Incubus: Make Yourself
Fiona Apple: When the Pawn...
Macy Gray: On How Life Is
Robbie Williams: The Ego Has Landed
On
Robbie Williams: The Ego Has Landed: He ended up
using decent lyrics with the old kind of pop boy band
thing and took it a step further. That's what's cool about
it. It's like a not-so-mature Elvis Costello if you would.
All
time classic albums you like?
Queen: News of the World
AC/DC: Back in Black
Kiss: Alive
Cheap Trick: Dream Police
On
Kiss: Alive: It was the one that really rocked
me the most. Nothing has topped it as far as its heaviness,
but cheekiness as well.
What
are some soundtracks you like?
Grease
On
Grease: That's one of the best soundtracks I've
ever had. There's something really corny about that but
you don't think about that when you're a kid.
A
record store you like?
Tower Records
On
Tower Records: I'm a magazine-aholic and I can
spend a lot of time in the magazine section and be happy,
then go and listen to all the records I don't want to
buy.
What
are some of your biggest musical influences?
Motley Crue
Cheap Trick
Queen
Kiss
On
Kiss: My parents took me to see them when I was
eight years old. I saw all these stoners go nuts when
Ace blew his guitar up. I was like, that's all I need.
I'll do that for the rest of my life. For some reason,
Paul Stanley was able to bridge the gap and make it cool
to play in front of testosterone-filled, knuckle-dragging
mulletheads, and be up there prancing around with makeup,
lipstick and heels. It was always interesting to me how
guys like that could like a guy like that.
What
was the best concert you ever saw?
Prince at the Fox Theater in Atlanta
in the early '90s
What was the first concert you ever
saw?
Kiss in Atlanta at the Omni when
I was 8 years old
A performance that stands out for
you?
It was Rockfest 1999 in our hometown,
Atlanta. We played in front of 150,000 people. Hearing
everyone sing the words to our songs was kind of weird.
Then the next night we played a small town in South
Carolina to about 200 people, just to keep it in perspective.
A moment in the studio that stands
out for you?
Probably one of the coolest things was
when I was younger and recorded a guitar solo on a Desmond
Child solo album that tanked pretty hard. I lived in
Los Angeles and I was a little hot studio guitar player.
I got to play along side Richie Sambora. He was actually
one of the coolest guys I ever met.
Books
What are some books you like?
Deepak Chopra: The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success
On
Deepak Chopra: The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success:
It puts into perspective that giving is more important
than taking. It makes me wonder why I was given the gift
to half-way sing and play the guitar; maybe that was to
entertain people and give them something instead of always
giving me something.
A bookstore you like?
Barnes & Noble
On
Barnes & Noble: I'm a Barnes & Noble freak.
What are some magazines you like?
Maxim
A comic book you like?
Kiss comics
Mad Magazine
On
Kiss comics: They were done in their own blood
for the red ink.
Film
What are some movies you really like?
Being John Malkovich
Cecil B. DeMented
But I'm a Cheerleader
On
But I'm a Cheerleader: It's funny as shit. RuPaul
is in it playing a man.
What was the last movie you rented?
The Matrix
A movie director you like?
Paul Thomas Anderson
On
Paul Thomas Anderson: The way he just shoots his
movies are amazing. And he was 26 at the time he did "Boogie
Nights."
An actor you like?
Mike Myers
Kevin Spacey
TV/Radio
A current television show you like?
Family Guy
A classic television show you like?
The Monkees
A talk show or host you like?
Late Night with Conan O'Brien
A radio station that you like?
99X in Atlanta
On
99X in Atlanta: I'm grateful to them. If it wasn't
for them I wouldn't be doing this interview now.
A super-hero you like?
Spider-Man
Sports
A sport you like to watch?
Pool
On
Pool: I miss the days of Minnesota Fats.
A sport you like to play?
Racquetball
What's your favorite sport's team?
Atlanta Flames
On
Atlanta Flames: The team they had in the '70s.
Who is your all time favorite athlete?
John McEnroe
On
John McEnroe: Because he was left-handed like me.
People used to say I reminded them of him when I played
tennis.
Food
What is a restaurant that you really
like?
Nobu Japanese restaurant in New York
Toulouse in Atlanta
Which fast food restaurant do you
like?
Wendy's
Lifestyle
What is the best advice your parents
gave you, even if you didn't take it?
Do what makes you happy.
What would your ultimate car or truck
be?
Buick Grand Sport
On
Buick Grand Sport: 1972, convertible.
An artist that you like?
Henri Matisse
A museum that you like?
High Museum of Art in Atlanta
One of your favorite cities?
New York
Atlanta
What is your favorite thing to do
when you're home?
Work in my studio; hangout at the house, watching satellite
TV and seeing my dog.
What regular job did you have before
you became a full time musician?
