webcast 2005 contest
Nickname: cheese101 (member info) Location: Klamath Falls, OR
Qualifications:

Well, I'm guessing many of us on T2J secretly (or not so secretly!) want to be just like Joe when we "grow up". We want to attain his greatness as a musician, and as a human being. Joe, quite simply, comes across as appreciative of his fans and his success, humble, always has a ready smile and isn't afraid to show that he can be just as goofy as the next person! He isn't afraid to laugh at himself (ex: think Sponge Bob Square Pants boxer shorts during the 2003 G-3 run, and Steve and Yngwie catching him in only those in his dressing room!!) I don't know of many "stars" that would be willing to share embarrassing and funny things like that....but Joe chose to because that's the kind of person he is, a human being like the rest of us who easily steps outside of his fame to live at our level and share his life with us. And thank God he does!

In my everyday job as a social worker, I interview people for a living. It's my responsibility to ask questions that are open-ended which allow the person being interviewed to just tell their story in a way that fits them best. I have seen, read and heard many of the interviews Joe has given and he just naturally takes a question and beautifully expands on it...much like he does his incredible music. I think an interview with Joe would be like having a wonderful, easy conversation with a friend that I'm trying to get to know better. Hopefully the questions asked of Joe will give us even more of an inside look at who he is, his life and how he still does what he does better than anyone else on the planet.

Submitted 2005-03-19 21:32:54

Question 1:

Joe, you seem to be busier and busier with all your touring, composing, recording, developing of new products, promoting..the list goes on and on. How do you feel about the "busy-ness" of your life now in comparison to what it was like when you were just starting out as a lesser-known musician....do you ever wish you could go back to a simpler, quieter time (if there ever was one) or are you thriving on it all?
Question 2:

How does your fame affect you at this point in your career? Are you still able to go out in public without being recognized and approached constantly by fans, or is it difficult to just be Joe, a husband and father who happens to be a rock star, out for a little grocery shopping, a walk in the park, etc? Is there anything about your fame you would like to change?
Question 3:

In your Jemfest interview last Fall, you mentioned that "there's no point in being nervous" in reference to meeting and jamming with some great musicians from the past. Are there circumstances or events you could share that do cause you to be nervous or anxious?
Question 4:

First, the G-3 shows are just incredible and such a bonus for the fans who get to see them, so much great guitar playing in one evening. I've watched many videos of you performing on stage both with your own band and with other great musicians. All have been great, but one in particular stands out in my mind, the concert in Sevilla, Spain in 1992. You were on stage with people like Brian May, Steve Vai, Gary Cherone, Nuno Bettencourt, Paul Rodgers... and Joe Walsh. You looked as though you were having a great time throughout the concert, but in particular, I thought you looked like a kid in a candy shop when Joe Walsh took the stage and you got to play with him. What was that night like for you? And is there any hope of getting so many great musicians together again like that, not just overseas but in the US?
Question 5:

It seems that many times, during shows, you either have invited musicians on stage to play with you, or you have been invited up to play with others. The jams seem to just flow so beautifully from one guitarist to another, it's just seamless. For example, the video of you inviting Andy Timmons to play House Full of Bullets...was any of that rehearsed or worked out beforehand, or was it completely spontaneous? And if it's all spontaneous, are you just exhilarated by it all, or are you ever afraid of it not turning out right?

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