American Rock icon and multi-platinum recording artist Eddie Money’s stellar career has spanned over three decades and his story is one of survival: Survival as a musician, survival from the drugs and alcohol that almost took his life, and the challenges we all face every day. Eddie has survived because of perseverance, love of his art, tremendous humor, and gratitude to the many fans he calls “friends.”
That being said, you think things might be slowing down in the Eddie Money household? Think again. Eddie is still going strong after all these years. I had a chance to speak to him about what’s been going on in his life recently—in addition to bringing his daughter Jesse on tour with him, to his beginnings after relocating from New York to Berkeley, California in the early ‘70s and playing the club circuit, and his most recent collaboration with Country music artist Vince Gill.
His most recent album, “Wanna Go Back,” hit stores on March 13, 2007. The album’s music is influenced mainly by the music from the ‘60s, to include such classics as Jackie Wilson's "Higher & Higher," Sam & Dave's "Hold On I'm Comin," and The Foundations’ "Baby Now That I Found You."
I’ve had the pleasure of working with many top artists and performers... but I don’t recall any of them being cooler than Mr. Money. Talking with him both for the interview and at the show that I attended here in Las Vegas at Boulder Station, he could not have been nicer or more accommodating. The one thing that I’ve always admired and respected was his connection to his fans. He is a true artist in that in mid-sentence he would just all of a sudden start singing instead of speaking.
Furthermore, he also donates a portion of his merchandise proceeds to the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation and performs at fundraisers for local schools every year. In November 2007, Eddie teamed up with Warrior Custom Golf Clubs and UPS to present the Eddie Money Celebrity Shootout, which raised funds for multiple charities.
When I started my research for this project, first let me say that Eddie is the perfect example of why I love to do what I do: finding out bits of information and amazing treasures of music, hits like “Maureen” from the second album “Life for the Taking,” or from 1973 his contribution with the Bay Area band The Rockets, with 
“Can’t Keep a Good Man Down” or “Highway.” Take a look at the video and listen if you do a search on YouTube. The bass lines in both of those songs, along with the vocals, are incredible. They really don’t make music like this anymore; Money is a true American Icon of Classic Rock.
I was truly blown away by the fact that legendary promoter/manager Bill Graham took Eddie under his wing and together produced two hit singles, “Baby Hold On” and “Two Tickets To Paradise,” which has now been featured in numerous video games, television shows and movies. For those of you who may not know, Bill Graham really pioneered Rock ‘n’ Roll as we know it today, from producing to tour managing to booking and artist management. He is a legend. Put 2 and 2 together, and a Rock ‘n’ Roll powerhouse is born.
As only one example of his cross-generational influence, his hit single “Shakin'” is featured in the hit video game series Guitar Hero Encore on the “Rocks the 80s” edition.
I hope you enjoy the interview and photos as much as I did.
Eddie Money: Hey, it’s Eddie Money. How are you?
AAM: Good! First, I want to thank you for taking the time to speak to us at All Access Magazine. I just wanted to ask you a few questions. I’m not sure if you remember, but back in October, you and I did an interview at the Stateline show, when you played with Rick Springfield. What a great show. I’m really looking forward to the show this Friday night at Boulder Station.
EM: Yeah, I think it’s going to be a fun show; we’re actually doing the “No Control” album. It sold about 3 million copies, one of my biggest records. What a lot of groups are doing now is the whole album, from beginning to end. So we’re doing the whole record. And of course my daughter, Jesse, who was just on “Rock the Cradle” on VH1, comes out and sings 3-4 songs. She steals the show.
AAM: I remember! When I saw you guys in October, she just blew me away. What a voice. Although I’m not impressed with how things turned out on the VH1 show. She’s too good.
EM: She is really good. I’m thinking that a lot of people are thinking I hired her because she’s my daughter, but when she gets out there, she really can sing. I’ll give her that.
AAM: I was on YouTube last night doing some prep work for this interview. I was just watching the “Wanna Go Back Album 2007” interview with you and Jesse in the studio. As a parent, do you think that bringing her out on the road hindered her in any way? Or do you view it as a life learning experience for her?
EM: Well, you know what? It’s good to have her out on the road with me. She has a boyfriend out in the Coast Guard and I think he drinks too much. She’s 19, she’s had her stacks of trouble and things like that. I guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. But she’s taking her career seriously. Now she’s doing “Baby Hold On To Me.” She does that with me, she does the parts of Jo Baker from the band Stoneground. Back in the ‘70s there was a band called Stoneground, with Jo Baker, who unfortunately passed away from sclerosis of the liver. What a great singer she was. So Jessica comes out with [starts singing], “Don't be thinkin' 'bout what's not enough, now baby. Just be thinkin' 'bout what we got.” We do a duet with that and we do “Higher and Higher” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” She got a chance to sing with Michael McDonald at the Kentucky Derby and did “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” He had a big hit with that song. But I’m thinking about putting out “Build Me Up Buttercup” on “Wanna Go Back.” [Once again, I get serenaded. I’m loving the interview at this point!] I think a video with that would be great and at the same time I have a single climbing the charts right now with Vince Gill. We redid “Gimme Some Water.” I was in Nashville and I started messing around. I was doing a couple of Country tracks and I did “Two Tickets to Paradise” with him. I did the first verse, he did the second, then we harmonized the third. And he also did another song I did, “Hard Life.” I think a video of “Gimme Some Water” would be great. I also just finished my Broadway show called “Two Tickets To Paradise.” I brought it to the people on Broadway, but they said Broadway isn’t even going to be available for 3 years. What I’m going to try to do instead is try to sell it to some people in San Francisco. Bill Graham had some really good quality people he was working with when he died. I’m going to see if they would be interested in putting the play on Broadway, in San Francisco.
AAM: What is the play about?
EM: It’s about me moving out to California in 1968. My brother was in Vietnam at the time and the whole thing goes through me getting the record deal and of course having what they call “the accident” which was Fenitol. I snorted Fenitol, which is a barbiturate. I was drinking like a fish and all of a sudden I went into a catatonic state and killed the sciatic nerve in my left leg. I couldn’t walk for a whole year. That’s how we wound up making the “No Control” album. But the whole play is about me moving out to California with the band and getting the record deal, then having the overdose and coming back. It’s kind of like a “Jersey Boys,” you know?
AAM: Speaking of which, I spoke to Jon Hammond [the keyboard player in one of Eddie’s first bands when he moved to California] last night, by the way. He says hello.
EM: Jon Hammond… My God, how’s he doing?
AAM: He’s good. I spoke to him via MySpace for 
a little bit and I told him that I was going to be speaking with you today and he said to make sure I said hello to you. How did you two meet?
EM: Wow. I met Jon when he was like 16 years old. He played keyboards with me back in 1972. I’ve known him forever. I knew his father before his father passed away. He was a very prominent doctor in the Bay Area. I know his Mother Edith and I’m a close family friend with Jon and his entire family. He’s a great guy; he’s done a lot for my daughter too.
AAM: I also spoke to Randy [Forrester, ex-keyboardist in Eddie’s current band] the other day, because I wanted to see if he wanted to get together with me while you guys were here in Vegas…but he’s no longer touring with you.
EM: No, he’s got a better job now. He’s working with somebody really rich now! [laughs] No, he got tired of flying, all the security at the airports and the travel. You know, it’s not so much the gigs, it’s all the other things in between. He got himself a decent job, but he’s not touring anymore. I wish him nothing but success for him.
AAM: Who is the new keyboard player?
EM: We picked up the kid Chris Rhodes, from Survivor. He’s a great keyboard player.
AAM: I noticed that the band Hinder does a cover of your song, “Take Me Home Tonight.” But they rocked it out a little more.
EM: Yeah, I love that. I like the way they did it. They put a little kick in it and twisted it up a little bit. They’re crazy kids out of Oklahoma City; they’re a nice bunch of guys. They had that song “Lips of an Angel.”
AAM: Have you ever thought about doing an “All Star Band” and going on tour?
EM: I think I’ve been asked to do a couple of those “All Star Band” things. But with them, I only get a chance to do three or four songs. I’d rather go out there and do a complete Eddie Money set. I mean, think about it. I had 26 songs in the top 100. [Goes into singing another medley of his top hits. And I’m not complaining at all! Who gets to get sung to by Eddie Money over the phone? This is great!] We had a lot of songs that I don’t even do in the set, Top 20, Top 10 songs. I was on top of the world when Columbia Records was really great and Bill Graham was my manager. It was a great record company to have. MTV came out, and I was the darling of MTV for the first couple of years. I’ve had a pretty prominent career.
AAM: I’m looking forward to the show on Friday night.
EM: I’m glad you’re going to come down.
AAM: I just wanted to say that you’ve always been one of my favorite singers. You’re classic; I grew up with your music. Getting to talk to you and people like you – I just did an interview with Neal Schon from Journey, for example – I love listening to your stories and what you guys have to say.
EM: Yeah, I remember when he used to play with Santana when he was 17 years old. He’s another great guy. There’s a lot of great people, The Beatles, Rolling Stones.
AAM: Well, I’ll see you at the show on Friday. Again, looking forward to it.
EM: See you then!
For more information visit Eddie Money online at www.eddiemoney.com or on MySpace at www.myspace.com/theeddiemoney.
