The Joe Jackson Interviews

Christy Dignam 2004. "Heroin is Satan's semen." A soul-searchng interview

A relative of mine died from a heroin overdose. My Dad died addicted to drugs. Being anti-drugs in the Irish rock music scene worked against me for years. I don't care.

Drug use is on the rise again, in Ireland, and elsewhere

Christy's story is more relevant than ever

Kris Kristofferson tells Joe Jackson the story of Sunday Morning Coming Down. A Tribute

I became an interviewer to track down and talk with my music heroes. Kris Kristofferson was one of them. He influenced me greatly. This is my tribute to one of the greatest songwriters in any genre, who died yesterday. Kris R.I.P. 

Neil Diamond Soul-to-Soul with Joe Jackson

As part of a radio interview we did in his recording studio, Diamond and I talked about the roots of one of his most resonant songs, I Am; I Said.  He even joked about the talking chair! 

Sinead O' Connor 2000 Talking About the music that made her.

I like reposting this to remind people of Sinead's love of music. When all the the stories are forgotten about Sinead, her music will be remembered. In this podcasts she talks about her early influences

Joe Jackson celebrates the artistry of Aznavour.

I am reposting this to go with the upcoming movie. I remember Bono telling me in 1994, 'I discovered Aznavour." I was too cool to tell him, so did I, 20 years earlier!

Riverdance: Jean Butler and Michael Flatley. Clash of the Dancers

I interviewed Flatley once, he wasn't happy with the interview. So?

I interviewed Jean twice. She was.

Here is the backstory of their clash.

Richard Harris: "My Last pub Brawl." From The Joe Jackson Archive

My final interview with Richard took place in the Savoy Hotel in London a year before he died. It lasted nine hours, and forms part of my book, Richard Harris: Raising Hell and Reaching for Heaven. 

This is a fun story

Scott Walker on drinking, Johanna, and sexual tensions in his work

It wold have been inappropriate of me to ask Scott Walker if he was gay. This is as close as we came to discussing the subject

The Monkees Revisited with Mickey Dolenz. The Joe Jackson Archive

As a child I loved The Monkees TV show, It was a delight to interview Mickey and it shows! Great chat about, among other things, the 'postmodern deconstruction of The Monkees' that was the movie Head!

Noel Gallagher 1995 Part 1. "Don't disrespect me on stage"

Let's go back to the glory days with Oasis. Here, in an interview we did in Dublin the morning after an Oasis gig I attended, Noel discusses gigs, fans, songs and his music heroes such as John Lennon and Burt Bacharach. It fades at his claim,'I am a romantic" which we will discuss in our next podcast!" Is he?