DOUG Talks to Guitarist KENNY OLSON about the Upcoming tribute to BUDDY MILES

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Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Yeah, either Detroit Wheels. Yeah, Kenny, Hey, what's up?
Brother? Oh Hey, Kenny,how the heck are you? Buddy?
I'm doing all right? How youbet? I'm doing really good. And
we've got Kenny Olson from the TwistedBrown Trucker Band and many other musical entities.
But it's good to talk to you. Going to be on stage next
Friday night for the Love of BuddyMiles. And I was excited to talk

(00:22):
to you because I know that atone point you actually played with Buddy Miles,
right, Yeah, I did.He was dere a good friend and
it was very blessed. You know, we've met many many years ago,
and back when I was doing ExperienceHendricks tours of Billy Cox and Mitch Mitchell
and and then we did a returnof the Band of Gypsy's Project where that

(00:48):
was me and Buddy Miles and BillyCox and Eric Gales and Buddy Guy.
That was a lot of fun.Wow. Yeah, Buddy Miles. He
was such an amazing made in talent. I mean his I mean not only
the musician. Everyone knows the drummer, and you know, Heven was a
great guitar player, but he hewas like one of the best singers I

(01:11):
had ever worked with. I mean, his voice was like to that of
an angel, unbelievable. Well,I saw you a couple of times with
Hendrick's Experience. Unfortunately I did notsee you know, Buddy Miles in one
of those in one of those Troopsessions, but he did tour with us
with the experience Hendrix stuff. Butsome of my most memorable experience, Hendrix

(01:36):
states, a couple of my favoriteswere, you know, half the Fox
Seater at home in Detroit, andso coming back home and doing that with
those guys, and I remember Hubertsomeone and I did Killing Floor when that
was miss Mitchell playing that night andhe passed away a week later. We
were at that shuff yep. Yeah, and that was right around years of

(01:59):
my birthday time on Goal Scorpio season. It was like it was sad,
you know, I was, youknow, and then Buddy, you know,
Buddy and Mitch pretty much passed andthat same kind of time frame,
and that's when Jillie Cox and Idid a song called the Last Gypsy Standing,
and we did a bunch of songsand it was just, you know,

(02:21):
it's hard because Buddy wasn't really thathe was only like sixty years old
when he passed, you know,and he was it wasn't it seems like
it was yesterday, but it wasvery sad. And he was such an
amazing person. And he always wouldtalk to me about another fellow Detroit's Brothers
of years of mine and Jimmy McCarty, because Buddy, you know, works

(02:44):
with Hendry's, Carlos Santana and me, and he always to talk about Jimmy
too, and how you know howmuch we love Jimmy here in Detroit and
seems to me part of this bigshow too coming up here. I've been
tight real quick, but so likewhen I you know, I had spoke
with Buddy, you know right,you know pretty much that day that he

(03:06):
had passed that that later in thatday, and you know, I remember
it. It touched for her becauseit was a house listeners told me that
he had these pictures of his friendsaround him, and then she you know,
he's so how like Carlos Jimmy,but you know Jimmy Hendy. Then
there was a picture I got meand Jimmy McCarty right there as well,

(03:28):
Detroit Brothers. And it was itwas because so many you know, you
travel around and like Jimmy and thenhis generation and then a decade later you
know the company. It's just it'salways great to go around in the country
or the world and people be like, Jimmy's Cactus, Rockets, all this

(03:49):
stuff, Buddy Miles and that's meand Jimmy and Derek are gonna do a
few in the set. You know, I've got a bunch of stuff we're
doing, but I think we're goingto be uh showing down some Detroit sounds
together. Yeah. Well, there'salways you know, there always seems to
be a Detroit connection. And ofcourse with this show, it's you and

(04:13):
especially Jim McCarty who actually played andrecorded with Buddy Miles. Buddy had his
shot right there at the end ofthe sixties and throughout the middle of the
seventies when he was really recording andperforming and touring and and and you know
a lot of people leave Jimmy McCartyout of that equation there. You know,

(04:38):
they always talk about Mitch Ryder inthe Rockets and and Cactus, but
to have you know, Jim McCartycall me and tell me just how heartfelt
this was for him and how specialyou know, that tells me a lot.
That tells me a lot about what'sgoing to be going down here at
the Ford Community Center. Jimmy likelike growing up with, you know,

(05:00):
and Detroit is a guitar player.You know, I always had the uttermost
respect for Jimmy and you know McCartyand he was just you know, he's
his music is guitar players speaks foritself. But he, uh, you
know, someone like Buddy Miles,who you look at his career and you
look at the great guitar players thatbut he's known for playing with and it's

(05:23):
look at the lineup that he's therewith it. But you got Jimmy Henders,
Carlos Santana, Mike Bloomfield, andJimmy McCarty, and there's a few
others that are very but they're alsoof that legendary status. But it was
Jimmy. You know, Jimmy's withall the different stuff that he did through
the years, and my Cactus aswell, and you know he's out.

(05:45):
He's kind of a lot of badrespect out there as well deserved. Yeah,
I'm happy. I'm just I've beenfriends since I was a youngster,
and I'm not that young anymore.None of us are. We've had in
my back for many many years too, and we've had a much mutual love
and or sex with one another.So and along, you know, we

(06:06):
got all these other guys coming into, I know, like you know Norwood,
the Fishers coming in who I playedfrom Fishbone and that's what I played
with when I'm out in La andoh and I've been friends for you know,
it's like thirty some years pretty much. And uh that's big because we
were, yeah, a long timeas your keys and then like oh,

(06:27):
I mean and then Derek stayed homeanother Detroit you know signatures sound that's going
to be you know, plessing usand uh, so many, I mean
there's so many great I mean,Dennis Chambers and my copy is with this
dand with all the Pope and allthe Detroit boys and so many big players

(06:48):
that have been joined us. Yeah. There there is an incredible list of
players, including yourself and Derek,Saint Holmes, ded Nude Jimmy. Of
course we talked about Dennis Chambers andTony Lindsay from Santana and you know,
Dennis, he could be, youknow, one of the best drummers in
the world. And then you've gotyou know, some of the guys who

(07:10):
you know, we're in the touringyou know band with Jimmy Hendricks for Woodstock
and Beyond and Peter Keys, who'salways a great musical director. On top
of it, but you know withLeonard Skidard and Detroit's own Slight Return are
going to be opening up this entireyou know show, So we're all excited

(07:30):
to be out there. It's goingto be at the Ford Community and Performing
Arts Center once again. It's nextFriday, so there are some tickets available
for this. But what a specialnight. But but Kenny, I have
to say that, you know,a lot of people uh you know,
originally looked at you in the TwistedBrown Trucker band with Kid Rock. I

(07:50):
don't think would have ever believed atthe you know, versatility and the and
the feel that you have for thatguitar so many different things, the Pink
Floyd and and the Hendrix experience inthe band of Gypsies. I mean,
that's a real tribute to you,to my friend, because uh, you

(08:11):
are such an incredible player and andjust don't get enough recognition for the versatility
that you have and and have hadyour entire career, so to have Buddy
Miles and and have your picture thereduring this passing, Uh, you know
that's pretty special that that that's bigstuff right there, no question. Yeah,

(08:33):
I really appreciate all the time whereit's yeah, I feel very blessed.
You know, it's like the musicindustry, some people get in into
v's so that instant rocksby gratification ofmine. Has definitely been a long haul
of you know, the ups anddowns of the roller coast drive, which
how you become a blues man andget that field. You got to live

(08:54):
the journey, and it's been butit's been ongoing, and I'm very good
and blessed that all the you know, the legendary people that I got to
work with and get to know,and that we're changed tribute and the lineup
that's been put together with everybody that'sbeen working so hard. It's it's going

(09:15):
to be paying a good trip becauseBuddy obviously being known for you know,
you know a lot of people youknow with the Hendry, all these great
guitar players, but there's just somuch music and just there's just so much
soul and stuff about this man's tipCarey and and him along with so many
you know, great people out therein the world now where it's that add

(09:37):
world that you know, where peopleare just you know, there's so much
map stup being throwing everybody all atonce, and to really take the time
out and really honor these people likeBuddy Miles to the legend and what they're
what we're conspiring to do and yeah, I'm doing it's going to be a

(09:58):
beautiful thing, and all of usgetting together and making it about the music
and not the egos. Let everybodyget up there and shine and have some
moments and pay tribute and hope thatyou know, I know that everybody audience,
like I know, they're going tolove the show. So I hope
that everybody they can gets out thereand come and experiences it, because it's

(10:22):
you've got to show that, likewhen you put them together and you get
all these great people together that haven'tseen each other the summer, old friends,
some are new friends, and butwe're all there for this the right
reason, you know, for agood soul, you know, something that
really has and when everyone gets togetherand you do these things, that's you

(10:43):
feel the spirits of you know,from the heavens above blessing it. It's
so much ratification that everybody's getting outof this, and you know, like
Mark and the Costs and Boo,they've been working hard right come up with
you know this, And I waslike, you know, I'm just there's

(11:03):
so many great players involved, Imight even have forgotten there. Now I
think we I think we hit onjust about everybody. The Woodward Horns will
be there to add that legitimate,you know horn sound that Buddy Miles had.
But I think I think we've onlyscratched the surface of what the love
of Buddy Miles could be. Youknow, when Mark Kasa from Slight Return

(11:26):
first came to me about this project, I thought, wow, yeah,
what you know, something fresh,something new. Uh you know that was
number one, but number two WhenI look at this lineup, I'm thinking
to myself, boy, after thisshow happens and the word gets around,
you know, you could do thisyear after year, kind of like a

(11:48):
Hendrick's experience in a way, andjust add more and more incredible guitar players
and drummers and singers and and peoplewho were close to Buddy Miles who you
know will want to be involved.So Like I said, I think we've
only scratched the surface of this.But I know that the Hendrick's family was

(12:09):
very appreciative of this and and they'vealways had high praise for you as well,
Kenny. So, uh, youknow, this is going to be
an amazing night. They've been likefamily to me for a long time.
I was in the very books,you know, the Hendricks family, Jimmy's
father and I were friends when youwere alive, and you know, and

(12:33):
obviously Buddy and Buddies, you know, God and Buddy's family. You know
what we've been Uh, we've allI've known them all for a long time,
and I feel sometimes I just youknow, feel very blessed with the
you know, ups and downs.I've very been uh so blessed with these

(12:54):
great people throughout my life that I'vegotten to know employ with and you know,
especially growing up in Detroit, youknow, and like Jimmy, you
know, and like the chaptain ofour dear brother Wayne. You know,
there's so many you know people.Life is precious and we've got and it's
a great I think having this showlike this, you know in Detroit,

(13:15):
which Buddy Miles always had a lotof love for Detroit. You know,
who doesn't you know with Motown,Detroit, rock city Motown. I mean
even from the old going way backto jazz gospel ruth. I mean,
you know it's Detroit. Yeah,yeah, I love it. There's always

(13:35):
that connection, isn't there? SoSo Kenny, tell me what year was
it, and what was that likethe very first time you met Buddy Miles.
What was what was the the atmospherein the room that day? It
was it was pretty awesome and wejust immediately was like we were glowing and

(13:58):
we just like it was big causesand everything. I have a you know,
special memory that I remember. Itwas Buddy when he was This is
long after we met, you know, and he came out, you know,
and we'd run into each other ifwe were playing shows down there,
and I get him out, andwe were talking about doing a lot of

(14:20):
different projects. You know, wehad me and him and Tommy Shannon from
Steve Ray Vaughan, you know,Double Trouble. We're we're going to do
a little project they were talking aboutdoing, and you know, before Buddy
had passed, and but I'll neverforget you know, Buddy. We flew
into Seattle to record this, youknow, the Return of the Bandagepsy's Return

(14:43):
album. And uh and my son, who's nicknamed you know, Kendricks,
was you know, he's eight monthsold. And the Hendrick family were like,
you had me and his mom,you know, we brought him out
there with us. So at thetime, he was only eight months old.
So he's in a stroller and we'reat the airport and we're getting ready

(15:09):
to get picked up by a ride. And Buddy, you know, he
could walk at the time, buthe was having some issues with his legs.
There was in a wheelchair at theairport and I wasn't there waiting for
the ride, and then I gotthe stroller park next to Buddy and I
look at it just the back ofhim and I my son and Buddy,
my son looked over to some kindof raised up his little chairs to pound

(15:30):
him and they're like pounding it foreach other. And I got this picture
of the two of them from behindat the side, and it was like
it was pretty pretty cool. Wow. After Buddy passed, like they ended
up my son, you know,with his hair and and they had him
he would look just like a littlerock. And we let his hair grow

(15:52):
out a little bit. He was, and they ended up being on the
seed cover of the Lamps Gipsy standingand after you after, Billy was after
and Buddy at path I was Jimmy'spass in a long time ago and so
we did that project. He wasonly rocated. We had him on Billy
tots of Harley in the garage.That's we took this photo for them.

(16:17):
They've been, they've been just hearpeople from well, that's a that's a
that's a special moment, no doubtabout it. It'll be a special night
with yourself. As you mentioned,Derek Saint Holmes from the Ted NuGen Band
along with Jim McCarty who actually recordedand played with with Buddy Miles and like

(16:37):
I said, he was he wasreally heartfelt about this show. He's excited
to play some of Buddy's music.Then you've got Dennis Chambers and Tony Lindsay
from Santana, Henry Brown from theExperience, Hendricks Tour Dan and Yeah,
and and Yoma Salton from Hendricks atWoodstock. I mean, how legendary does

(17:02):
that get? And then you gotPeter Keys, who I know is going
to be like the glue and pullit all together from Leonard Skinnard. We
got him learn it every song,Yeah, of course, and that's the
only way he would want it.And uh and then Mark casem and UH
and slight returning and me, I'mvery proud to be out there with Wheels

(17:23):
as a part of hosting this.You know, Kenny, you were a
big part of w ll Z UHwith us here just a year or so
ago when you and the Cartel joinedour first album. And Uh, it's
it's always great to have you atall of these projects, but this one
is going to be pretty special,I think, and uh and and well

(17:47):
worth coming on now to It's Friday, March first, and it's at the
Ford Community and Performing Arts Center.What a great place to see a show.
I can't wait. And I wantto thank you for as doing all
the stuff that you've done for meand everybody and our You've just been You
are such a big part of theDetroit music scene and my upbringing. And

(18:11):
you're taking me under your wing ata many many, many many many years
ago. Yeah, and then ofcourse we knew right off the bat,
and then were I remember back inthe day, we're like, you know,
I just said something about my birthday. You're like my birthday. Wait
wait, we're like, oh yeah, your brothers, Scorpio brothers. Wonder

(18:33):
where that's right, that's right,we got the fire. All right.
Well, Kenny, it's great talkingto you. Will see you next Friday
out there. I guess you gotsome rehearsals coming up this week, gay
so and next week. So yeah, I'm going to be back home.
I'm out of town right now,but I'll be back home in a couple
of days. And yeah, I'mhappy being back home. You know,

(18:56):
it's been yes years since I've beenactually living in Detroit, So I'm back
and ready to get Immersepech into myhometown and we're going to make some amazing
stuff happen and help back home andto be well. The next time we
talk, we will definitely have totalk about your new recording studio and some
of the projects that you've got comingup. But in the meantime, just

(19:21):
thank you so much for your timeto date. And I'm looking forward to
an incredible show coming up here nextweek. So it should be a great
time. Yeah, I'm looking forwardto it too. It's going to be
it's gonna go out of fun allright, Kenny, Well, thank you
buddy, and thanks for all thatyou do and we'll see you there at

(19:41):
the love of Buddy Miles you aswell, and much love to you and
see everyone out there well you know, but thanks for giving my brother.
Appreciate everything you do, all right, Kenny Olsen from the Kid Rock Band,
and thank you for being on oneoh six point seven Detroit Wheels.