“Where the f**k are you? Get your ass here” longtime Rolling Stones backup singer describes what it’s like to work with Keith Richards
Thirty four years ago, Bernard Fowler received a first class ticket to London from Herbie Handcock producer Bill Laswell that would change his life forever.
It was there that he landed the ultimate vocalist gig as the Rolling Stones’ backing singer — a role he has faithfully held for over three decades.
In a new interview with Los Angeles magazine, Fowler, who’s currently on the road with the Stones on their Hackney Diamonds Tour, looks back on his time with one of the world’s biggest rock bands.
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“I’m amazed that I’ve been around that long because you know that just doesn’t happen,” Fowler says. “And I knew some of the history of the Rolling Stones, you know, people would come and people would go, so I never expected to be around as long as I have. I am grateful.”
He adds that his favourite thing about performing with the Stones is “sharing a stage with every musician who loves the music as I do and performs to the level the legacy deserves.”
“I get to sing with Mick Jagger. You know, there are great, great singers out there. There are so many I’ve been so blessed to sing with, but none like him. I’m not there for Mick. I’m not there for Keith. I’m there for them and for the Rolling Stones.”
As Fowler explains, his bond with the members goes beyond just their work in the band — the singer has featured on the solo releases of both Mick Jagger and Keith Richards over the years.
Speaking about their creative relationship, Fowler says: “Well I’ve always done my own thing, even early on when I performed with the Stones. It just seemed like every time I was having a break from those projects, the phone would ring and Keith would be on the other end of the phone saying, ‘Where the fuck are you? Get your ass here.’”
And to those calling for the Stones to hang up their microphones, here’s what the band’s longest-running backing singer has to say: “Why should they stop? What are they gonna do if they stop? This is their life and Mick is still the hardest working man in show business. He’s outperforming people a third of his age. They’re still the band in rock and roll.”
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Source: www.guitar-bass.net
