The Joe Jackson Interviews

Neil Diamond: My Battle with the Mafia. Summer repost.

This is one of the few occasions Neil talked in public about the Mafia.

His management weren't impressed that he did. Neil told me he didn't mind. 

Remember Sinead O' Connor This Way. The Music That Made Me.

I am reposting this because in five days it will be a year since we lost Sinead. 

In 2000 she told me the song she'd want played at her funeral.

R.I.P. Sinead O'Connor 

Joe Jackson on Baz Luhrmann's betrayal of Elvis in the movie of that name.

I posted this when the movie was released. I stand over all my criticisms of Luhrmann who turned Elvis's life story into, he said "the love story between Parker and Presley" and made him a male Judy Garland because Baz loves Judy. The mov ie is a tissue of lies, to quote Shakespeare. 

Richard Harris mocks Robert De Niro, Gabriel Byrne and the Method

This is the section of a tape I used for my Harris biography, Richard Harris Raising Hell and Reaching for Heaven. What he says may upset some actors, including those he criticises but I was one of the few journalists to whom Harris told the truth so here it is! Enjoy

"Elvis did not peddle Speed at Sun Records." Sam Phillips to Joe Jackson

At the time of this interview Roy Carr a British journalist claimed that Elvis was discovered at Sun Records because he peddled his moter's diet pills to musicians. Sam told me that was crap!

Mike Murphy as You Never Heard Him Before. The Joe Jackson interview 2000. Repost

Mike was my mentor in RTE, and we stepped on a lot of toes with this interview.

But neither of us ever worked in the PR business!

 

Enjoy

Billy Joel Inner Fears of an Upbeat Guy. Joe Jackson summer repost

That was the headline my Billy Joel interview in an Irish newspaper. We did the interview backstage at Madison Square Garden, I'd never met the guy, but he turned out to be sincere and truthful and free from bs

Boy George For the Love of Larry Mullen Jr! Summer repost

During our first interview in 1987, Boy Georege said to me, "If you see Bono and he still hasn't found what he's looking for, tell hm to look behind the drum kit" at U2 drummer Larry Mullen Jr. It was a bit of a laugh. For this Irish Times interview we returned to the subject and much more

Hello Mary Lou. You Know the Song. Meet its writer: Gene Pitney.

I first heard this catchy song when I was a child, so it was a joy to finally meet and talk with tis writer. 

The Joe Jackson Interview form the Irish timnes 1993: Jon Bon Jovi

Jon Bon Jovi talking about AIDS, gangs, rock 'n' roll and apologising for his insulting use on stage of the word "faggots." Repost