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George Thorogood, Still Thoroughly Live

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Enduring bluesman George Thorogood, currently on a run of Canadian dates during his North American tour, has been talking about his heritage and his admiration for groups such as Steppenwolf and the Allman Brothers Band.

Thorogood and the current line-up of his band the Destroyers continue their dates with a concert in Edmonton, Alberta tonight (26) and have Canadian shows until 9 May, after which they’re in New York state and then Vermont. Talking to the Vancouver Sun, he’s been describing the blues-rock heritage of which he sees himself as a representative.

“I’m trying to sustain a music form that became very popular in the mid to late ’60s,” says Thorogood, who still plays 100 or so shows a year. “I’m a guy who probably identifies a lot closer to a band like Steppenwolf or J. Geils than Howlin’ Wolf or Muddy Waters. I’m following in the footsteps of Savoy Brown or Ten Years After or even the Allman Brothers or Johnny Winter. I’m in that pocket.

“The things I was into in 1968 or ’69 or ’70 haven’t diminished. I’m heavier into Hendrix and Steppenwolf, and Geils and Led Zeppelin. When was the last time you heard Jimi Hendrix on the radio playing ‘All Along the Watchtower’ and turned it off? You didn’t. Nobody does.

“That’s the epitome of rock — the greatest rock guitarist of all time playing a song by the greatest rock writer [Bob Dylan] of all time. Whenever I hear it, it just deepens my feelings for that.”

Bad To The BoneThorogood also says that he has noticed a change in his audience. “In the last two years or so, we’ve had a lot of younger people come to see us,” he observes. “They’re not coming to see us as a blues entity. They’re coming to see us as a rock act. Which I like. Rock has become like the new blues. Rock rules. It started with Lead Belly and Robert Johnson and Skip James and moved on to Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf and then Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry and into Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix.”

Closely identified with his 1988 signature song ‘Bad To The Bone,’ Thorogood has five gold and two platinum albums to his name in the US including the Live set of 1996, the Baddest Of compilation and studio sets such as Move It On Over and Bad To The Bone itself. Asked for a comment to anyone thinking of seeing the Destroyers live, he jokes: “Keep your safety belt on. And rock ‘n’ roll never sleeps, it just passes out.”

Listen to our Essential George Thorogood playlist on Spotify
Explore our dedicated George Thorogood Artist Page

Format: Union Jack flagUK English
4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. MICHAEL J CLARK

    April 27, 2016 at 12:36 am

    Muddy WATER, MUSIC GREAT? I AM A BLUES
    GUITAR PLAYER, WHAT HAPPENED TO ROBERT CRAY, JOHN MAYER, OH YEAH AFTER JIMI HENDRIX, THEY RANK ERIC CLAPTON AS 2 , WHAT
    HAPPENED TO YOU GEORGE DIDNT GET INVITE
    TO “CROSSROADS” BLUES FESTIVAL HEY I LIKED
    FREDDIE KING AND IN NEW JERSEY IN 74 GOT TO
    FEEL HIM AND ERIC PLAY THE BLUES GREAT STUFF

  2. Chad

    April 27, 2016 at 12:07 pm

    Ehh…..that should be “his 1983 hit”, not 1988.

  3. Brad Kinchen

    April 27, 2016 at 2:08 pm

    Looking forward to the show in Regina Friday night!

  4. Jerry

    May 15, 2016 at 9:38 am

    I did the I drink alone in my time…. plus I did a lest 5 times 1 B 1S with 1 beer, sometimes I changed one or all to 1800 by the 8 oz glass all day long…toooo the song BBBBBBad…..
    Soooo looooong……..

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