What do you get when you bring a legendary sports writer together with a world famous rock musician? You get one of the year’s best rock biographies, “Jukebox Hero: My Five Decades in Rock-n-Roll” by Lou Gramm and Scott Pitoniak.
The story of how this interview came together is fascinating. I ran into Lou Gramm’s longtime road manager and staple of the Rochester music scene, Bob Golino, at a Scott Weiland show in Niagara Falls. I knew him from my days in the 1990s working at a legendary Rochester nightclub, the Red Creek Inn. I caught up with him backstage at a 3 Doors Down show some months later and we exchanged numbers.
After reading and reviewing the book, I waited for the best opportunity to interview Gramm and Pitoniak, and when I heard the two would be at the legendary House of Guitars in Rochester for an acoustic performance and book signing, I could think of no better location for an interview.
Much of our interview focuses on Gramm’s relationship with his hometown of Rochester, NY. Even if you are not from the area you can appreciate the concept of the hometown “Jukebox Hero.” Pitoniak, a sports writer by trade, fills in the necessary blanks in the interview, and watching the chemistry between Pitoniak and Gramm one gets a deeper understanding of why the collaboration worked so well.
The subject of Gramm’s former partner in Foreigner, Mick Jones, is dealt with candidly even in the wake of the pairs recent temporary reunion when they were inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame.
Of all the interviews I have done over the years for Backstage Axxess, this ranks right near the top. Listening to an artist’s music gives only a slight window into the person who they are, reading a book creates a relationship with the author and the reader that is unlike that between the musician and those that listen to his material. Few people are afforded the opportunity to interview authors after they’ve read their books, and this honor was not lost on me and not taken lightly.
The result, well hopefully, you enjoy the end result as much I enjoyed conducting this interview.
