Entertainment, Interview, Music

Interview: 98 Degrees’ Nick Lachey discusses group’s holiday tour, Christmas memories and career highlights
Photo: Elias Tahan

Last year, the group 98 Degrees (which features Nick Lachey, Jeff Timmons, Drew Lachey and Justin Jeffre) released their critically-acclaimed Christmas album, Let It Snow. It was followed by a seasonal tour that showcased the group’s signature R&B-laced, four-part harmony on Christmas songs both past and present.

This holiday season, the foursome is back on the road with a brand new holiday show that highlights songs from both Let Is Snow as well as seasonal favorites from their first Christmas album, This Christmas, and some of the biggest hits spanning their more than 20 year career.

AXS recently spoke with Nick Lachey about the new 98 Degrees tour, his favorite Christmas memories and more in this exclusive interview.

AXS: How has the new 98 Degrees tour been going?

Nick Lachey: It’s been great. We started in Canada and then went to the West Coast and are now making our way East. We did it last year and had such a great time that we thought why not take it out again. It was fun to put together a little bit of a different show than last year, and the crowds and their response have been great. We’ve been having a blast.

AXS: What can fans expect this time around?

NL: It’s a similar vibe to last year but a very different show. It’s a great blend of holiday songs, including songs from both of our Christmas records, all mixed with the classic 98 Degrees songs people have come to expect from us over the years. It’s a great balance of both. Since it’s the holidays, people are in a great mood and are getting into the spirit, so it makes for a fun evening.

AXS: In your opinion, what makes a great Christmas song?

NL: A great song is a combination of melody, lyrics message and performance. But when you write original Christmas songs it’s a little bit trickier. There are so many great Christmas songs that have set the bar to a certain level. You’re also a little pigeon-holed in what you can talk about, but that’s the challenge of it. For our song, “Season of Love,” we knew we wanted it to be about peace, love and the idea of why can’t we feel this way all year along. Why does it only have to be at Christmas?

AXS: What are some of your best memories of Christmas when you were growing up?

NL: As a kid, I remember how my family would always go to midnight Christmas Eve services at my church. I was always excited about staying out late and knowing that once you came out of the service, it was Christmas. I remember there was one particular night when we came out of the service and it was snowing. It couldn’t be any more perfect.

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Interview with Nick Lachey by Clicking Here!

Books, Entertainment, Interview, Music

Interview: Author Mark Eglinton Discusses Working with Ken “K.K.” Downing on guitartist’s Autobiography, ‘Heavy Duty: Days and Nights in Judas Priest’

Mark Eglinton is a best-selling author and biographer with an uncanny ability to perfectly capture a subject’s voice on the written page. His musical accomplishments include co-writes with such artists as Pantera bassist Rex Brown, and his acclaimed 2017 biography on James Hetfield, “So Let It Be Written,” used exclusive, firsthand interviews to construct a definitive account of the life of the Metallica frontman.

Eglinton’s latest project teams him up with former Judas Priest guitarist, Ken “K.K.” Downing for Downing’s insightful new autobiography, “Heavy Duty: Days and Nights in Judas Priest.” In it, Downing takes readers on a journey from his impoverished childhood to some of the biggest stages in the world. Along the way, Downing gives an emotional recounting of his life and discusses all the highs and lows of his career, including a re-telling of events that led to his departure from the Priest following their epic 2008 double album, Nostradamus.

AXS recently spoke with Mark Eglinton about “Heavy Duty: Days And Nights In Judas Priest,” and more in this exclusive new interview.

AXS: When did the idea for doing a biography with K.K. Downing originate?

Mark Eglinton: The first contact was somewhere around 2015. I’d seen interviews with K.K. and always thought he was a soft-spoken, sensitive guy who had a good story to tell. At the time, K.K. was involved in his business, so getting time with him was difficult. We were limited to talking on weekends, where we got to know each other. The initial feedback was really good and from there the project was on.

AXS: As a music fan, tell me about your relationship with Judas Priest.

ME: Priest was one of the first bands I became aware of when I started listening to heavy music. I was at boarding school and was struggling with being homesick. Another guy who was a few years older than me gave me a tape with some music on it to keep me going. On that tape, among other things, was music from Lynyrd Skynyrd, Free, Boston, and a track from Sad Wings of Destiny called “Victim Of Changes.” It was something I’d never heard before. From that point on, I started digging into Priest. I’ve always been a fan of the band and K.K.’s part in it. He’s so down to earth and the same guy no matter how good or bad things are going.

AXS: What did you love most about their music when you listened to that tape?

ME: The darkness. I loved Boston’s “More Than A Feeling.” Those harmonies were a whole new world, and it was the same with the good-time feeling of Skynyrd. But Priest had something else. Sad Wings of Destiny had darkness and space. You could hear all of the instruments and it sounded so great. Those early Priest albums had the ability to conjure a world that really appealed to me at that point in my life.

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Interview with Mark Eglinton by Clicking here!

Entertainment, Guitar World Interviews, Interview, Music

Broken Hope Guitarist Jeremy Wagner Showcases His Impressive Collection of Jeff Hanneman Gear

Jeremy Wagner, noted horror author and main riffer for death metal band Broken Hope, has been busily completing a gallery he’s aptly dubbed “Wagner World.” The 4,000-square-foot, music-studio/horror-and-rock memorabilia museum is a tribute to his favorite guitarists and includes rare instruments from the late Jeff Hanneman (Slayer) and Paul Gray (Slipknot), as well as Metallica’s Kirk Hammett.

In this exclusive interview, Wagner offers Guitar World a peek at his latest acquisitions. He also discusses his admiration for Hanneman, his latest novel and much, much more.

What was it about Jeff Hanneman and Slayer that first appealed to you?

I still remember the moment I decided I wanted to be metal guitar player. It was when I heard Metallica’s Ride the Lightning. I was floored and couldn’t stop listening to it. I immediately went on a mission to find the heaviest music and that’s when I found Slayer’s Hell Awaits. But it wasn’t until Reign in Blood came out that I discovered Jeff Hanneman had written all my favorite songs and riffs and was an awesome lyricist. It was another turning point. The thing that drew me was the extreme nature of his writing. He had this incredible talent to take aggression and extreme guitar playing and mix it with the catchiest riffs you’ve ever heard. He was a big source of inspiration to me on all levels.

When did you start collecting Hanneman gear?

I’ve been collecting gear and different instrument for years, especially vintage Marshall heads and ESP guitars from the Eighties. During this time, I developed a close relationship with Matt Masciandaro, the president of ESP, and became aware of an auction Jeff’s widow, Kathryn, was going to have. I had the unique opportunity to buy direct from her.

Where do you keep your acquisitions?

I’ve got a renovated property near my house that sits on six acres of land. The first floor is where Broken Hope rehearses and where I have a bunch of memorabilia that I like to call the “Jeff Hanneman Museum.” It has a number of Jeff’s awards and prints of live shots of Jeff rehearsing. In that same room is a vault where I have many of Jeff’s original guitars and Eighties-era ESPs hanging on the racks. There’s also a “Paul Gray Museum.” Paul was a friend who always loved Broken Hope and the two of us would talk frequently. I’m also a fanatic about 1984-86 Metallica and have an impressive collection of horror memorabilia.

Read the rest of my
Interview with Jeremy Wagner and See Photos
of his impressive collection by Clicking Here!

Entertainment, Interview, Music, Women Who Rock

Interview: Nita Strauss Discusses Her Infectious Debut Solo Album, ‘Controlled Chaos’
Photo Katy Cooper

2018 has certainly been a memorable year for Nita Strauss. The guitarist, widely known for her time touring with Alice Cooper and for being one of the most in-demand clinicians on the planet, started the year out by unveiling her first Signature Model guitar, the Ibanez Jiva. This coincided with another round of live dates with Cooper as well as solo performances that included Wrestlemania and for the Los Angeles Rams as part of the NFL’s “Salute to Service”. Now, the beautiful blonde shredder is doing something else she’s never done before: releasing her monstrously cool, debut solo album, Controlled Chaos.

With help from her longtime visionary, Josh Villalta, the instrumental album is a snapshot of Strauss’ life as an artist and features an eclectic mix of emotion and guitar wizardry. From the dark and aggressive sounds of songs like “Our Most Desperate Hour” and “Mariana Trench,” to more peaceful tracks like “Hope Grows” and “Here With You,” there really is something for every taste. Strauss even gives a nod to Queen with a haunting version of “The Show Must Go On.”

AXS recently spoke with Nita Strauss about Controlled Chaos and more in this exclusive new interview.

AXS: How would you describe Controlled Chaos and how it relates to where you are as a guitarist?

Nita Strauss: This is my first album and first chance to show my personality, so I didn’t want to make a strictly rock or a strictly metal album. I wanted to make an album that encompasses all the different styles and emotions I’ve gone through as a person. On Controlled Chaos you’ll hear the dark and aggressive side (of course),4 but you’ll also hear a bright and fun side and a calm and peaceful side. It’s a snapshot of myself as a guitar player.

AXS: What’s your writing process like?

NS: For me, it starts with a story and with me saying this is what I want to talk about and here is how I want to talk about it. A common misconception people have about instrumental music is that it’s all just notes that work together in sequence. I learned from studying my guitar heroes that’s really not the case. I want to tell a story with the song but leave it to the listener to have their own interpretation of what each one is about. It’s not like a song with words where the lyric is already telling you what it means. These songs can be about whatever they make you feel. That’s the beauty of instrumental music.

AXS: What was the recording process like?

NS: I did a bulk of the recording on a break from the tour over the summer in L.A. The rest was done in the back of tour buses, venues and in hotel rooms. Anywhere I could set up my recording rig. Even if I only had a free hour in-between sound check and the show, I’d set up my equipment and get something done. It was grueling at times but was so worth it because I was able to be really hands on. The album came out exactly the way I wanted it to.

Read the rest of my
Interview with NIta Strauss by Clicking Here.

Entertainment, Interview, Music

Interview: Jake E. Lee discusses the new Red Dragon Cartel album, ‘Patina’

With a career that spans more than three decades and includes work with Ozzy and Badlands, guitarist Jake E. Lee and Red Dragon Cartel’s new album, Patina ranks as one of the his finest and returns Lee to the bluesy, hard rock sound of his Badlands days with cleverly inspired songwriting and Lee’s unmistakable guitar wizardry.

Produced by Lee and bassist Anthony Esposito, Patina also reunites Lee with Max Norman (mixer), who worked with Lee on Ozzy’s Bark at The Moon as well as with Esposito on the debut Lynch Mob album, Wicked Sensation.

Red Dragon Cartel is Jake E Lee (guitars), Darren James Smith (vocals), Anthony Esposito (bass) and Phil Varone (drums).

AXS recently caught up with Jake E. Lee to talk about the new Red Dragon Cartel album and more in this exclusive interview.

AXS: How does the new Red Dragon Cartel album, Patina, compare to the first album?

Jake E Lee: On the first record nothing was ever recorded with more than one person in the room, which was a little alien to me. This new record is more old-school and was done the same way as when I was in Badlands, or even when I was with Ozzy. The band would get together and I would present ideas and riffs and we would work on them together. The process makes it sound more like a band. It’s more honest and organic and more presentable live. We could only do about half of the first record live because of the way it was recorded. For this new record, we’ll probably be able to do almost every song on it. It really hits you harder when it’s live and these songs, in particular, are going to hit hard in a live setting.

AXS: What was the songwriting process like? What inspires you when you write and create?

JEL: I always have a huge stockpile of ideas but for this album I wanted it to be fresh. The songs on this record are just the band getting in the room; jamming and coming up with something. Sometimes inspiration can come from whatever I’ve been listening to that day, like “Havana.” I’d been listening all day to a certain band and a song that had a great riff. When the band got together that day we started out by just jamming on it. Afterwards, I sat there thinking, “Man, I wish I could come up with something that cool.” That’s when Anthony looked at me and said, “Well, why don’t you?” So, I played around, gave it a twist and then we started working on it.

AXS: What can you tell me about the song, “Crooked Man?”

JEL: The title was inspired by the riff. It’s a very crooked riff that’s not in 4/4 time. I was having trouble sleeping and wrote that riff at like eight in the morning. It was “ugly” but in a really cool way. I love the dichotomy and juxtaposition of ugly and pretty; loud and soft. For me, the process is about throwing things in that you might not expect. Something that makes it different. Every song on this record is different and has its own special place.

AXS: How about the track, “The Luxury of Breathing?”

JEL: When you’re working on a riff or chord progression with no lyrics, you need to have something to call it, and that song was originally entitled “Fuzzy Bunny” because of the pedal I was using for the main riff [laughs]. If there’s one riff that sounds very Badlands, it’s probably that one. I play slide and there’s even some harmonica and a little guiro on it.

AXS: What was it like getting to work with Max Norman again?

JEL: It was great. I hadn’t seen Max in about twenty-five years. Anthony had kept in touch with him because Max produced and engineered the first Lynch Mob album, which was Anthony’s first professional record, as well as Bark At The Moon, which was mine. We were in the studio one day and Anthony was talking on the phone. Then he looked at me and said: “Hey, do you want to talk to Max?” I remember Max was very curious about what we were up to. He thought the songs were great and later asked if he could be a part of it. He did a great job. It was fate that we’d all work together.

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Interview with Jake E. Lee by Clicking Here!

Entertainment, Guitar World Interviews, Interview, Music

The Bangles’ Vicki Peterson Talks New Album, Saluting the Paisley Underground
Photo: Autumn de Wilde

It was the dawn of the Eighties when the Bangles (then known as the Bangs), the Dream Syndicate, the Three O’Clock and Rain Parade were all new L.A. bands at the core of the influential Paisley Underground scene.

Five years ago, the four groups got back together for a charity event that went over so well they decided to do something unique to celebrate their success. They each got to work putting their own spin on one song from each of the other three bands. The result is a new 12-song collection, titled 3 x 4: The Bangles, The Three O’Clock, The Dream Syndicate, Rain Parade, which will be released on purple swirl vinyl, double LP and CD for Black Friday Record Store Day on November 23, with a wider release coming early next year.

Guitar World recently spoke with Bangles guitarist Vicki Peterson about the new album and more.

What inspired this new project? How did it all come about?

The record is a delayed outgrowth of a reunion we did a few years back. We all got together, Rain Parade, Dream Syndicate, the Three O’Clock and the Bangs, and did a series of shows in San Francisco and L.A. We had so much fun reconnecting that a week later, I was talking with Danny Benair (The Three O’Clock) and Steve Wynn (Dream Syndicate) about doing an album. But instead of recording new material, we thought a sweet project would be for each band to pick a song from the other three bands and cover it. It was a nice way to pay tribute to each other.

Who coined the phrase “Paisley Underground”?

It’s generally credited to Mike Quercio (The Three O’Clock). He was sitting down for an interview and someone asked him to describe what was going on and what the common thread was and he said, “We’re the Paisley Underground.” It was a movement and certainly not mainstream music. At the time, it was the early Eighties in Los Angeles. Punk was winding down and there was a rockabilly scene. All of us shared a common reverence for the music of the mid-Sixties to early Seventies. It was very contrite, and “paisley” really kind of says it best.

I want to ask you about the tracks the Bangles covered for the new album, starting with the Three O’Clock’s “Jet Fighter.” What can you tell me about it?

Generally, it’s the most pop tune on the album. It’s got such a catchy chorus and a great feel. It was one of the songs that when I heard it again sparked a lot of happy memories of going to Three O’Clock shows.

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Interview with Vicki Peterson by Clicking Here!

Entertainment, Interview, Music

Interview: Ted Nugent discusses his new album, ‘The Music Made Me Do It’, career
Photo: Brown Photography

Over the course of his illustrious career, Ted Nugent has carved a permanent place in rock history. To date, the guitar legend and Motor City Madman has sold more than forty million albums and performed just shy of seven thousand shows.

On Nov. 9 Nugent, along with bass virtuoso Greg Smith and drummer Jason Hartless, will release a brand-new album, aptly titled, The Music Made Me Do It. As an added bonus, each CD will include a full-length concert DVD, “Live At Freedom Hill,” captured at the Freedom Hill Amphitheatre in Sterling Heights, Michigan in 2017. To tease the new album and raw energy of his live concert experience, Nugent has also released a video for the album’s title track that was shot at the Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, CA.

AXS recently spoke with Nugent about The Music Made Me Do It, his career and more in this exclusive new interview.

AXS: How did this project come about? What inspired it?

Ted Nugent: It’s not about spurts of inspiration. It’s about constant inspiration. I’m inspired every day I grab a Gibson guitar and go into uncharted territory. I figured out my American freedom and individuality a long time ago. When I’m outdoors and removed from music and the clusterf#ck of politics it cleanses my soul. We all need to escape, but that’s not to say we need to abandon responsibility. I’m so engaged in this beloved experiment in self-government and I raise as much hell in this guitar playing, we the people as I possibly can. I fight for the Constitution, Bill of Rights and freedom, and to raise the battle cry of “America First”. That’s why my music is the most soul cleansing, nature-is-healer, rhythm and blues, rock and roll groove fest.

AXS: What’s your writing process like?

TN: I’ve never in my life sat down with a pen and paper and said, “Hmm. What shall I write a song about today?” [laughs]. F#ck that! I just pick up my guitar and start pounding and create more bastard children of honky tonk and boogie-woogie. My hands start moving and I sing lyrics that are my life. It’s almost out-of-body. I’ve never contemplated chord structures or lyrics. I just love to go on adventures on the guitar neck.

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Interview with Ted Nugent by Clicking here!

Entertainment, Guitar World Interviews, Interview, Music

Steve Lukather Discusses His New Autobiography, ‘The Gospel According to Luke’

In his new autobiography, The Gospel According to Luke, guitarist Steve Lukather tells the story of how he and his high school friends became the most in-demand session players in L.A., and then went on to form Toto, a band that continues to defy the odds and has sold more than 40 million albums.

Co-written with Paul Rees, Lukather’s biography is an engaging, hilarious and at times tender look into the life of one of music’s most accomplished guitarists and session players. His list of musical achievements alone are enough to fill an entire book. The five-time Grammy winner (and eight-time nominee) has worked with everyone from Boz Scaggs and Paul McCartney to Aretha Franklin and Miles Davis. He was once asked to join Elton John’s touring band and played guitar on Michael Jackson’s Thriller – the biggest selling album of all time. Then there’s his personal, brotherly relationship with the Porcaro brothers and Toto, and all of the highs and lows in between.

The Gospel According to Luke is more than a time capsule of life, love and redemption. It’s a treasure trove of information for anyone wondering what it was like being in the studio and working alongside some of the greatest artists, producers and engineers in music history.

Guitar World recently spoke with Lukather about his new book, session work, gear and more.

What made you decide to write a book about your life and career? Was it something you always thought about doing?

I originally wasn’t looking to do a book at all. A few years ago I got invited to the Grammy Museum to do a Q&A with Scott Goldman. It was one of those interviews where he asked me questions about my whole career, and I didn’t know what was coming. I remember the room was packed and as I was talking, people were howling in the aisles, laughing at all of my stories. When I came offstage, my agents came up to me and said, “You have got to write a book.” From there, I started getting calls from publishers and it morphed out of that. We spent a few years doing it, editing and rewriting. It was hard because there’s a lot of life I remember clearly, and a lot where they told me I had a good time! [laughs]

What was the writing process like?

It was very cathartic and brought back a lot of memories, both good and bad. The session years, in particular, brought back a lot great memories. Those were wonderful times for me.

How did you become involved in session work?

My father saw being a pro musician as something more attainable than a rock star. I played by ear from the ages of seven to 14 and then took proper lessons. From that point, I met the Porcaro brothers. Both they and their father were session players. I started reading liner notes and following all of the great studio guitar players I looked up to, like, Lee Ritenour, Larry Carlton, Jay Graydon and Ray Parker Jr. I also happened to be geographically placed where I could actually meet these guys. Jeff [Porcaro] knew them all because Jeff was in Steely Dan when we were in high school.

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Interview with Steve Lukather by Clicking Here!

Entertainment, Interview, Music

Interview: Smithfield’s Trey Smith and Jennifer Fielder talk music, touring
Photo: Jason Myers

With hook-laden melodies, clever songwriting and rich harmonies, the partnership of Trey Smith and Jennifer Fielder (Smithfield) are fast becoming one of Nashville’s most in-demand acts. The duo, whose family connection spans three generations, defines their music as an infectious blend of rock and pop mixed with traditional country.

Smithfield spent the year as part of the Granger Smith tour before hitting the festival circuit this past summer. Now the pair has embarked on their first nationwide radio tour promoting their latest single, “Our World.”  But don’t expect Smith and Fielder to slow down and hibernate over the long winter months. The duo plans to hit the studio again to record more new music to be released early in the New Year.

AXS recently spoke with Smith and Fielder about Smithfield and more in this exclusive new interview.

AXS: How did the two of you come together to form Smithfield?

Jennifer Fielder: Trey and I have known each other since we were about ten years old. Our families go back three generations, so our grandparents and parents all knew each other. Growing up, our families did parties together and Trey and I met at one of our New Year’s Eve parties. As far as how we formed Smithfield, even though Trey and I knew each other, we grew up singing separately. I was doing country music in college when Trey’s rock band had broken up. He reached out to me and the two of us got together. That’s when we discovered our voices blended perfectly together. It was fate that we were meant to sing together, and our journey began from there.

AXS: How would you describe your sound?

Trey Smith: I come from a rock background and Jen comes from a more traditional, country background. But our sound is really focused on our harmonies. I like to say that it’s a rock and pop mix that’s rooted in country music.

AXS: How does your songwriting process work?

JF: Sometimes it starts with an idea, title, or a melody that Trey has on his guitar. Other times, our co-writer will have a great idea and we can latch on and tell the story. Sometimes we may just be chatting in the room about life and an idea will come out of that. You can never plan to write a great song. It just happens.

AXS: What can you tell me about your recent single, “Our World?”

TS: One of the great things about Nashville is that there are so many great songs being written every day. “Our World” was a song that was pitched to us by a friend. When a song connects with you and can bring out an emotion, it’s something you want to cut. This was one of those situations where we knew it was a Smithfield song the moment we heard it.

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Interview with Smithfield by Clicking Here!

Entertainment, Interview, Movies and TV, Music

Interview: John Schneider discusses ‘Dancing With The Stars’, new music and downloadable App

For the multi-talented singer-songwriter, actor (and dancer), John Schneider, telling stories is in his DNA. The same can also be said for his amazingly talented and beautiful “Dancing With The Stars” partner, Emma Slater. The couple’s innate ability to weave deep layers of emotion into their routine is a big reason why they’ve done so well on the popular ABC series this season.

As Schneider continues his whirlwind run in the competition, he’s also busy promoting his new music single, “Devil In The Mirror,” as well as his John Schneider App. A portal which gives fans access to all of his events and social media as well as a one-stop shop for his music and merchandise.

AXS recently spoke with Schneider about what it’s like being on “Dancing With The Stars”, his new single and more in this exclusive new interview.

AXS: What’s it been like working with Emma Slater this season on “Dancing With The Stars?”

John Schneider: It’s been great. Emma’s a storyteller, just like me. Once we started to gel, she started thinking about songs where we could tell great stories. She really went out of her way to find the right song, the right movement and mood for “Smile” (our recent dance) so that we could tell the story about me missing my mother but finding my smile at the same time. It’s not always about the dancing. It’s about what you’re saying, and telling stories is in her soul.

AXS: What’s the biggest thing you’ve learned about dancing?

JS: All of them are different, so it’s about technique and frame. You’ve got to keep your frame rigid and that boils down to keeping your elbows up, especially in the Waltz. You have to look like you have a broom handle stretching elbow to elbow straight across your back. It always feels like I’m doing it but when I look back at the video my elbows are not up. For me, it’s a lot like golf. If you get too comfortable with your swing, chances are it’s wrong.

AXS: How does dancing in front of so many people compare to performing music or acting?

JS: The assumption everyone has is that the nerves kick in when you get to Monday night and all of the people, but that’s actually when I feel most comfortable. In this case, comfort is really not my friend because comfort equals “elbows down”. But what we did this past Monday night was beautiful. I know this because they have about a hundred stagehands constantly moving stuff around and working their butts off. After our dance, I noticed several of them were crying. That to me is more important than technique. I’m not designed to be a perfect, technical dancer. I’m designed to connect to an audience. So, when I see a 52-year-old man in a black t-shirt crying underneath a light after I did a dance, I know I did something important and touched someone. Our job is to entertain and make you feel something for a certain amount of time, and for that I’m grateful.

Read the rest of my
Interview with John Schneider by Clicking Here!