Stereo Embers The Podcast 0209: Eric Bazilian (The Hooters)

“Bach Is My Torah" The Philadelphia-born Eric Bazilian's dad was a psychiatrist but it was his concert pianist mother who likely influenced him to start playing the piano at age 5. Four years later he was playing guitar and seven years later at the age of 16 he had his first band, Evil Seed. While getting a B.S. in Physics at the University of Pennsylvania, Bazilian and his college pal Rob Hyman formed a band called Baby Grand and after that band called it a day with two albums under their belts, Bazilian and Hyman formed the Hooters. Over the course of their winning career, the Hooters put out six albums, had a handful of top 40 hits with songs like "Day By Day” and "And We Danced," they opened Live Aid in Philadelphia, the Amnesty International Concert at Giants Stadium in ’86 and the Roger Waters The Wall Concert in Berlin in 1990. Bazilian not only produced Joan Osborne’s Grammy Nominated Relish album, he wrote "One Of Us," which is one of the most memorable songs of the last 50 years. It was covered by "everyone from Prince to Seal and it was used as the theme song for the TV show "Joan of Arcadia," for which Bazilian won an ASCAP Film and Television Music Award. Over the course of his career he’s written and co written songs for and with a crazy list of talent. Here’s a partial list: Patty Smyth, Bon Jovi, BIf Naked, Ronnie Spector, Matt Nathanson, and Robbie Williams. In 2000 Bazilian was inducted into the Philadelphia Walk of Fame on the Avenue of the Arts and his new solo album Bazilian is a life-affirming blast of rootsy pop stomp that’s energizing, soulful and positively infectious. The Hooters are an ongoing proposition and they’re massively popular in Germany and Scandinavia, playing sell-out shows to adoring fans. In this chat, Bazilian talks to Alex about life in Sweden, why Bach is his Torah, and saying no to Bob Dylan... www.ericbazilian.com www.hootersmusic.com www.alexgreenonline.com www.bombshellradio.com