Les Claypool is one of the most unpredictably prolific artists in rock. At nearly 60, he maintains an ever-mushrooming array of side projects and supergroups, consistently stellar solo outings and, of course, staying active as the frontman and force behind the band that put him on the music map: Primus.

After nearly four decades, the rhythmically arresting rock group is as revered as ever thanks to the omnipresence of its intro and outro theme songs on Comedy Central's "South Park," which still airs nightly. Video game music placement, and quirky singles such as "Jerry Was A Race Car Driver" (from 1991's Sailing the Seas of Cheese) and "Wynona's Big Brown Beaver" (off 1995's Tales from the Punchbowl) ensure that Primus will always remain on the heavy-hitter list alongside bands alongside contemporaries like Jane's Addiction and Tool. 

When Primus went on hiatus in the late '90s, Claypool stayed busy. He formed Oysterhead with Phish frontman Trey Anastasio and Stewart Copeland of the Police, and created the trippy rock show known as Les Claypool's Fearless Flying Frog Brigade. He recently resurrected the latter after a 20-year hiatus, and is currently touring the country.   

Other groups of note over the years include Colonel Claypool's Bucket of Bernie Brains, formed in 2002 with guitarist Buckethead, Bernie Worrell and Bryan Mantia, and the 2012 bluegrass outfit Duo de Twang with high school friend and M.I.R.V. guitarist Bryan Kehoe. Then there's The Claypool Lennon Delirium, which came a year later and featured Sean Lennon (son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono). The pair released two studio albums, highlighting their psychedelic sensibilities and fresh take on prog rock. As Claypool tells it, bringing Lennon into the Frog fold for the current tour was a no-brainer, especially since the musicians love to get jammy together and happen to be in the midst of finishing a Delirium record.  

Just as Primus paid tribute to Claypool's childhood favorites Rush during last year's A Tribute To Kings Tour, the Frog Brigade tour takes on a formidable favorite live: Pink Floyd's Animals, track by track in its entirety. Music from all of Claypool's projects including his and Lennon's work, will also be featured on the tour. Making for an even more all-star experience, the band is co-headlining certain dates with Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew's Remain In Light Tour which features songs from the classic 1980 Talking Heads album of the same name. 

Claypool spoke with GRAMMY.com about his different music projects, touring, and maintaining his wildly diverse musical world over the decades. 

The Fearless Flying Frog Brigade is reunited after 20 years, and the tour has a lot of festivals on its schedule. At this point in your career, how do you like playing big festivals?

I like festivals. And I especially like the festivals where they have the people who make art out of glow sticks and whatnot. So I'm looking out at the audience and I see all these cool glow sticks. Things like jellyfish and stuff that are made out of glow sticks. Those are my favorite festivals — for lack of a better term, the more hippie fest shows, because I get a light show that I get to look at. People spinning fire and twirling things around — it's eye candy for me and it's very inspirational.

**Speaking of trippy stuff, you're doing Pink Floyd's Animals, an album you covered 20 years ago. What made you decide to revisit it?**

There was a big, big demand. My manager kept saying a lot of promoters were asking for Frog Brigade doing Animals again. So we had some time off from Primus and I decided to do it. And it's not just the Animals thing. It's also sort of a retrospective of my whole solo career and since Sean's with us, we're also doing some Delirium stuff, too.

Being a retrospective of your work, I was wondering how you go about choosing what to play. You have so many projects. Is it a different setlist each time or do you have a set selection of songs?

Oh yes, it's a different setlist every night. I just sort of mix it up. I mean, the Floyd thing is consistent, but we mix it up.

**In terms of covering Pink Floyd — why Animals? Why not one of Floyd's other albums?**

Well, when I first did Frog Brigade many years ago… Basically, Primus had broken up in the late '90s. We were, you know, too chickens— to say we broke up so we were "on hiatus" to keep the options open. And it scared the s—out of me. I was like, I have two young kids. I got a mortgage. What the hell am I going to do? My band is now gone.

And so I just loaded up some of my favorite musicians into this old Airstream motorhome I had, and we started driving up and down the coast playing bars. And one of the guys was Jeff Clemente, a keyboardist who now plays with the Dead. I said if I ever have a keyboardist in my band, I want to play "Pigs." So we've learned "Pigs" and I thought, let's just learn the whole album and then we don't need an opening band. We can do two sets. That's sort of how it all started.

Sounds fun. Have you played other Floyd albums before?

There's been bits and pieces of Floyd. We do a version of "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" and whatnot. But yeah, Animals was the first in its entirety.

Beyond the Delirium project, what is your relationship with Sean Lennon? Do you hang out and stuff?

He's like my brother. He's literally one of the family. When he and my daughter get together, they're like siblings, they peck at each other and make fun of each other. It's pretty amazing. I mean, we're beyond friends. He's like my brother. We're very close.

Sean was not in the original Frog Brigade lineup, right? How did you go about bringing him into it?

He was not, no. But because we have the Delirium together — and we're actually halfway through another Delirium of record — this notion of bringing Frog Brigade back came up, and I just said, 'Hey, would you be interested in doing this?' And he was like, 'Hell yeah.' So here he is.

You are playing Delirium material on the tour so that makes sense. What about the other musicians; were these guys all collaborators on your past projects? You have so many and so many people you like to play with.

I have Mike Dylan on percussion and vibraphone and marimba, he's been on a lot of my stuff, since Purple Onion. Paulo Baldi, I've played with quite a lot over the years. He plays with Delirium as well. Harry Waters is new but he's really been killing it. He's really stepped up.

The thing is, Primus is Primus and Oysterhead is Oysterhead. It's a set group of individuals. Whereas for me, when I do a Claypool project, whether it's called Frog Brigade, or Fancy Band, or whatever you want to call it, it's a revolving cast of characters. I was talking to Tom Waits one time about some of the musicians he's worked with over the years and he's like [makes growly Waits voice] "You know, it's like, a director doesn't always work with the same actors." And I thought, Well, that's true, you know, and that's what this is. 

For me, it's whoever I have available to do the particular slot of time. Or whatever I happened to fancy for what we're recording. For example, there were a few records where I didn't use any guitar at all. I was not anti-guitar, but I was trying to utilize cellos and things like that as opposed to guitar.

You're considered one of the best bass players of all time. How do you feel about so many musicians and fans labeling you that?

I mean, that's a wonderful thought [laughs]. But, you know, there's always people that can do something better or an element of what you do better. And also best is subjective. You know, what one person likes isn't necessarily what another may like. 

I see some of these guys as like, the "Baryshnikov of the bass" or the '"Michael Jordans of the bass." I'm like "the Evil Knievel of bass." I just go for it, and if I make it, I make it, and if I don't, I crash into the fountain in front of Caesars, you know? That's always been my approach. But it's wonderful being respected in your field no matter what you do.

I think that's why a lot of people respect you. Beyond the skill, it's the experimentation and the willingness to take chances and do something really different.

One of my favorite bass players of all time was Mark Sandman, who played a two-string bass with the strings in unison and he played it with a slide. He was the bass player for Morphine. Technically, he wasn't doing anything too crazy, but the expression, the way he could express himself and the sultry elements of his tone and everything, it was just magic to me. He will always be one of my heroes.

You famously tried out from Metallica and the story I heard was that they passed because they said you were too good.

Well, at the time, I think they just thought I was some weirdo. You know, me and Kirk [Hammet] went to high school together. In fact, Kirk used to sell me weed. I didn't know much about Metallica as I wasn't into the metal scene. I was doing all this abstract stuff but I knew Kirk's band was doing pretty well. I met Cliff [Burton] right before he passed because he had come to a show that we did with Faith No More. He was buddies with all those guys. He was very pleasant, very complimentary, and very nice. And so when he died, Kirk gave me a shout. 

I showed up with two different color tennis shoes on, a braided mohawk and baggy skater pants. I just did not fit. I didn't fit and I'm there playing a bass that looked like a hunk of driftwood. I was sort of like an alien. But they have literally one of the best bassists there is right now, and one of the nicest people I've ever met in the music industry and that's [Robert] Trujillo. He's a great guy and a great player. He and I did a little thing recently for this short film my son made and it was very cool.

What's the short called? Is that something that fans can see?

It's called Precious Metals. It's a little thing we did for EMG Pickups.

I'll check it out. Robert's own son has taken his place on bass in Suicidal Tendencies and they just played at the Punk Rock Bowling Festival. It's nice to see musical legends like you two passing the torch!

If someone's kid was starting to get into music and their parents were telling them about you and your sound — other than Primus, what should they start with? What really reflects you best as an artist overall? 

I mean, they all show different sides of me. A lot of people like the Delirium thing, because it's more psychedelic, and it's more, for lack of a better term, it's a little more palatable than other stuff. It's a little less left field. But, I mean, Tom Waits picked Purple Onion as one of his top 20 records ever. So I'm very proud of that.

Tom Waits declaring that for his Top 20 is obviously a huge endorsement.

That's a good feather in my cap. And he's an old friend.

So you can't pick one? You love them all?

Well, I think for my fans, and even for me as a fan, music is the soundtrack for your life and whatever you're going through in that period of time of your life, hopefully it's a wonderful thing. Music, like a smell, brings you back to that time in your life. So when I hear something off of Remain in Light by the Talking Heads, it takes me back to driving around in my friend's Pinto listening to that record back in the day.

Speaking of which, Jerry Harrison and Adrian Belew are opening up for you on some dates. How did that come about?

Yes. They have a band and they do various tunes of theirs and the Talking Heads.  I just saw it for the first time last night, but it's very cool. Adrian is literally one of my favorite guitarists in the history of the instrument. So it's always amazing to see him play. We're playing together due to a little cross-pollination between our management and their management. It just seemed like a cool idea, so it's happening.

Back to your output, what should fans listen to right now that best reps your current vibe?

These records as we're making them, represent a slice of our life. And we're reflecting that in the lyrical content and whatnot. So it's hard to pick just because you're picking different portions of your existence. And there's stuff that represents a not-necessarily pleasant time in your life that might be easier to avoid. 

But there are different things about different projects that stand out and shine for me. Purple Onion — I'm very proud of that one. That's a great record.

So right now you're focused on the Frog Brigade. But is it possible you'll revisit your other projects again? Do you just kind of go with whatever you're feeling at the time and never say never?

I always use the stove metaphor. I have all these pots on the stove and every now and again, I pull a certain pot to the front burner. Right now Frog Brigade is on the front burner. But I'm also in the middle of two records.  Shawn and I are, I guess, two-thirds of the way done with our next Delirium record. And I'm working on some stuff with [Bluegrass artist] Billy Strings. So there's a lot going on. 

Primus just released an EP not too long ago — the first new release in five years — called Conspiranoid. The title seems pretty timely with the state of the world, and contrasting views on everything. Can you tell us more about that?

I mean, it's pretty easy to interpret. I'm pretty much reflecting on what I'm seeing around me in conversations with people that I always thought were rational, who have suddenly turned terribly irrational. Primus did the tribute to Rush's A Farewell to Kings record in its entirety and the second time around playing it, I thought, we need some new Primus stuff. 

But I think we're at the stage in our careers where people don't necessarily want a full-blown record. They don't want to come to a show and hear you pound a bunch of new songs at them. They want to see you do the old songs, but they might want to hear one or two new songs. So I said, "Well, let's do one new song —  one long-ass song."

We wanted to do a 20-minute one but we ended up doing I think it's 11 or 12 minutes. So we had a single and I was like, "we're going to need another 12-minute song for the B side or two songs." So we did two songs. So it's really a single with three songs. Does that make sense? At the shows, you only have to hear a couple new songs, not five that make you go, ok now's the time to go out and buy a t-shirt or have a cigarette.

 How do make new material more digestible for live crowds? Or do you even think about that?

I just think that depends on the stage of your career.  Like with Delirium, right now we have two albums. We're working on a third album and we need more material to mix into through the night. People want to hear more material. But when you've been around for 30 years and you have 10 or 12 records or whatever, it's different. With Primus, we have a lot of material that gets neglected, stuff that people would like to hear and they don't necessarily want to hear six new songs in a set. Maybe two or three is acceptable. So my thought with our latest was let's just release a single, but then it became a triple because of the length. 

Plus, nowadays, the way we all receive music is so different. My kids listen to Spotify and they're listening to songs. They're not even necessarily listening to full-length albums. Back in the80s and '90s with the CDs, they were making these 20+ song releases. In the '70s, when I was listening to my favorite bands, they were putting out albums that had maybe six songs. Like the Animals record we're doing; it's only six songs. So I think it got a little carried away with the long-ass CDs. 

Right. There were double albums of course, but in general, it's a marked difference. And none of it really matters nowadays with digital music and TikTok and the like. But, do you think that you will ultimately release another Primus full-length album again?

I would imagine at some point in time, but what is a full-length album anymore? Yeah, six songs or 26 songs? Right now we are working on getting a bunch of old Primus live recordings out, and there's a Primus documentary being made right now. 

Your fans will love to hear that. I'm sure your work with Comedy Central and "South Park" will get some screen time. Looking back 25 years later did you have any idea your theme song would become so iconic?

No. We didn't even think it was gonna get on television, let alone become a worldwide phenomenon. They've opened a lot of doors for creativity, Matt and Trey, and they still push the parameters and go way beyond what most people get away with. When we first got the offer to do it they were a couple of guys just out of college who made this little cartoon about the spirit of Christmas. We thought, We'll do that because it's cool. There was no real money involved. 

So yes, it's a wonderful thing because both those guys are great guys and they're insanely talented. I love people that push the parameters as they do. I love looking at things where I go, 'How the hell did they think of that?'

Well, the same could be said for you.

[Laughs humbly]

Beyond the concert you played at Red Rocks with them, do you still work with them at all?

We pretty much just did the theme song. We've done a couple of versions of it, but that's it. I mean both of those guys are great musicians. Trey's this amazing pianist. So they don't need any help from us.

Before we go, can you tell us a bit more about the Primus documentary?

My son's directing it with our friend Jimmy Hayward. [Primus just played a benefit concert for Hayward, a renowned director, screenwriter and animator who is fighting cancer, with Tool at L.A.'s Belasco Theater in May]. He's had to digitize over 900 hours of footage because we've had guys following us around with cameras for many years. There's a lot of footage he's going through and he's been interviewing all kinds of people. I was hoping it would have been out this summer, but now it looks like next summer, hopefully.

Living Legends: Def Leppard's Phil Collen Was The Product Of A Massive Transition For Music — And He Wouldn't Change A Thing

As one of the world’s most beloved vocalists, the Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli has built a legendary career over 15 solo albums, a regular schedule of blockbuster tours and five GRAMMY nominations, most recently for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for Si in 2020.

Originally setting his dreams onto a career as a soccer player, life set Bocelli on a new path after a mishap playing the sport resulted in the loss of his vision. Worldwide stardom came after his musical success in his native Italy, and since the release of his debut album in 1994, he’s staked a claim as one of the best-selling artists of all time. 

It’s a legacy that continues with the recent release of the deluxe edition of his album A Family Christmas. Originally released to acclaim last year, it features his children Virginia and Matteo; the updated version is composed of 10 new tracks, including the single “Let It Snow.”

Bocelli spoke to GRAMMY.com about the new album, his current nationwide tour and the album that first turned him into a global sensation: “The result went beyond my wildest dreams.” 

A Family Christmas features your kids Virginia and Matteo. Over the years, you also recorded blockbuster duets with everyone from Tony Bennett and Beyonce, Ed Sheeran and Celine Dion, among many others. Can you point out the most memorable duet of your career?

I wouldn’t mention one in particular, to not offend the others. As you know, I love duets; mixing voices is a challenge, a wager, a meeting of souls. Singing together, either opera or pop music, is always a gratifying experience. In my thirty-year career, I have had the honor to sing with extraordinary artists, from the already mentioned Celine Dion to Barbra Streisand, from Stevie Wonder to the unforgettable Tony Bennett. In the lyrical world, I hold close to my heart the memory and privilege of making music with Placido Domingo, Jose Carreras, and Luciano Pavarotti.

You were nominated for the Best New Artist GRAMMY in 1999. What do you remember about that show, and your introduction to America in general?

I remember, with great emotion, the duet that my dearest friend, Celine Dion, and I sang together, interpreting that little masterpiece that was “The Prayer”, written by another great friend of mine, David Foster. A very intense relationship with the United States was taking shape at the time, and then followed a continuous upward curve, to the extent that today I consider it my second home. This extraordinary country immediately showed me love!

You're currently on tour, and are known for your epic performances and specials, whether performing in Milan's Duomo or riding horseback across the country. How do you come up with these ideas? Is the idea to go bigger and bigger, or did these just happen organically? 

The source of my inspiration is always the same, and I can summarize it in one word: love. Love across the board: sensual love, love for life, for beauty, for the brotherhood that unites us, and for He who created us.

I believe that there is a purpose conceived for each one of us. Every life is a story that reflects a specific plan. Every woman, every man is born with a talent that is a gift by heavenly design. It is up to our conscience, to our free will to cultivate and honor it or vice versa squander it.

I personally tried to honor mine, making my voice available to share values, such as love, optimism and brotherhood. After that, everything is in the hands of our good Lord, so what I do is look up to the heavens every day and give thanks, ask for help, pray and whisper, “Your will be done.”

Romanza is one of the best selling albums of all time. When you were recording it, did you feel it was going to be something special — or did its success take you by surprise?

I experienced alternating feelings of hope and disappointment. People appreciated my singing and proved it to me consistently. It was show business itself that didn’t consider me a marketable “product.” I was often told, “you better find a new job.” There were so many potential opportunities lost by a breath, and considering the fact that I was no longer a young artist, at times my expectations of transforming this passion of mine into a profession were truly dim.

How did that change?

When Romanza was released, I, of course, aspired to find my own audience, be it in pop or opera. The result went beyond my wildest dreams, beyond my rosiest and most passionate expectations. This recording project holds within it a very important part of my own personal and professional story. To date, I find it hard to understand the reasons for such an overwhelming success, despite realizing that its songs still today, after so many years, are capable of communicating intense, uplifting emotions.

Do you know right away how to musically interpret a song, or is there a process?

There is always a long, complex and challenging process of reflection and elaboration. There is a first phase of listening to the entire interpreted narrative of the song. Then comes the creative phase, alternating with an analytical phase for the end result, with a constant fine-tuning of the vocal and instrumental solutions.

I must say that I consider this deluxe version of the Christmas album, with extra songs, special for personal reasons. Mainly because I was able to work with my children. But also for its innovative recording, orchestral arrangements and the creative process. For each song, we started off with the piano using a felt to dampen the sound. Then it was overwritten by classical and pop instrumentation, always looking to create sculpted sounds for each individual piece. Everything was first sampled, then recorded with a full orchestra.

When it comes to putting the Christmas album specifically, how do you find fresh songs to cover and interpret?  The classics have been covered countless times.

After evaluating hundreds of songs, we chose [together with our record label team] the most intense; the ones capable of evoking the Christmas spirit we were looking for. It is, in some ways, an unusual selection, inspired by the sentiment of universal solidarity. It is a phonic kaleidoscope of international songs, alternating celebratory and festive tones with more intimate and reflective ones.

The album is the genuine musical product of a family dedicated to all families. In it are three voices, three stages of life, three inevitably different sensitivities (despite our strong emotional ties) competing in a mix of genres, but at the same time, looking to recreate that magical state of mind that Holy Christmas can give us. This is what A Family Christmas is about: an album that is markedly different from the one I released in 2009, because it has a more modern and diversified track, with original and bespoke arrangements, fully adapted to our different voices.

Speaking of covers, your version of "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" is very unique. Can you tell me the story behind choosing that, and the arrangement?

The atmosphere created with this arrangement, and through the timbre and expressiveness of Matteo's voice offer a truly different, and I hope, interesting rendering. A decisive contribution to creating this and other songs comes from two extraordinary professionals, Ross Cullum and Stephan Moccio. Both worked in all of the vocal recording sessions, with meticulous and very refined precision on the choice of tonality, rhythm, dynamics, the vocal range of the scores, and orchestral colors.

What songs get the biggest reaction on your current tour?

It's actually hard to give a ranking of my most liked songs. Of course, songs tied to the imminent Christmas festivities warm the heart and are received with joy. But warm reactions are also generated by my operatic repertory with its most famous and beloved arias, as do also my pop classics.

The U.S. public, that I have the honor to have frequented for a quarter of a century, is, to my mind, the ideal audience. It's upbeat, generous, ready to get involved. It's an audience that can still get emotional, can participate and be responsive to what is happening on stage. It can experience with healthy simplicity and enthusiasm the emotions generated by listening. 

You uniquely weave your charitable foundation in with your shows. What's it like trying to think of fresh ideas for your foundation? Do you have fun with it?

The Andrea Bocelli Foundation was established in 2011. With the mission to empower people and communities, we chose education as a true key to offer people and communities the opportunity to live to their full potential. We do so by trying to be innovative in approach and planning our work with a multi-disciplinary team of professionals and consultants coming from different backgrounds and aligned with global objectives, such as the UN 2030 Agenda. We use tools and informal disciplines like art or digital music and promote the development of cross-cutting skills. For this reason, the Permanent Mission of Italy to the United Nations invited us to bring our expertise and best practices to the UN this December in recognition of our work as meaningful and innovative.

Justice For "The Chipmunk Song": 10 Reasons It Will Always Be A Christmas Classic

With one of the most recognizable voices in music, a generation-spanning array of hit songs and a life story that has become stuff of legend, Frankie Valli has staked a claim as one of the music industry's most indelible artists. One of the few acts that steadily navigated from the doo-wop age through the disco era, Valli's improbable trajectory with his group, the Four Seasons, was propeled by a golden ear for hits, aided by the songwriter/producer power duo Bob Gaudio and Bob Crewe.

That's not to say the 89-year-old is resting on his laurels. His astounding career is on full, vibrant display in the immense new box set aptly dubbed Working Our Way Back to You — The Ultimate Collection. Consisting of 45 discs of every song Valli and the Four Seasons ever recorded — from beloved hits to deep-cuts, demos and other rarities — the set also includes a biographical book filled to the brim with rare images that track their rise from a fledgling New Jersey singing group to Broadway sensations in the form of Jersey Boys.

In addition, later this month Vailli is heading to Las Vegas for a residency at Westgate Resort and Casino where he and the Four Seasons will be appearing until well into 2024.

Valli spoke to GRAMMY.com about his astounding run of hits, the artists he's influenced, the modern covers of his tracks and how his big year started off with a bang during GRAMMY weekend.

You were a surprise performer at the Clive Davis GRAMMY Gala earlier this year and, in a very special moment, everyone in the audience, from Cardi B to Joni Mitchell, jumped up and sang along with you to "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You." What was that moment like for you?

Oh, it was incredible. I never expected it. When Clive first invited me, he said "I want to invite you to my GRAMMY party, but I want you to do a song." I said, "With the generation gap, should I really do a song?" But I was in shock when everybody stood up to sing along. 

It was a really a moment I'll never forget. It's a good thing we have people like Clive who really has an insight on what's happening and where it's going. 

That night, the Italian rock band Måneksin covered your song "Beggin'" which was their breakout hit. The band was just the latest in a long line of artists who have covered Four Seasons music, with "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" done by everyone from Lauryn Hill to Shawn Mendes, to name just two examples. What do you think of all of these artists wanting to cover your work?

It's quite complimentary. When you've been around a long time and people find value in what you've done, it just makes you feel good about what you've done.

In your career, you've also covered so many songs from Cole Porter's "I've Got You Under My Skin" to Bob Dylan's "Don't Think Twice (It's Alright)." How did you go about choosing which songs to cover, and how would you put your own spin on these classics to make them your own?

It was really more or less music that we listened to and we loved. We tried to pick songs that were very meaningful for us, but the trick was to be able to do them a little differently than they had been done. 

We were quite successful with it, we did it with songs like "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?" We did a version of "Book of Love" and so many others.

Your version of "Don't Think Twice (It's Alright)" is probably one of the most unusual songs in your vast discography considering its subject matter, your exaggerated falsetto, and those background harmonies. How did that come about? I also understand you heard from Bob Dylan himself about it.

We did it in a very campy way, and it really was quite by accident. I was in a studio, and the guy at the soundboard asked me to sing a little bit to get a level on me. So I was clowning around singing in a falsetto like that.

The next thing I know, the button clicks and I hear [Crewe and Gaudio's] voices saying, "Do it like that." I said, "Do what like what?" They said, "Sing it just the way you're singing it." I said, "Come on, you're kidding!" 

We did it and that version of it was a take-off on a singer named Rose Murphy, who had several hits. Many years later, I was shopping at Fred Segal in LA and Bob Dylan came up behind me and tapped me on the shoulder. We shook hands and he said, "I love the version of 'Don't Think Twice' that you guys did."

Speaking of your singular vocal stylings, I'm wondering how you and the group went about plotting how you'd all harmonize. For example, in a song like "Candy Girl," there's your iconic falsetto, and then suddenly we hear in a very low baritone voice the line "Our love is real!" Is something like that written out? How does it come together in the studio?

It just comes naturally. A lot of credit goes to the fact that we were never chased away from a song because we didn't know what to do with it. We toyed with it until we found what we thought was right for it. There were no direct plans; everything was done from within the group. 

Nick Massi had his job doing a lot of the vocal arrangements, and Gaudio did most of them after Nick had left. We worked together until everybody was satisfied with it. Does it fit? Does it work? It's like a puzzle. You don't want to overdo anything, and you don't want to under-do.

So then let's say in a song like "Walk Like A Man" when the harmonies sing that iconic "Oo-Oooo-Oo-Oo-Oo-Oo-Oo-Ooooo." Where does that come from?

It comes from Bob Gaudio, who wrote the song to sound like that. The first three songs we did were more like a chant, and that's what we created to make what everybody knows as our sound. 

We wanted to be very easily identifiable. If you heard something by us on the radio, you knew that it was us. We were constantly looking for new ways and new things while having fun doing it. We weren't following or listening to anybody else on the radio; we weren't a copycat group. 

Billy Joel has gone on to say that a lot of the inspiration he got came from us. "I love you just the way you are" is the last line in "Rag Doll."

He also said that "Uptown Girl" was an homage to you. Musically it sounds like "Big Girls Don't Cry" but lyrically it's the opposite of "Rag Doll." What do you think when you hear a song like that?

First of all, I'm a big Billy Joel fan. There isn't anything he's ever done that I haven't liked. My favorite of everything is "Just The Way You Are." It sounds so honest and lyrically it's so right, it had to be a hit.

What about a song like "Bennie and the Jets"? It's been said that Elton John was directly inspired by you.

I loved it. He's another guy who has done very little wrong musically. He's an amazing writer and performer. 

You and the group have a lot of name songs: "Sherry," "Marlena," "Dawn." Was that conscious effort, or was it just natural?

It was natural. Bob wrote the songs… He and I have been partners now for over 50 years and he never ceases to amaze me. He's so tuned into everything that's going on, it's really amazing.

Is it true that "Sherry" was originally called "Jackie" in honor of Jackie Kennedy?

No, it was originally called "Perry." Before "Sherry," we weren't signed to a label, so this small independent company owned by a millionaire had a daughter named Perry. And that's what he wanted us to call it, but it was written to be "Sherry" and we just felt very strongly about that and kept it.

What did the owner think of that?

We ended up going with a different company. So we never heard much after that.

One of your biggest hits was "December 1963 (Oh What A Night!)." I always wondered if that was a random date, or if you chose it because that period was a unique moment in history: a month after the Kennedy assassination, but two months before the Beatles were on Ed Sullivan. 

It was originally a song with lyrics about the '20s, '30s and '40s. The lyrics were "Flippers flopping on the floor." It was a totally different song. When Bob brought it into the studio, he was disappointed we weren't crazy about it and he wanted to junk the song. We said, "No, you can come up with something better than this," and he rewrote it to fit the time. 

Is there one song that you thought should have been bigger than it was?

The funny thing about records during the days when we recorded, and the record business was as big as it was, to become a hit it was important that the record company do the legwork and get radio stations to play it, or try it for two weeks. I thought there was a lot of what we did that was overlooked because the record company wasn't that crazy about it. 

For example, I put the single "We're All Alone" out, and the record company didn't want to work it. I did mine with the London Symphony Orchestra. Later, Rita Coolidge came out with the same song and it went to No. 1. Sometimes things like that happen.

A song like "Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" was in the can for two or three years. We had to force the record company to release it and hire independent promotion people to work the record and get it on the radio. 

"My Eyes Adored You" was recorded for Motown Records and that one was in the can for three years because they weren't too sure about it. Finally, when we left Motown, we asked if we can buy back the track, and they agreed for us to purchase it. We did and we brought it to every record company in the business and they all said no. 

Eventually, we found Larry Uttal with a brand new record company, Private Stock Records, and he said, "That'll be my first No. 1 record for my new company." And it was!  

From when you first started recording in the early '50s to when "Sherry" hit No. 1 was a period of nine years. That's a long time. Why did you stick with it? 

It was always music first. If I had no success at all, I'd probably still be doing music somewhere in New Jersey or New York. I knew exactly what I wanted to do and wanted to be. 

At first, I rejected the fact that I might have to do pop music, but as I started to do it and it became successful, I realized it was a music that people could understand. And what are you doing music for? You're doing it for people. Without an audience you wouldn't have anything. 

My love of music started out for the very first time with me seeing Frank Sinatra as a boy when my mom took me to the Paramount Theater in New York City. I couldn't believe what I was seeing and I was so inspired; I made up my mind that that's what I wanted to do. 

Living Legends: Nancy Sinatra Reflects On Creating "Power And Magic" In Studio, Developing A Legacy Beyond "Boots" & The Pop Stars She Wants To Work With

Living Legends is a series that spotlights icons in music who are still going strong today. This week, GRAMMY.com spoke with reggae icon Burning Spear. His latest album, No Destroyer, is his first release in 15 years. 

Fifty years ago, venerable Jamaican artist Burning Spear released his debut album, Studio One Presents Burning Spear. While not as well-known as the Wailers’ Catch A Fire and Burnin’ (both of which were also released in 1973), Burning Spear is nonetheless a pillar in the construction of roots reggae’s foundation. 

Produced by Clement "Sir Coxsone" Dodd and released on Dodd’s legendary Studio One label, the album’s solid rhythms are anchored in thunderous basslines (played by the Heptones’ Leroy Sibbles) and embellished with cascading horns that majestically frame Spear’s mesmerizingly intoned vocals.

Rife with mystical lyrics steeped in his Rastafarian way of life, uncompromising words of resistance, and supported by impeccably crafted bass-heavy reggae beats with flourishes of jazz and highlife accented horns, Burning Spear’s debut album ­­established him as one of reggae’s most distinctive and esteemed voices. Fifty years on, those characteristics resonate just as strongly on Spear’s latest release No Destroyer.

Recorded in 2011 at the Magic Shop in New York City, Spear decided to release No Destroyer — his first album since 2009’s GRAMMY-winning Jah Is Real — in August because "the time was right." 

"I think people will enjoy this album, I am saying things I never say before," Burning Spear told GRAMMY.com in a recent Zoom. "The people, the fans, will find something to hold on to, to take them places or to certain situations. The album shows you where you are coming from, your tribulations, the distance you are traveling. When I listen back to it, I didn’t quite know I was putting out all that energy, sending out lyrics not only connecting musically but connecting to all the people." 

Burning Spear announced his retirement in 2016, though his time away was brief. He returned in 2021 with a new single "Mommy," which honors women who hold their families together, especially in challenging times; "Mommy" was No Destroyer’s first single. In 2022 Spear returned to the concert stage and has since performed at festivals across the globe and onboard Damian Marley’s Welcome to Jamrock reggae cruise. 

"I wasn’t thinking about coming back but my wife, Sonia Rodney, thought I should do a few shows here and there, for the fans who have supported I man for so many years,"  Spear acknowledges."So I did some shows for the people who really wanted to see me again and it was great." Spear, however, has not performed in his native Jamaica in nearly 20 years. "I do go back to Jamaica to spend time and have a little fun but that is about it," he says. 

Born Winston Rodney in Jamaica’s rural St. Ann’s Bay, Winston took his moniker from African freedom fighter Jomo Kenyatta, who was previously known as the Burning Spear and later became the president of Kenya. Kenyatta and Spear were deeply influenced by the teachings of Marcus Garvey, the St. Ann Jamaica born pan-Africanist and fiery orator who preached self-reliance and political unification for all African descendants. Garvey’s teachings have exerted a tremendous influence on the Rastafari way of life and the United States’ civil rights movement.  

More so than any Rastafarian reggae artist, Spear has used his music to create an ongoing awareness of Garvey’s philosophies. Spear’s international breakthrough arrived with the release of his Marcus Garvey album in 1975; Spear has continued to invoke Garvey’s name on all of his subsequent albums. Prior to reggae becoming the island’s most recognized global export, Marcus Garvey "opened the door of Jamaica and spread Jamaica all over," sings Spear on the No Destroyer track "Jamaica."

"Marcus Garvey is our hero, he stood firm, he opened the gate for Jamaica, Rastafari spread the roots and the culture," offers Spear. "I would especially like Jamaican people to listen to the track 'Jamaica' and as Jamaicans of African descendents, question themselves. Of course, the whole world needs to listen to the album, too."

Burning Spear was referred to Studio One — largely considered Jamaica’s Motown due to the label’s consistent output of hit records and the many reggae luminaries who launched their careers there — by another St. Ann native: Bob Marley. Spear’s first single for Studio One, 1969’s "Door Peep Shall Not Enter," sounded unlike anything released by Dodd. Along with vocal trio the Abyssinians’ "Satta Massagana" issued the same year, Spear’s song was critical in shaping the Rastafarian roots reggae movement that came to prominence in the next decade. 

Spear’s spoken intro on "Door Peep" — "I and I, son of the Most-High, Jah Rastafari"— resounds like a direct announcement from the Messiah. The song’s biblically laced lyrics caution informers who attempt to interfere with Rastafarians, considered societal outcasts at the time in Jamaica; Spear’s repeated call to "Chant down Babylon," supported by Rupert Willington’s evocative, deep vocal tone, creates a spellbinding effect.

"When Mr. Dodd first heard 'Door Peep' he was astonished; for a man who’d been in the music business for so long, he never heard anything like that," Spear. recalls. "I went there on a Sunday and the next day I recorded it, my first song, my first time recording. Mr. Dodd made a lot of income off of that song. A lot."

Spear released another solid roots reggae set with Dodd, the soulful Rocking Time, in 1974. His next album, 1975’s Marcus Garvey is considered a benchmark of Jamaica’s 1970s roots reggae golden era. Marcus Garvey features Willington and Delroy Hinds’ sublime supporting vocals and the extraordinary musical accompaniment of the Black Disciples band. 

The magnificent title track was originally intended for exclusive play on producer Lawrence "Jack Ruby" Lindo’s Hi Power sound system. However, the song was so popular at Ruby’s dances, he released it as a single and it became an immediate hit. Spear followed that with another stirring reggae anthem, the haunting lament, "Slavery Days"; the Marcus Garvey album soared to the top of the Jamaican charts, which led to a deal for its wider release via Island Records.

Burning Spear would go on to release Man in the Hills, again featuring Willington and Hinds, for Island. Yet his subsequent albums on the label throughout the 1970s were released as a solo artist. Spear released albums for a variety of labels throughout the 1980s before signing to Island again, issuing just two albums with them in the early 1990s.

Spear contends he didn’t make money from any of these recordings, and only started to see returns when he and his wife took control of his catalog circa 2002 and began releasing Spear’s music through their Burning Music Productions.

 "When I started out, a lot of us was getting nothing from what we been doing musically," Spear explained. "People listening to all those beautiful songs thinking that we, the artists and musicians, were well taken care of but we were not."

Spear rails against the shady deals and corruption within the music industry on several of No Destroyer’s tracks. "Independent" is Spear’s story of persevering despite experiencing many unethical business transactions; "No Fool" lashes out at record companies "committing fraud and they think they are so smart." "They Think" calls out individuals who doubted that Spear could succeed as an independent artist. "Talk" takes aim at the "musical sharks" who "eat up the small fish," whom he dismisses with the unyielding refrain: "No more slave trade, no more surrender."  

"Sometimes we as artists can’t explain ourselves just by talking. Through the music we explain how much we hurt, the things that hurt us, what’s been done to us," Spear says. "As artists and players of instruments, we have to talk of these things, so the world will hear fully what we’ve been through in the music industry, things I have gone up against, things that shouldn’t have taken place, but they happened."

Like so many young Jamaican artists in the 1970s and 1980s, Spear perhaps did not have a full understanding of the international record deals he was signing. More than likely, it was never explained that the advances artists receive are intended to cover the cost of recording their albums and that money must be recouped by the label from album sales before an artist will receive any revenue. During that era, recording companies owned the master recordings and required artists to give them their publishing rights, too.

After decades of receiving little financial returns for his albums, Spear and Sonia sought to identify the specific barriers that prevented the money from coming in. Sonia taught herself the nuances of the music business by reading books, attending seminars and talking to seasoned professionals. One of the first things she did was launch a Burning Spear merchandise line, which immediately generated revenue. They also learned how to manufacture their own albums/CDs, and handled their own distribution. 

"We started making connections with other people, give them our works on consignment and right away we see that independence is not so easy. There are a lot of sharks, unreasonable people with dirty business practices who come at you because you are independent, saying, ‘how dare you be independent,’" Spear says.

Spear now owns the copyrights to most of his songs. After some research and a subsequent lawsuit, he bought back some of the copyrights to his earlier music from the estate of a deceased former manager who had never purchased those rights. Spear is especially proud of his 2009 Best Reggae Album GRAMMY Award for Jah Is Real, a significant accomplishment for Burning Music Productions.

No Destroyer also addresses the struggles endured by musicians that came up with Spear, while recognizing their efforts in establishing reggae as a globally embraced music. "Robert Nesta Marley built his foundation the hard way," sings Spear on "Open The Gate." The song also honors Culture, Alton Ellis, Gregory Isaacs, Sugar Minott, ska pioneers the Skatalites, Peter Tosh

and Delroy Wilson, among the many Jamaican music legends who "opened the gate for reggae music."

"The artists and musicians who were there before us and those who were there before them, opened the gate and the gate is still open, or else you wouldn’t have a new generation of reggae music," Spear remarks. "It was just the love of reggae music, coming from mento, ska, rocksteady, (that kept us going). We all went through the same thing before we stood strong and saw that we weren’t being taken care of properly."

Spear’s taking control of his music and becoming an independent artist is a present day fulfillment of the self-reliance Marcus Garvey advocated for over a century ago. In his concluding comments, Spear appealed to the authorities to clear Marcus Garvey’s name of all criminal charges. Garvey had been a target of the J. Edgar Hoover-led FBI for several years and aAs his following increased — on Aug. 1, 1920, an estimated 25,000 delegates gathered at Manhattan’s Madison Square Garden for the first international convention of Garvey’s Negro Universal Improvement Association — the FBI intensified their efforts to subdue him. 

In 1923, Garvey was convicted of mail fraud in the United States after his Black Star Line shipping company — founded with the aim of providing passage for Africans in the diaspora who wanted to return to the continent — sent out advertisements showing a steamship that the company was in the process of purchasing (but didn’t yet own.) Garvey was fined $1,000 and received a five-year prison sentence that was later commuted; he was then deported to Jamaica. Garvey’s descendants, political leaders and others have petitioned President Biden for a posthumous presidential pardon, following an unsuccessful petitioning of President Obama.

"Marcus Garvey’s record should be set free," declares Spear. He also implored Jamaica’s government to institute a public holiday honoring Garvey and include him in the curriculum for all Jamaican students.

"I am a musician; I don’t want to sound like a politician, but the time is right for a Garvey subject in school. We want the upcoming generation to have a full understanding of who Marcus Garvey was and what he stood up for," he says. "Jamaica must come together and make sure that it is done. The time is right to let the people’s voices be heard."

So, too, the time is right for Burning Spear’s voice to be heard, again.

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Presented by GRAMMY.com, Living Legends is an editorial series that honors icons in music and celebrates their inimitable legacies and ongoing impact on culture. Ahead of his Sept. 3 show at the iconic Hollywood Bowl, Michael Bolton looks back on the trying times of his early career and how it led to blending his love of music and comedy.

Nearly 50 years into his career, Michael Bolton isn't worried about staying relevant — he's simply trying to have fun. 

This year alone has seen Bolton perform incognito on "The Masked Singer," co-star alongside Awkwafina in "Nora From Queens," and cameo on the HBO Max sitcom "Clone High." And amid all of his screen time, Bolton reignited his love of songwriting with Spark of Light, his first album of original music in 14 years. 

Whatever he's doing, Bolton's goal remains the same: never take a moment for granted. Perhaps that's because his legacy took 18 years to begin, or due to his humble Connecticut roots.

Despite being a two-time GRAMMY winner with more than 75 million albums sold worldwide, Bolton has never thought of  himself as one of the greats — but he's always been happy to be considered as such. That humility has given him longevity, along with a  comedic sensibility that proves he's never taken himself too seriously. 

Bolton's humorous side was most famously displayed in 2011, when Bolton teamed up with comedy troupe the Lonely Island for "Jack Sparrow," a hilarious short that ironically saw him dress as Gump himself (and, of course, Jack Sparrow). Since then, Bolton's career has opened up to generations who he never imagined would know the likes of "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You" or "When A Man Loves A Woman." 

Combining his loyal longtime fan base with the new, Bolton is still getting to play venues like the famed Hollywood Bowl at age 70 — and, of course, taking in every minute of it.

Just after getting back from a stretch of shows in Asia, Bolton caught up with GRAMMY.com about his resurgence as a comedic actor, his advice for struggling artists, and why he considers himself the industry's Forrest Gump. 

You, sir, have had quite the ongoing impact on culture, I must say.

Are you talking about my long hair or my records? [Laughs.]

Well, both, but also you're still doing all of these different things, between "The Masked Singer" and "The Dating Game" and such. It's really cool to see the ways that you're staying active in today's pop culture, not just leaning on your legacy.

I guess that's what they mean when they say "staying relevant."

Yeah, I suppose. [Laughs.] But it always feels genuine for you. I think there's a difference between trying to stay relevant and doing a genuine thing. 

Creative work is the thing that leads to legacy and allows you to continue momentum moving forward. And it gets you together with really great creative people like the Lonely Island guys. 

I was starting to have a great career of hits, and I realized I love comedy. And I had this opportunity, working with the Lonely Island guys from "Saturday Night Live," that I could have fun, take shots at myself — and others — and keep it musical as well. I think we're over 250 million views on the "Jack Sparrow" video. 

And I agree with you — you can't get there by chipping away and refining and digging into details. You have to do it naturally, because people can feel it when it's contrived. But they also can feel it when it's real.

That's why we're working with a lot of creative people who are making films as well as streaming TV. I've worked with a lot of young songwriters and producers on this newest record, Spark of Light, to get their input and get a fresh take on music today. At the same time, the young writers and producers are looking to me to get a classic take on music. Because they want their music to be part of a catalog that [lives on] 30, 40 years later. People know your music for all different reasons than just putting it on a record and promoting it. 

There is a stage where you're thinking, Is this too much? But I learned that comedy and music create the gift that keeps on giving.

And that's exactly why people love the Lonely Island, right?

Yeah, yeah. And I never planned on that. I was a big fan of theirs, and I was a big fan of "Saturday Night Live," but I never thought I would carve out something like the "Jack Sparrow" video, which opened up a generation, or two generations, behind me who have become fans since then. 

Did you feel like you saw a shift in your audience after that? You said that it opened up your music to new generations, but was that a tangible thing?

Yeah, I witnessed it. I felt it. 

[The night it aired], I found a place to hide in the ["SNL"] building while everyone was watching it, because if they [didn't] like it, I [didn't] really want to go through that. And they loved it. 

John Mayer was there that night — he's a friend of mine from Connecticut. And he said to me, "Tomorrow, you're gonna see something you've never seen before." And I said, "Well, tell me it's gonna be good." And he said, "No, no, they're gonna love this."

The next day, I came downstairs, and my daughter was at the kitchen table, reading the quotes that were coming in from people, their responses to the video. She looked at me and said, "Dad, you're not going to believe what's going on." 

From that time on, younger people in the streets would recognize me — it would be about "Jack Sparrow" and about the comedy, when for many, many years before, it was always about long hair, the hits, my rock days. The people who love this video were eager to hear what I was doing next musically. 

Was comedy something that you were passionate about before then? Or something that you wanted to bring into your career?

I've always loved it from a certain distance, because my primary focus was music since I can remember. I was probably around 11 or 12 years old when I picked up my first guitar. I was listening to a lot of blues, like the Paul Butterfield Blues Band. I fell in love with the blues and started playing electric guitar, and put together a band. I knew what I wanted to do, and it was make music.

But comedy was something I loved. I was constantly in trouble with the principal at my school, because I couldn't take the work seriously. When they found out that I was being signed to Columbia Records, to Epic Records, they stopped putting pressure on me to cut my hair. And the next thing we all knew, I was having a career in the business. But it took me 18 years to have my first hit.

So many people would have given up after waiting that long. What kept you going?

What kept me going was that love for it. I'm grateful that I was surrounded by women most of my younger life. And my mother was so supportive of me pursuing music [growing up], and [now] I have three daughters. 

But if I knew how hard it was going to be, I'm not sure I would've made the trek. Because there was so much time when there were no paychecks coming. And you're in the music business in Connecticut, if it snows, your concert is closed. So the promoters will call and apologize, but when you hang up the phone, you realize you have to figure out how you're going to feed your kids at night. That's the most intense pressure and excruciating experience for the "starving artist" syndrome — the reality that you may not be able to provide for your family. 

We were getting eviction notices and our landlord would beg me to make sure the next check didn't bounce. So I started writing songs for other artists, and I was able to put full focus on my next record, and the one after that, and the one after that in '83. It all came together.

I tell young people that, whenever somebody says, "I've been at this for 10 years already," I say, "It took me 18 for my first hit, so don't give up. But know that it can take that long. And when it does finally happens, it's an even greater success story." 

What do you tell people when they ask you about how to have longevity as an artist, especially since you did have such a long road to success?

My first instinct is compassion for anybody who's been at it this long… Having success once is not enough. I've seen people win GRAMMYs, and the next year, they disappeared from the map. 

It took me longer to appreciate the success that I was having, because there was a part of me that was so protective of my own heart. I didn't want to get too excited. I find that it's not as big of a success as everyone was claiming it was. I didn't know how to celebrate success until I was sure [it was a success]. 

When you finally start to have success, and you've been hungry for so many years, you move into a different gear, to a different mode, wanting to ensure the continuation of success for your catalog. You realize that you can't take anything for granted, so you learn how to promote your records better. You learn how to partner, be a better teammate for the record label. 

If you do your job right in the studio, making your record, it's going to do most of the heavy lifting for you. It's going to create word of mouth, you're gonna have core fans coming out and supporting you. But you can never take it for granted.

You started out as a songwriter and had a lot of success doing that. Is there a song that you gave away that you wish you would have recorded?

I don't think so. I've passed on some songs that were played for me, that were ballads that felt a lot like what I've done in my career already. And it felt like they're not a career changer. I think I could've had fun singing it, but it's not a real test record — like a real, career-establishing record. 

I have the good fortune of the bar being kind of high — like, the vocal performances require the kind of intensity that is not common for a male voice. So my job basically was to hit it out of the park. 

When I was a kid, I grew up [being] into the Yankees. I found out later in my career that [some] power hitters became fans of mine because they related to the intensity, and  the power of [my] music.

I hope Aaron Judge is blasting some Michael Bolton to get inspired in the locker room.

[Laughs.] Everybody could use a lot more Aaron Judge.

When you look back at your catalog, which song — or songs — feel the most like the artist that you set out to be?

Probably a combination of a few. The biggest hit that I've had is "How Am I Supposed To Live Without You?" It went to everyone twice because I released it again. It was [originally] released by Laura Branigan, and it did really well with her. 

About eight, nine years later, I released it myself as an artist compared to just being a songwriter. And something else happened — that version is much bigger than the first time around. 

At the same time, "Said I Loved You, But I Lied" is one of my favorite records that I've ever made.

Why is that?

Mutt Lange was my producer, and he's always done something very different that makes the record itself stand out in the middle of these hit songs — and none of them specifically sound like a Mutt Lange record.

It's pretty amazing, the good fortune of finally doing what I love to do on my own terms. And that's what happens when you have enough success.

What's a standout memory for you from everything that you've done? 

I had a chance to sing with Luciano Pavarotti. And I am a tenor — we don't use the term tenor or baritone or anything like that in pop music. But when a tenor hears another tenor on the radio, you stop what you're doing and you listen to how these high notes get sung and held for a long time. The control and the power that the great tenors had is something that really excited me, and I had the opportunity to work with all three tenors and do something that I had never, ever dreamed.

It took me about two months to learn Italian and to learn opera. I was up until 5, 6 o'clock in the morning, almost every night trying to absorb it all before this performance in Italy in Pavorotti's home city.

I can only imagine trying to actually sing something like that, let alone on stage, with one of the most iconic stars from that country. 

It was very daunting. Exciting, like, otherworldly. But it was very, very daunting.

Pavarotti walked in after we were warming up the orchestra. It was an outside venue, an amphitheater, and Princess Di was in the front row. Bono was on stage during a song or two. 

We began getting ready, and Pavarotti heard me singing with the opera, and he walked over to me. I was nervous. And he said, "I see you have been studying the tenor."

I said, "Actually, I've been studying you. And I don't know what I've been doing with my voice all these years." He smiled ear to ear and said, "You do not sell as many records as you have if you're not doing the right thing. Let's rehearse." 

That was the beginning of our friendship.

How does the career that you've built compare to what you envisioned for yourself when you were first starting out in the business?

Sometimes I feel like I'm the Forrest Gump of the music business. Because each scene, I'm standing next to Stevie Wonder, or Ray Charles, or Pavarotti, or Paul McCartney, or somebody who's a part of my love of music and were a powerful influence on me. I never thought, One day I'd love to meet this person or with this person. It just happened. When it finally started happening, it just became surreal. Dream-like.

What's left on the Michael Bolton bucket bucket list?

I think there's definitely some more recording to do. There is also definitely more streaming television, film, comedy. And maybe it's a musical, maybe it's a film, I'm not sure, but there are a couple of projects looming. 

At the same time, when we got offered to do the Lonely Island "Jack Sparrow" video, it was a surprise. So I'm kind of thinking that what's gonna happen it's gonna reveal itself, and surprise me again. 

Do you think you'd ever do another Lonely Island thing, was that such a moment that you can't really repeat it? 

I would do it in a heartbeat if the script had "funny" written all over it. That's the only sin you can have with comedy, is for it not to be funny. Then you can't get away with anything.

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