May 11, 2008
Cruisin' and Musin' With Delbert
The veteran Texas roadhouse rocker has faced his demons and at 67 is on a winning streak with his sold-out music cruises packed with devoted fans.For a lot of music stars, a very big boat is a way to show they've arrived. But Delbert McClinton's very, very big boat is a chance to gather a few dozen musical pals and couple thousand fans and take a week-long cruise.
That's what he's doing Jan. 26-Feb. 3. It's his 14th Sandy Beaches Cruise , and it's another sold-out voyage, leaving from San Diego with stops along Mexico's western coast.
It's the latest chapter in a career that dates back to the late ‘50s, when the singer/harmonica player, now 67, got his start in Texas beer joints. Born in Lubbock, the hometown of Buddy Holly, he got his big break in 1962, playing harmonica on "Hey Baby," a national hit for Bruce Channel, who'll perform on the 14th cruise.
But McClinton came to fame in the eclectic ‘70s, his rootsy Lone Star mix of blues, rock, country and soul winning him a national following that included Saturday Night Live stars Jon Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. The pair even "borrowed" his musical style and repertoire (including McClinton's composition "B Movie Boxcar Blues") for their Blues Brothers act. The sunglasses, suits and fedoras were their own idea.
Neither could sing like McClinton, whose downhome Texas roar powered songs like his 1980 Top 10 hit, "Givin' It Up For Your Love." But McClinton barely made it through that decade. Addicted to cocaine and dabbling in other drugs, he almost ended up like Belushi. But thanks to his third wife, Wendy Goldstein, McClinton conquered his addiction in the late ‘80s and came back hard in the ‘90s. He won the 1991 Rock Vocal Duo GRAMMY for his duet with Bonnie Raitt, "Good Woman, Good Man" and scored a country hit with 1992's "Tell Me About It," a duet with Tanya Tucker. Hit albums include Never Been Rocked Enough," which launched his blistering roadhouse rocker, "Every Time I Roll the Dice."
But rock was changing and the music industry found itself confused by McClinton's eclectic approach. So country labels like the Rising Tide and New West released his album, which found favor in the blues world, winning him the Contemporary Blues GRAMMY in 2001 for Nothing Personal and in 2005 for Cost of Living.
But if the record business didn't know quite what to do with him, McClinton suffered no such identity crisis, going back to where he started from – live shows. Now based in Nashville, McClinton keeps a busy road schedule, when not at sea. And he stocks his music cruises with the music he loves, including all the elements that make up his own style. This winter's cruise mixes the bar-band blues of Tommy Castro, the New Orleans-flavored rhythm ‘n' roll of Texan Marcia Ball, the soulful R&B of James Hunter and the cream of Nashville's songwriters, including BMI Songwriter of the Year Jeffrey Steele and former NRBQ guitar ace Al Anderson, who penned Jimmy Buffett's country hit, "Trip Around the Sun." They may be all over the map, but they're all just six degrees of Delbert McClinton.
In an exclusive ReZoom podcast, McClinton talks of his new contentment as well as old demons in conversation with ReZoom music expert Larry Nager.
That's what he's doing Jan. 26-Feb. 3. It's his 14th Sandy Beaches Cruise , and it's another sold-out voyage, leaving from San Diego with stops along Mexico's western coast.
It's the latest chapter in a career that dates back to the late ‘50s, when the singer/harmonica player, now 67, got his start in Texas beer joints. Born in Lubbock, the hometown of Buddy Holly, he got his big break in 1962, playing harmonica on "Hey Baby," a national hit for Bruce Channel, who'll perform on the 14th cruise.
But McClinton came to fame in the eclectic ‘70s, his rootsy Lone Star mix of blues, rock, country and soul winning him a national following that included Saturday Night Live stars Jon Belushi and Dan Aykroyd. The pair even "borrowed" his musical style and repertoire (including McClinton's composition "B Movie Boxcar Blues") for their Blues Brothers act. The sunglasses, suits and fedoras were their own idea.
Neither could sing like McClinton, whose downhome Texas roar powered songs like his 1980 Top 10 hit, "Givin' It Up For Your Love." But McClinton barely made it through that decade. Addicted to cocaine and dabbling in other drugs, he almost ended up like Belushi. But thanks to his third wife, Wendy Goldstein, McClinton conquered his addiction in the late ‘80s and came back hard in the ‘90s. He won the 1991 Rock Vocal Duo GRAMMY for his duet with Bonnie Raitt, "Good Woman, Good Man" and scored a country hit with 1992's "Tell Me About It," a duet with Tanya Tucker. Hit albums include Never Been Rocked Enough," which launched his blistering roadhouse rocker, "Every Time I Roll the Dice."
But rock was changing and the music industry found itself confused by McClinton's eclectic approach. So country labels like the Rising Tide and New West released his album, which found favor in the blues world, winning him the Contemporary Blues GRAMMY in 2001 for Nothing Personal and in 2005 for Cost of Living.
But if the record business didn't know quite what to do with him, McClinton suffered no such identity crisis, going back to where he started from – live shows. Now based in Nashville, McClinton keeps a busy road schedule, when not at sea. And he stocks his music cruises with the music he loves, including all the elements that make up his own style. This winter's cruise mixes the bar-band blues of Tommy Castro, the New Orleans-flavored rhythm ‘n' roll of Texan Marcia Ball, the soulful R&B of James Hunter and the cream of Nashville's songwriters, including BMI Songwriter of the Year Jeffrey Steele and former NRBQ guitar ace Al Anderson, who penned Jimmy Buffett's country hit, "Trip Around the Sun." They may be all over the map, but they're all just six degrees of Delbert McClinton.
In an exclusive ReZoom podcast, McClinton talks of his new contentment as well as old demons in conversation with ReZoom music expert Larry Nager.
Have Something to Say?
Share your comments with other readers... we appreciate your opinion!
(login / or create an account to comment)
0 Comments »
