<\/span><\/p>\n He joined the Nitty Gritty <\/span>But it was his 1972 debut <\/span>The epitome of the soft but <\/span>Albums like “For Everyman”, <\/span>Interwoven in some of his <\/span>This week, Browne,\u00a0Alice The Fund will support The concert will also <\/span><\/span>In an exclusive conversation <\/span>Obviously you don’t get <\/span>I think everyone was really <\/span>Representative Giffords was <\/span>How did you hear about <\/span>I’d heard from a mutual <\/span>To see Jackson Browne on Yeah, that jumped out at me, <\/span>When you put together a I never try and plan too I think we’ll hear from a It’s an eclectic lineup.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n These are all people that I Looking back, was there a It’s just my generation; And even before that, music It’s also a way in which we Songs themselves are not the And you think the There are a lot of aspects Do you think today’s Every generation has a Plus, people do grow into Your old friend David David sang on my first You’re in the midst of a It wouldn’t be hard, but I I mean, I could do that, Pulling out so many I’m actually more concerned The people that come out are So it sounds like you get To recall these songs and to If the set list was all So in that sense, I hope![\"Jackson](\"https:\/\/wp-media.beliefnet.com\/sites\/110\/import\/spinner%20jackson.jpg\")
<\/span><\/p>\n
\nDirt Band in 1966, and played on and wrote songs for Nico’s 1967 solo debut
\n(“Chelsea Girl”). <\/span><\/p>\n
\nalbum that caused much of the world to become familiar with singer\/songwriter
\nJackson Browne. On the strength of that record (which included his first
\ntop-ten single, “Doctor My Eyes”) Browne quickly established himself as an
\nartist with deep creative convictions.<\/span><\/p>\n
\ndurable Southern California sound of the early 1970s, Browne’s gift for
\ncrafting poignant melodies coupled with introspective, personal lyrics built
\nhim a huge following almost immediately.<\/span><\/p>\n
\n“Late For The Sky” (the title track of which was featured in the Martin
\nScorsese film “Taxi Driver”), “The Pretender”, “Running on Empty” and many more
\ncollections distinguished Browne as one of the premier singer-songwriters of
\nhis generation.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nmusic was an activist’s voice as well, and Browne has taken up numerous causes
\nover the course of his storied career. Soon after the Three Mile Island nuclear
\naccident in 1979, he co-founded Musicians United for Safe Energy (MUSE) and co-headlined
\nthe famed No Nukes” concerts with Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty among others.
\nHe’s performed for Farm Aid, Amnesty International, the Christic Institute and
\nmany other causes.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nCooper and\u00a0Crosby and Nash\u00a0will perform at the Tucson Convention
\nCenter. The concert is a fundraiser for the Community Foundation for Southern
\nArizona, which manages the newly formed Fund for Civility, Respect, and
\nUnderstanding.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nthe victims of the January 8th shooting in Tucson, to promote civility in
\npublic debate and raise awareness for mental illness. Initially the family of
\nRon Barber started the fund with donations. Barber was injured in the rampage,
\nand will speak at the event along with\u00a0Gabrielle Giffords’ husband, astronaut\u00a0Mark
\nKelly, and Tucson mayor\u00a0Bob Walkup.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nfeature performances by\u00a0Sam Moore,\u00a0Nils Lofgren,\u00a0Keb’
\nMo’,\u00a0Ozomatli,\u00a0Calexico, Jerry Riopelle<\/span><\/p>\n
\nwith Spinner, Browne talked about the upcoming benefit, his current solo tour,
\nand why he feels music may still be the best way to create awareness and help
\ncure some of society’s ills<\/span><\/p>\n
\ninvolved with a cause unless you believe in it. <\/span>What was it about this upcoming benefit in Tucson that drew
\nyou in?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
\naffected by the shooting in Tucson because it goes aright at the heart of our
\ndemocracy – that we in the public can meet with our representatives.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nhaving this community outreach event, which is just what you want our elected
\nleaders to do. It was symbolic of everything about our very form of government.
\nAnd the victims were a child, retired people, a judge – so many others – it’s
\nreally shocking, really a blow. It’s a blow to our ideal and our idea of what
\nwe’re doing here and what we’re supposed to be doing here. That’s why I got
\ninvolved.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nit?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
\nfriend that they’d wanted to put together an event and it’s easy to say yes,
\nit’s what we do – we make music. I think the people that came together did so
\nquite spontaneously; everybody was sort of in after just one call. It’s a true
\nexpression of people’s desire to come together for what’s good in this
\ncommunity and all other communities.<\/span><\/p>\n
\na bill with Alice Cooper, clearly something special is happening.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
\ntoo (laughing). Right away we’re coming across that whatever barriers or
\ncultural divisions there may be, in pop music for sure, we’re all getting
\ntogether to stand with this community.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nperformance for a show like this, do you prepare in advance? Do you choose
\nsongs that might fit the tone of the evening?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
\nmuch. And I’ll basically be ready to do just about anything depending on how
\nthe night goes. The mood of the event will be driven by the speakers along with
\nthe music. We’re coming together to honor the first responders as well as the
\nvictims, standing with the families of those who were lost.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nfew people who survived it as well. We should, because it’s what music is
\nreally all about, we should really create an expression of strength; strength
\nto continue, and try to generate the joy that music generally brings to people.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nwould go to see. I’d travel to see this lineup; it’s just that amazing. And it
\nruns very deep in the Tucson community. Jerry Riopelle is an Arizona legend,
\nthere’s the band Calexico that I’ve been a fan of for a long time, I’ll finally
\nget to see them. None of us have played together before so it will be
\ninteresting to see how it goes. I know what some of the plans are but we’ll
\nhave plenty of surprises.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nspecific moment in your life when you decided that you were going to get
\ninvolved in issues that are important to you or is this just how you are?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
\nthere was no turning specific point or anything for me personally. I think
\nyou’ll find that it’s a long-standing tradition among my generation.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nhas been used for good. Benefit concerts go back, in rock and roll, to things
\nlike the Concert for Bangladesh, and long before that there were always all
\nkinds of community events. Music has always been used by communities to, you
\nknow, give people heart and to focus our desires to help.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nas musicians come together and inform ourselves and talk about things as we try
\nto disseminate information.<\/span><\/p>\n
\neasiest ways to disseminate detailed information, but the gatherings as a
\nwhole, the speaking combined with songs, that’s what can be really productive.<\/span><\/p>\n
\ngatherings like the one in Tucson make a difference?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
\nto what happened there that have long been political footballs, like gun
\ncontrol and background checks. And I think this tragic shooting has probably
\ngiven a great deal of new energy to those debates and this show we’re doing
\nwill probably focus some energy on them, too.<\/span><\/p>\n
\ngeneration of performers gets involved the same way your does?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
\npercentage of people that respond this way. And sometimes it might seem
\nsurprising. I mean, who would have guessed that the Beastie Boys would become
\nchampions of Tibetan freedom?<\/span><\/p>\n
\nthis consciousness even if they don’t start out with, necessarily, a specific
\ncivic focus. As you grow up, you eventually come face to face with issues of
\nresponsibility and the opportunity to have an impact. I’ve met many activists,
\nsome really young activists, who are really committed to various causes, and
\nwho are not musicians. People come to these realizations at different times in
\ntheir lives, and from many walks of life.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nCrosby, who recently joined you onstage during one of your own shows, will be
\nperforming in Tucson with you as well. You guys go way back.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
\nalbum. He’s always been like an older brother to me. He sang all over my first
\nrecord and got me a lot of attention when that record came out. He and I have
\nbeen really close for a long time. Also, Graham Nash will be there too. All
\nthose guys, they’re like my uncles (laughing). They’re fantastic people and I look
\nforward whenever I get to perform with them. They’re also always the first guys
\nto jump in to something like this. They’re always very committed to helping
\nout.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nvery popular solo acoustic tour right now. Many artists recently have featured
\nalbum recreations on stage. Have you ever thought about performing any of your
\nclassic albums, perhaps “Running on Empty” or “The Pretender” in their
\nentirety?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
\nthink what I’m doing right now is a little more exhilarating, which is to play
\nsongs from all over my career, from way back to more recent stuff; all over the
\nmap – without fully planning a set list. It’s really loose and fun.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nvery easily, play two albums back to back. It’s crossed my mind a couple of
\ntimes. But again, right now, I like the surprises that happen when you don’t
\nhave a set list all planned out.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nsurprises like you’re doing on this tour – is that your way of spoiling the
\nfans? Of giving them things they’re not used to hearing?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
\nof what it does for me. Because if I’m feeling it, then it tends to be better
\nfor the fans.<\/span><\/p>\n
\namazing, they’re really great. There are moments when they want to hear songs
\nfrom the polar opposite ends of my career. Throughout the shows, I careen back
\nand forth between the various impulses, so it’s really different every night.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nsomething special out of these shows, too.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
\nsing these songs, especially the older ones, is a way for me to get deeper
\ninside them.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nplanned, there’s a level of show business that would take over that wouldn’t
\nreally allow me to get as deep into the songs. The experience is great because
\nit gets really spontaneous. People will call out for songs and if they really
\nwant to hear something, even if it’s something I haven’t played for years, I’ll
\nsometimes try and do it.<\/span><\/p>\n
\nthese shows end up being exciting for everyone. I know for me they’re great.<\/span><\/p>\n