able to honor the song.
Honor the song, just like you

just said, when you got down,
you simplicity went, boom, you

know you obviously, I know what
you can do, because we had

talked about this before, when
all this was happening,

everything I talked to her, I
said, you know, I would love to

get with you, because he's such
a technician, that I would love

to have innovations on how I
could enhance that. But I was

trying to think, what would I
use it for?

Yeah, yeah. And it's funny for a
case in point, you know, we're

talking about songs with legacy
that let you know have they're

just good songs. Yeah, one of
the best ones out there that has

tons of legacy is, don't stop
believing by journey. All right?

When a song is played right,
right, when a song is played

right, it just my brother
instilled in me He's okay. He's

a piano player as well, and he
said, do not change up how these

songs are played. I don't care
how Neil Pierce would play the

Fill from, you know, Carry on my
wayward son. Play it like the

way the guy played, yeah, you
know, so in that song, with that

being hammered in me over years
and years and years, playing

with my brother, yeah, if I see
somebody play, don't stop

believing the wrong way, and
their drives me bonkers.

It was put together purposely.
It goes right with the guitar

part. All that Dean got

played with the left hand lead,
and he's playing everything with

his it's brilliant.

Yeah, that guitar players. One
of the greatest stuff I heard.

Yeah, so fun. Sean, so fun to
have you here, buddy. What? Uh,

how can people find you? Eddie
bears.com, Eddie bears.com,

what's your discography on
there? Is your just, is your

recorded discography on that? It
is, and my movie credits, I own,

plus, so probably can go to,
like, all music.

Calm. That's, that's where my
discography from my website

links to,

okay, perfect. That's smart. So
that's, that's like 100 pages of

stuff. You know, there's, right
now, there's 1080 something.

Albums, yeah, albums, albums,
1081 which, ironically, we talk

about diversity right now. The
Center for 2019 was a record I

did with Stevie Nicks.

Nice, yeah, what's,

what's one thing you would love
to do that you never had the

opportunity to do or play, style
of music or anything, style,

Yeah, boy,

I would have to get with rich
and learn it.

So, you know, it's so funny. We,
you know, we train our whole

lives to be stylistically
diverse and bend genres. And,

you know, people, people that
might not know anything about

our history or schooling, they
just go, oh yeah, he's that guy

that just gets up there and
bashes those al Dean songs out.

You know, that's fine. You know,
so much more to what you do.

That's how they that's how they

see. I know, yeah, only from his
beginnings. I know. So you know,

when I, if anybody you know,
tries to say, Oh yeah, he just

does that,

yeah. Then, yeah, you

try it, and he's got my back
guys, back off. I know what it's

like to play that I can't play
like him. Well,

one on one, come on over here to
the studio here and sit down,

yeah, show you what he can do.
And let's see if you can do

that.

11 years ago, when he and I
became friends, we used to put a

lot of videos up, and I did a
lot of video work for him. And

some of the comments we would
get be like, Oh, anybody could

do that. I'm like, Oh, yeah.
Well, you try it. Well, you try

cranking out a song in three and
a half minutes, and have them be

happy with it and keep getting
called back, yeah, and play it

well. But see, that's the
dilemma I was mentioned about.

These are the people who create
the state of art in our mind,

and they condescend to anything
lesser, you know, yeah, instead

of somebody who has that gift
that Why longevity is there, is

because, you know what I am with
this artist, and this is the

songs he doesn't I honor those
songs. Yeah.

Yeah. You know the real,

I think the real skill in a live
drummer is to go out there and

say, I'm gonna play hick town
for the 10th 1,000th time, like

it's the first time. And that's
do. That's really the discipline

that comes from that job. And
then a session drummer, you're

it. You're almost like a jazz
Museum. You have to quickly

improvise in the moment, come up
with something that's perfect.

You're improvising, right?
You're you're in, you're CR

you're improvising a part and
then being able to execute it

quickly with a click track.

Well, there's, there's more to
that, and that is, you'll be

given a basic format. Right
through that process, they're

going to go, oh, by the way, now
we're not going to do that

instrumental now. Now we're
going to go to here, and this is

going to be half and this is
going to be going to three

occur, and we're going to start
editing this down there. How

quick can you retain that? Yeah,
and perform it. Yeah.

The your hick town. I was just
thinking about that. That story

back in my cover band days, that
was my Enter Sandman. So when we

used to play Enter Sandman, and
it's like, my eyes would roll.

But you have, I've, I've watched
you in the couple shows that we

saw you, believe is in
Charlotte, and it was a band

opening up for you that the
drummer. This is like, just

phoning it in, you know, no
energy. You could read his face.

The whole band was kind of like
that. And it was like, wow, this

is really not fun for me, you
know. And then you guys, come

on. You guys, bring the fire. Of
course, just just, you're happy

to be there, you know, what you
got, you know, and the but the

guys who

proceeded, there's like, Man,
oh, people are paying to be

there. You know, it's like, it
has an effect on the audience.

$20 an hour for a babysitter and
then $180 tickets and $20 beers

and then parking. You better
step up to the plate, right?

Yeah, but,

but you but not everybody
understands that.

Yeah. You know, what a thrill.
This is such a thrill. Thank you

so much for being here, yeah?
Man, oh my god, good to meet

you, man, and we definitely have
to go out and get that Martini.

Eddie and I, we like our
martinis. Man, real nice, real

cold. Ladies and Gentlemen,
thanks for watching. This has

been the rich Redmond show. Be
sure to like, rate, share and

comment. We'll see you next time
this

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