March 2, 2025 • 27 mins
Original Air Date: March 2, 2025
For the first time, Bad Company (but not Free) has been nominated to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Drummer Simon Kirke talks about the long wait . You can vote here: https://vote.rockhall.com/
Simon also discusses his volunteerism in the days after 9/11 24 years ago and how he now helps young people get sober after he almost died of an OD.
For the first time, Bad Company (but not Free) has been nominated to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. Drummer Simon Kirke talks about the long wait . You can vote here: https://vote.rockhall.com/
Simon also discusses his volunteerism in the days after 9/11 24 years ago and how he now helps young people get sober after he almost died of an OD.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to Sunstein Sessions on iHeartRadio, conversations about issues that matter.
Here's your host, three time Grasie Award winner, Shelley Sunstein.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Good morning, and I would like to introduce you to somebody.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
You here on Q one oh four point three all
the time, not with.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
One group, but with two groups.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
We play Simon Kirk the drummer for Bad Company and
of course for Free And first of all, congratulations, finally
Bad Company nominated to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
How does it feel, Simon?
Speaker 4 (00:37):
It feels good, and it does feel good. But I
have to add a note of caution that I'm not
familiar with the voting process, or I wasn't until last week.
So we're nominated, but then we have to get voted
in on April. I believe it's a twenty third the
votes are cart so we'll see. But I have to
(00:59):
say five finally, yeah, because I've always advocated that Brean
Bag companies should have been in a while ago. But
I won't. I won't, you know, dish out sour grapes.
I'm just happy to be nominated. And I was saying
to a friend of mine earlier on and that I
hope that we can get on the podium because Mick guitarists,
(01:23):
as you know, is not well and we don't know
how long he's going to be around. But it would
be wonderful if I, me and Paul could get on
the stage and say this is for Mick as well
and so on. But yeah, it feels good.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Was it a surprise or every year are you kind
of waiting to see much?
Speaker 4 (01:41):
It was a surprise, sort of tempered with wow at last,
but because every year, you know, we get the list
earlier in the year, and we were never on the ballot,
and it was like, oh god, I mean there's a
lot of people who really being lan't because of personal
(02:03):
likes and dislikes of certain types of music. Jethro tal
is not in right, you know. God, they were a
huge band. And also, what I didn't realize is there's
is a two a two prongs attack. There's the popular
vote and then there's the the voting committee of the
Hall of Fame, who are made up. Once you've been
(02:26):
nominated and accepted, you become automatically a voting member. So
I didn't know that. Yeah, so there are like hundreds
and hundreds of musicians and executives who are now on
the on the board as it were. So there's also
the popular vote where fans can go on the Hall
of Fame website and vote, and you know, so when
(02:50):
the votes are cast on end of April, that's when
the committee steps up and they cast a vote. I mean,
I'm a friend of Stevie van Zandt who's been on
the Hall of Fame committee for years, and every year
they sit around the table and they scratched the head
and say, why the hell isn't free and bad company
(03:11):
in because of our influence. I think a lot of
bands were influenced like we were. You know, we were
influenced by a lot of bands before us, the Stones
and the Beatles and black music, and we're just passing
it on. But it was kind of a conundrum that
every year we never never made the ballot. Joe Cocker great,
(03:37):
a humble guy, wonderful guy, and we toured with him,
free toured with him. Listen to this, I'll just digress
and I'll get back to it. So the very first
package tour, when you and me were teenagers, we had
these things called package tours. Well, the whole slew of
different artists went on the road together, kind of a
(04:00):
a tip of the hat to Stacks who had the
Soul review of the mid sixes, and so this was
we were free open the show. Then Joe Cocker crazy
role of Arthur Brown, the small Faces and the.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Who Wow.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
Bill that's insane. So that's where we met Joe for
the first time. He just had the huge hit, you know,
with a little help for my friend. And every time
he came to do that, you know, he said it
was like pushing I said, Joe, what's he like doing
that every night? He said, it's like pushing tens of
(04:41):
ten tons of bravel of all.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
So tell me, tell me what was he like? What
would surprise our listeners about Joe Cocker?
Speaker 4 (04:50):
You know, you could have paid him ten dollars or
ten thousand a night money from one I gathered didn't
really mean that much to him. His number one influence
was Ray Childs. He came from Sheffield, a very working
class city up north of England, and he was just
so down to earth and he you know, you've seen
(05:14):
clips of him on YouTube. Get taken over, I possessed
and he became this John Belushi did a great imitation
of him, but that was show sort of arms flailing.
He was also a very good drummer, which I didn't know. Yeah,
so he was sort of air drumming while he sang.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Oh so that was the movement. Yeah, so that is crazy.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
And there's nicer guy as you could ever wish to me.
He was a lovely guy. But you were asking me
about who. Oh well, in high school, I guess middle
school when you're thirteen or fourteen, I hadn't played anything.
We were taught recorder, like the little that was from
(06:01):
the very very first instrument we ever played, and I
thought it was a pain in the bumb It was like,
what is this? You know? I was never really a recorder.
And then I stuck my brother who was in the
army in Germany, brought back these forty fives, you remember
(06:21):
those little things. And there was the Swinging Blue Jeans
and another band whose name escapes me. But there was
something about the drums, the sound of the drums. Oh. Also,
the other thing was we got TV when I was
about thirteen. We've got a very first TV and one
(06:42):
of the very first things we saw in black and
white was a program called All That Jazz and it
featured big bands, and I think that was the lightning bolt.
When I saw this guy playing the drums and the
lights on the symbols and the sound of the r
he did a solo. I was mesmerized. So I cut
(07:04):
some sticks from a hedge like seven inches long because
we was way out in the sticks a parting the
pun and I banged on books on my bed and
that's how I started.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
And when did you get your first drum kit?
Speaker 4 (07:20):
No, my first drum, My first drum, not a kid.
I got a little snare drum, oh yeah, which I
saw in a shop in Shrewsbury, which is about thirty
miles from our little cottage. And one day I was
walking with my little brother and we used to go
out every week to go to a movie in a
(07:42):
Chinese restaurant, and I walked around the corner and there
was this little music shop and spotlighted in the front
window like one of those.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Celestials calling to Simon Simon.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
Exactly, was this little gray glitter snare drum on a
stand with a little symbol. And I went, oh my god.
So my parents bought it for me for Christmas, and
that was my first drum.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
And is it true that you left school to pursue
a music career. I mean, what got into your head
where you said, I can make a living doing this,
this is my calling.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
Well, it was. It was a compromise with me and
my parents because back in those days, and we're talking
nineteen sixty three and the Beatles had just started in England.
In England they came to America a year later, but
in sixty three they were just coming up, and I
was transfixed by them. They were absolutely wonderful and I
(08:46):
knew that that's what I wanted to do. But there
was only a couple of bands that made it big,
and my dad was very much against me. So no one,
you know, it's not a career. It's kind of right
because it was a real hit and misaffair. So my
mom intervened and she said, look, we're going to give
(09:07):
you two years between high school. I got good grades
in high school and university. You got two years. You
can go to London, give it a shot, and if
nothing happens after two years, promise us you'll go to college.
And I did. I was so grateful for that. Now, listen, Shelly.
The twenty third month of the twenty four I got
(09:30):
a break because I was fully resigned to going. You know,
I fulfilled my commitment. I was going to go, and
then on a toss of a coin, I went to
this club, saw a blues band with Paul Kossoff, with
Paul Rodgers and Andy Fraser. We formed free and off
(09:52):
we went. Wow twenty third month, and I have to
tell you I'm fully committed to having had a shot.
I answered auditions. I did manual work and dishwashing and
car washing and so on while I was answering auditions,
but nothing came of it, and I thought, oh, well
that's it, you know. So and then we intervened.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
If that hadn't happened, what career path was number two
on your list?
Speaker 2 (10:21):
What did you think? All right, I'm going to have
to make a living doing what? Simon Kirk, great question.
Speaker 4 (10:29):
I really wanted to get into photo journalism. Yeah, yeah,
I loved Yeah, well, there were several in the in
the wake of the Vietnam War, you know, there were
a couple of amazing photographers. That's really what I wanted
to get into. I love photography. I loved journalism, so
(10:51):
I would have probably gone to university studied journalism with
a caveat of both, you know, photography on top of
That's what I wanted to do.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
I had another conversation earlier with you about when I
was doing my podcast nine to eleven Stories, and it
was someone else who told me your nine to eleven story.
Can you just you volunteered in a very important strategic
(11:24):
way in the days after September eleventh. People know what
a great drummer you are, they don't necessarily know what
a great humanitarian you are. Tell us about your volunteerism
and what drove you.
Speaker 4 (11:38):
Well after the attack, I lived down downtown, so I
kind of witnessed literally within thirty seconds of both planes
going in, and like millions of people around the world,
was absolutely I thought it was shooting a movie. Quite honestly,
I thought they were shooting a movie. Came around the
(12:00):
corner and someone said, a plane just went in the
what And I went off to my yoga I was
going to a yoga class. Came out an hour later,
and of course all hell had broken loose. So about
a week later I heard through the grapevine that the
Red Cross were looking for drivers because Red Cross personnel
(12:24):
were coming from all over the country. Literally. When I
got to the HQ in Brooklyn, there were trucks from California, Idaho,
you know, in Florida. They driven thousands of miles to
be there and to help. But the crews, the Red
Cross crews weren't familiar with New York City and the
(12:45):
firemen could. There were firemen coming from all over the
country as well. So it was up to Red Cross
drivers to get these guys from the pile as it
was called, or from there where they were living and
take them to you know, to the World Trade Center.
So they were desperate for drivers. And because I'd lived
(13:06):
in New York for six years now five years, I
knew it pretty well. You know, New York's a grid
up and down. Eastern West is not really that complicated.
So I went to the headquarters in Brooklyn and gave
them my you know, my my CV, and they were
so happy that to have me. Uh, and I was
(13:28):
assigned a fourteen six.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Wait a minute, did they know who you were? On
your resume? Did say drummer? Right now? Your resume say,
I think that's what you did.
Speaker 4 (13:41):
I think whenever we were sat at a red light
and the indicators the turn signals going.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
Chick.
Speaker 4 (13:52):
I think they got an inkling that I played drums,
but no, I did it for about six weeks, and
taking these guys who were exhausted and covered in dust,
and then taking supplies to you know, the pile, and
witnessing the first relatives. That was the I'll never forget
(14:14):
that moment when the sirens went off and everyone stopped,
and men took off their helmets and held them to
their chest, and I thought, what on earth is going on?
And the guy said, and down the ramp came literally
dozens and dozens of relatives holding photos and flowers and
(14:36):
teddy bears and just leaving them, you know, at the site.
And that was I never and I wrote a song
about that, but that's for another time. But I wouldn't
have missed it for the world. I wanted to help,
and hopefully I did.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
How long did you volunteer, Simon?
Speaker 4 (14:56):
I was there for six weeks and then I started again.
My breathing got a little labor. Even though we all
wore masks and shelley. There were so many guys on
that pile who had know, you know, firemen and workers
and who were digging and you know, that's sort of
that little game used to play, pick a stick, all
(15:18):
these things and you need to remove one and everything.
That's what it was like. When they pull these girls out,
the whole thing would like shut her down and flames
would shoot up. It was. It was like a horror movie.
And a lot of those guys, as you know, particularly Fireman,
are now no longer with us because they got cancer.
(15:39):
Your help. I had to stop after six weeks. I've
done enough, and my wife said enough, you.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
Know, I understand, But how's your health?
Speaker 4 (15:48):
It's good? Great.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
I hope you.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
Are registered with the World Trade Center Health Program because
having spent six weeks down there, they will monitor your
health once a year and I'm told it's the best
medical care we'll ever get, and if God forbid, something
comes up, they know what to look for. Simon, I
hope you're registered with the World Trade Center Health Program.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
You have to do this.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
Oh look, connect.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
Yourself and your family, please please. So how did that
change you as a person those six weeks and what
you saw and the people you met every day.
Speaker 4 (16:28):
I think it certainly increased my my gratitude, particularly towards Fireman,
because you know, I got friendly with a couple of
the guys, and you know those guys, the ones who
ended up in the towers. They climbed one hundred and
ten stories with all the equipment on their back, you know,
(16:52):
obviously the elevators weren't working, and they went in, no
questions asked. And then I guess it gave me an
increased awareness of humanity. But there was so much, so
much bullet went on, Shelly. I mean, none of them
walkie talkies worked above a certain height, they were on
(17:16):
the wrong frequency, or they were just bad walking talkies.
So when tower, I believe the South tower went first,
they were saying, get the hell out, get out, getting
No one heard this. It was not get out, get
you know. So a lot of these poor guys were
trapped because they didn't get the green light to get
(17:38):
out of there. And it was just a real, a
real mess. But you know, and here's the weird thing,
touch Wood, there's never been another attack on us soil.
So whatever was they were trying to accomplish, maybe they thought,
(17:58):
I don't know, but it maybe I think it may
be more of a human in many ways. But I
will never forget those days.
Speaker 3 (18:10):
I'm speaking with Simon Kirk, the drummer for Bad Company,
just nominated to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, Free,
he was also the drummer for Free, was not included
maybe another year, but this is the first nomination for
Bad Company. Simon, are you still involved at all in
community work?
Speaker 2 (18:30):
Do you still do any volunteering at all?
Speaker 4 (18:34):
Not as such? I mean it helps when Harkin Sandy
came through once again with the Red Blox, but touch Wood,
you know, there's been nothing of any note has put
New York City, you know, in that sort of situation again.
I mean, I'm most people know, I'm in a twelve
(18:54):
step program and I help. I'm on the board of
a little place called Road Recovery, which helps teenagers and
adolescents battle addiction. And I'm on the board of a
one up in Boston as well, which helps musicians and
artists help them with addiction. And I'm actually writing. I've
(19:19):
written a musical, a rock musical with other two other
guys about addiction called rock Bottom, and where we're going
to hopefully try and get that up and running this year.
It's great. I've got to say that we wrote fifteen songs,
we've written the script, but we'll cross fingers because the
theater world is a very tough, pernicious and you know,
(19:44):
it takes a lot of money to launch anything, even
off off Broadway. But we'll slip hopefully.
Speaker 3 (19:51):
What advice would you give to young people who aspire
to have a career in the music business. The business
is so different now. I mean it was tough enough then,
but now it's tough in so many other ways.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
I think, you know, the actual mechanics have not really changed.
You get Jimmy and Molly and their little bedroom with
the guitar or a little keyboard and they record. And
nowadays you have garage band. You know, with your phone,
you know, you can record pretty damn good stuff and
(20:28):
then you can here's a difference between when I was
that age. You can suddenly send it to the other
side of the world in sixty second. It's like WHOA.
But the actual with you if you distill it right
down to its essence, it's about original lyrics, original songs,
(20:51):
being influenced. Don't forget your influences. You know, I was
influenced by the Beatles. I was influenced by this done
Marvin Gaye or Rita Fraknu so on fifty years and
people are influenced by today's bands. So don't be afraid,
don't copy, you, don't plague your eyes, just be influenced.
And I know this sounds so condescending. Stay away from drugs.
(21:18):
I mean that really, I mean that as a father
and a grandfather. Now that what is out there now
show is not out, was out when we were around
it right right when I was around. I don't want
to include you, but it's I just heard two days
ago the son of a wonderful drummer, Steve Gadd, just
passed away. Duke. You know fentanyl, because that's the number
(21:42):
one killer out there. So stay away from drugs please,
but be original, don't be afraid to collaborate with other people,
and don't be afraid that's something. The only thing to
fear is fear itself. I believe FDR said that in
World War Two. It's true. You've got a little sequence.
(22:05):
So you've got some poetry or some lyrics, put it
down in a little clip and send it to someone
who you might know, and say what do you think?
Because unless you ask, you will never get any feedback.
And I love helping you know, I've written a lot
of songs and I can help. So someone sends me
(22:26):
a little song, I'll say, you know what, pretty damn good.
But you know, we're just learning. That's all we're doing.
I'll learn till the day I die.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
What made you get sober? What happened?
Speaker 3 (22:39):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (22:41):
I was a lunatic. I nearly died one night back
in the nineties, and I've been struggling for years before that.
But you know, when you're in your late thirties until forties,
there comes a time when it, you know, come on,
(23:01):
grow up. But I'm an addict and I've had an
addictive personality all my life. And I took some substances
and I was left on the tour of US and
I had a girlfriend with me. All the guys are
gone back into the hotel and I was catatonic and
(23:23):
she slapped me and started walking me around, and she's
when I finally came to and she said, you know,
you nearly die. You were that far from dying, and
it really scared me. So yeah, that was literally a
wake up call. And it wasn't helping, you know what, Schelle.
It wasn't helping. It was like, you can have a
(23:45):
drink or a beer or a joint or whatever. But
when it starts taking over your life, and it progresses
through tequila in the morning lines of heroin. I mean,
I am rotcham Rounette, and it was brought to me
that coming that close to death. Wow, I really And
(24:09):
that's when I started to get sober, and that was nice.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
How long did it take.
Speaker 4 (24:15):
I've been totally sober now eleven years.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
I mean, but how long did it take for you
to get to that point?
Speaker 4 (24:22):
I started the trip honestly in forty years ago. But
I would get that arrogance that Alex had. Oh, I
can you know? I got a year cleaned, I went
back out another year clean, and went back out until
it finally got to the point where this was just
a complete waste of time. And in AA and NA
(24:46):
they say, you know, you've got to be totally, totally honest.
It's very hard to do when you you lived the
life of secrecy and sneakiness for years. It's very hard
to do. But I go to meetings online and you know,
and and helping youngsters to get so much, you know,
(25:10):
in road recovery and this little thing that I go
to and I'm on the board. We got kids of
seventeen or eighteen who've been sober for three years, and
they got sober fifteen, and I go, oh my god,
I wish I'd known about you guys all those years ago.
But you know, we're just passing it on.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
We only have about a minute left. Simon Kirk, drummer
for Bad Company and Free. Bad Company finally nominated to
the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the first time.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
All right, a minute left.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
What have we not said that you want to say
to our listeners, Simon Kirk, Oh.
Speaker 4 (25:48):
Damn, I'm trying to think of something profound.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
You know, everything you've said is profound.
Speaker 4 (25:52):
I mean, I can't really think of anything, quite honestly.
But you are well. You good, Oh, thank you.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
I'm just having a conversation with you.
Speaker 4 (26:06):
I think an interview is as good as the interviewer.
Some of some of the questions we really spot on,
and I'm not asked a lot about sobriety, So thank
you for doing that. I have no secrets or qualms
about talking about my addiction. If it helps other people,
(26:26):
so great, that's all I want.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
I really appreciate that.
Speaker 3 (26:30):
I appreciate your honesty, and I so appreciate your music
and your contributions and your contributions along the way the
days after nine to eleven. That means the world to me.
It says so much about you as a person. So
thank you, Simon Kirk. And if you missed any part
of this interview, download the iHeartRadio app. It's new, improved
(26:51):
and it's free. It's always free and free. Should be
in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for Blank's sake,
all right, and I'll see you guys tomorrow morning on
the Jim curR Rock and Roll Morning Show. Q one
o four point three.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
You've been listening to Sunstein sessions on iHeartRadio, a production
of New York's classic rock Q one o four point
three
Welcome to Sunstein Sessions on iHeartRadio, conversations about issues that matter.
Here's your host, three time Grasie Award winner, Shelley Sunstein.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Good morning, and I would like to introduce you to somebody.
Speaker 3 (00:15):
You here on Q one oh four point three all
the time, not with.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
One group, but with two groups.
Speaker 3 (00:23):
We play Simon Kirk the drummer for Bad Company and
of course for Free And first of all, congratulations, finally
Bad Company nominated to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
How does it feel, Simon?
Speaker 4 (00:37):
It feels good, and it does feel good. But I
have to add a note of caution that I'm not
familiar with the voting process, or I wasn't until last week.
So we're nominated, but then we have to get voted
in on April. I believe it's a twenty third the
votes are cart so we'll see. But I have to
(00:59):
say five finally, yeah, because I've always advocated that Brean
Bag companies should have been in a while ago. But
I won't. I won't, you know, dish out sour grapes.
I'm just happy to be nominated. And I was saying
to a friend of mine earlier on and that I
hope that we can get on the podium because Mick guitarists,
(01:23):
as you know, is not well and we don't know
how long he's going to be around. But it would
be wonderful if I, me and Paul could get on
the stage and say this is for Mick as well
and so on. But yeah, it feels good.
Speaker 3 (01:35):
Was it a surprise or every year are you kind
of waiting to see much?
Speaker 4 (01:41):
It was a surprise, sort of tempered with wow at last,
but because every year, you know, we get the list
earlier in the year, and we were never on the ballot,
and it was like, oh god, I mean there's a
lot of people who really being lan't because of personal
(02:03):
likes and dislikes of certain types of music. Jethro tal
is not in right, you know. God, they were a
huge band. And also, what I didn't realize is there's
is a two a two prongs attack. There's the popular
vote and then there's the the voting committee of the
Hall of Fame, who are made up. Once you've been
(02:26):
nominated and accepted, you become automatically a voting member. So
I didn't know that. Yeah, so there are like hundreds
and hundreds of musicians and executives who are now on
the on the board as it were. So there's also
the popular vote where fans can go on the Hall
of Fame website and vote, and you know, so when
(02:50):
the votes are cast on end of April, that's when
the committee steps up and they cast a vote. I mean,
I'm a friend of Stevie van Zandt who's been on
the Hall of Fame committee for years, and every year
they sit around the table and they scratched the head
and say, why the hell isn't free and bad company
(03:11):
in because of our influence. I think a lot of
bands were influenced like we were. You know, we were
influenced by a lot of bands before us, the Stones
and the Beatles and black music, and we're just passing
it on. But it was kind of a conundrum that
every year we never never made the ballot. Joe Cocker great,
(03:37):
a humble guy, wonderful guy, and we toured with him,
free toured with him. Listen to this, I'll just digress
and I'll get back to it. So the very first
package tour, when you and me were teenagers, we had
these things called package tours. Well, the whole slew of
different artists went on the road together, kind of a
(04:00):
a tip of the hat to Stacks who had the
Soul review of the mid sixes, and so this was
we were free open the show. Then Joe Cocker crazy
role of Arthur Brown, the small Faces and the.
Speaker 2 (04:15):
Who Wow.
Speaker 4 (04:19):
Bill that's insane. So that's where we met Joe for
the first time. He just had the huge hit, you know,
with a little help for my friend. And every time
he came to do that, you know, he said it
was like pushing I said, Joe, what's he like doing
that every night? He said, it's like pushing tens of
(04:41):
ten tons of bravel of all.
Speaker 3 (04:43):
So tell me, tell me what was he like? What
would surprise our listeners about Joe Cocker?
Speaker 4 (04:50):
You know, you could have paid him ten dollars or
ten thousand a night money from one I gathered didn't
really mean that much to him. His number one influence
was Ray Childs. He came from Sheffield, a very working
class city up north of England, and he was just
so down to earth and he you know, you've seen
(05:14):
clips of him on YouTube. Get taken over, I possessed
and he became this John Belushi did a great imitation
of him, but that was show sort of arms flailing.
He was also a very good drummer, which I didn't know. Yeah,
so he was sort of air drumming while he sang.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Oh so that was the movement. Yeah, so that is crazy.
Speaker 4 (05:40):
And there's nicer guy as you could ever wish to me.
He was a lovely guy. But you were asking me
about who. Oh well, in high school, I guess middle
school when you're thirteen or fourteen, I hadn't played anything.
We were taught recorder, like the little that was from
(06:01):
the very very first instrument we ever played, and I
thought it was a pain in the bumb It was like,
what is this? You know? I was never really a recorder.
And then I stuck my brother who was in the
army in Germany, brought back these forty fives, you remember
(06:21):
those little things. And there was the Swinging Blue Jeans
and another band whose name escapes me. But there was
something about the drums, the sound of the drums. Oh. Also,
the other thing was we got TV when I was
about thirteen. We've got a very first TV and one
(06:42):
of the very first things we saw in black and
white was a program called All That Jazz and it
featured big bands, and I think that was the lightning bolt.
When I saw this guy playing the drums and the
lights on the symbols and the sound of the r
he did a solo. I was mesmerized. So I cut
(07:04):
some sticks from a hedge like seven inches long because
we was way out in the sticks a parting the
pun and I banged on books on my bed and
that's how I started.
Speaker 2 (07:18):
And when did you get your first drum kit?
Speaker 4 (07:20):
No, my first drum, My first drum, not a kid.
I got a little snare drum, oh yeah, which I
saw in a shop in Shrewsbury, which is about thirty
miles from our little cottage. And one day I was
walking with my little brother and we used to go
out every week to go to a movie in a
(07:42):
Chinese restaurant, and I walked around the corner and there
was this little music shop and spotlighted in the front
window like one of those.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Celestials calling to Simon Simon.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
Exactly, was this little gray glitter snare drum on a
stand with a little symbol. And I went, oh my god.
So my parents bought it for me for Christmas, and
that was my first drum.
Speaker 3 (08:10):
And is it true that you left school to pursue
a music career. I mean, what got into your head
where you said, I can make a living doing this,
this is my calling.
Speaker 4 (08:23):
Well, it was. It was a compromise with me and
my parents because back in those days, and we're talking
nineteen sixty three and the Beatles had just started in England.
In England they came to America a year later, but
in sixty three they were just coming up, and I
was transfixed by them. They were absolutely wonderful and I
(08:46):
knew that that's what I wanted to do. But there
was only a couple of bands that made it big,
and my dad was very much against me. So no one,
you know, it's not a career. It's kind of right
because it was a real hit and misaffair. So my
mom intervened and she said, look, we're going to give
(09:07):
you two years between high school. I got good grades
in high school and university. You got two years. You
can go to London, give it a shot, and if
nothing happens after two years, promise us you'll go to college.
And I did. I was so grateful for that. Now, listen, Shelly.
The twenty third month of the twenty four I got
(09:30):
a break because I was fully resigned to going. You know,
I fulfilled my commitment. I was going to go, and
then on a toss of a coin, I went to
this club, saw a blues band with Paul Kossoff, with
Paul Rodgers and Andy Fraser. We formed free and off
(09:52):
we went. Wow twenty third month, and I have to
tell you I'm fully committed to having had a shot.
I answered auditions. I did manual work and dishwashing and
car washing and so on while I was answering auditions,
but nothing came of it, and I thought, oh, well
that's it, you know. So and then we intervened.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
If that hadn't happened, what career path was number two
on your list?
Speaker 2 (10:21):
What did you think? All right, I'm going to have
to make a living doing what? Simon Kirk, great question.
Speaker 4 (10:29):
I really wanted to get into photo journalism. Yeah, yeah,
I loved Yeah, well, there were several in the in
the wake of the Vietnam War, you know, there were
a couple of amazing photographers. That's really what I wanted
to get into. I love photography. I loved journalism, so
(10:51):
I would have probably gone to university studied journalism with
a caveat of both, you know, photography on top of
That's what I wanted to do.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
I had another conversation earlier with you about when I
was doing my podcast nine to eleven Stories, and it
was someone else who told me your nine to eleven story.
Can you just you volunteered in a very important strategic
(11:24):
way in the days after September eleventh. People know what
a great drummer you are, they don't necessarily know what
a great humanitarian you are. Tell us about your volunteerism
and what drove you.
Speaker 4 (11:38):
Well after the attack, I lived down downtown, so I
kind of witnessed literally within thirty seconds of both planes
going in, and like millions of people around the world,
was absolutely I thought it was shooting a movie. Quite honestly,
I thought they were shooting a movie. Came around the
(12:00):
corner and someone said, a plane just went in the
what And I went off to my yoga I was
going to a yoga class. Came out an hour later,
and of course all hell had broken loose. So about
a week later I heard through the grapevine that the
Red Cross were looking for drivers because Red Cross personnel
(12:24):
were coming from all over the country. Literally. When I
got to the HQ in Brooklyn, there were trucks from California, Idaho,
you know, in Florida. They driven thousands of miles to
be there and to help. But the crews, the Red
Cross crews weren't familiar with New York City and the
(12:45):
firemen could. There were firemen coming from all over the
country as well. So it was up to Red Cross
drivers to get these guys from the pile as it
was called, or from there where they were living and
take them to you know, to the World Trade Center.
So they were desperate for drivers. And because I'd lived
(13:06):
in New York for six years now five years, I
knew it pretty well. You know, New York's a grid
up and down. Eastern West is not really that complicated.
So I went to the headquarters in Brooklyn and gave
them my you know, my my CV, and they were
so happy that to have me. Uh, and I was
(13:28):
assigned a fourteen six.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
Wait a minute, did they know who you were? On
your resume? Did say drummer? Right now? Your resume say,
I think that's what you did.
Speaker 4 (13:41):
I think whenever we were sat at a red light
and the indicators the turn signals going.
Speaker 3 (13:50):
Chick.
Speaker 4 (13:52):
I think they got an inkling that I played drums,
but no, I did it for about six weeks, and
taking these guys who were exhausted and covered in dust,
and then taking supplies to you know, the pile, and
witnessing the first relatives. That was the I'll never forget
(14:14):
that moment when the sirens went off and everyone stopped,
and men took off their helmets and held them to
their chest, and I thought, what on earth is going on?
And the guy said, and down the ramp came literally
dozens and dozens of relatives holding photos and flowers and
(14:36):
teddy bears and just leaving them, you know, at the site.
And that was I never and I wrote a song
about that, but that's for another time. But I wouldn't
have missed it for the world. I wanted to help,
and hopefully I did.
Speaker 2 (14:54):
How long did you volunteer, Simon?
Speaker 4 (14:56):
I was there for six weeks and then I started again.
My breathing got a little labor. Even though we all
wore masks and shelley. There were so many guys on
that pile who had know, you know, firemen and workers
and who were digging and you know, that's sort of
that little game used to play, pick a stick, all
(15:18):
these things and you need to remove one and everything.
That's what it was like. When they pull these girls out,
the whole thing would like shut her down and flames
would shoot up. It was. It was like a horror movie.
And a lot of those guys, as you know, particularly Fireman,
are now no longer with us because they got cancer.
(15:39):
Your help. I had to stop after six weeks. I've
done enough, and my wife said enough, you.
Speaker 2 (15:46):
Know, I understand, But how's your health?
Speaker 4 (15:48):
It's good? Great.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
I hope you.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
Are registered with the World Trade Center Health Program because
having spent six weeks down there, they will monitor your
health once a year and I'm told it's the best
medical care we'll ever get, and if God forbid, something
comes up, they know what to look for. Simon, I
hope you're registered with the World Trade Center Health Program.
Speaker 2 (16:14):
You have to do this.
Speaker 4 (16:15):
Oh look, connect.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
Yourself and your family, please please. So how did that
change you as a person those six weeks and what
you saw and the people you met every day.
Speaker 4 (16:28):
I think it certainly increased my my gratitude, particularly towards Fireman,
because you know, I got friendly with a couple of
the guys, and you know those guys, the ones who
ended up in the towers. They climbed one hundred and
ten stories with all the equipment on their back, you know,
(16:52):
obviously the elevators weren't working, and they went in, no
questions asked. And then I guess it gave me an
increased awareness of humanity. But there was so much, so
much bullet went on, Shelly. I mean, none of them
walkie talkies worked above a certain height, they were on
(17:16):
the wrong frequency, or they were just bad walking talkies.
So when tower, I believe the South tower went first,
they were saying, get the hell out, get out, getting
No one heard this. It was not get out, get
you know. So a lot of these poor guys were
trapped because they didn't get the green light to get
(17:38):
out of there. And it was just a real, a
real mess. But you know, and here's the weird thing,
touch Wood, there's never been another attack on us soil.
So whatever was they were trying to accomplish, maybe they thought,
(17:58):
I don't know, but it maybe I think it may
be more of a human in many ways. But I
will never forget those days.
Speaker 3 (18:10):
I'm speaking with Simon Kirk, the drummer for Bad Company,
just nominated to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, Free,
he was also the drummer for Free, was not included
maybe another year, but this is the first nomination for
Bad Company. Simon, are you still involved at all in
community work?
Speaker 2 (18:30):
Do you still do any volunteering at all?
Speaker 4 (18:34):
Not as such? I mean it helps when Harkin Sandy
came through once again with the Red Blox, but touch Wood,
you know, there's been nothing of any note has put
New York City, you know, in that sort of situation again.
I mean, I'm most people know, I'm in a twelve
(18:54):
step program and I help. I'm on the board of
a little place called Road Recovery, which helps teenagers and
adolescents battle addiction. And I'm on the board of a
one up in Boston as well, which helps musicians and
artists help them with addiction. And I'm actually writing. I've
(19:19):
written a musical, a rock musical with other two other
guys about addiction called rock Bottom, and where we're going
to hopefully try and get that up and running this year.
It's great. I've got to say that we wrote fifteen songs,
we've written the script, but we'll cross fingers because the
theater world is a very tough, pernicious and you know,
(19:44):
it takes a lot of money to launch anything, even
off off Broadway. But we'll slip hopefully.
Speaker 3 (19:51):
What advice would you give to young people who aspire
to have a career in the music business. The business
is so different now. I mean it was tough enough then,
but now it's tough in so many other ways.
Speaker 4 (20:06):
I think, you know, the actual mechanics have not really changed.
You get Jimmy and Molly and their little bedroom with
the guitar or a little keyboard and they record. And
nowadays you have garage band. You know, with your phone,
you know, you can record pretty damn good stuff and
(20:28):
then you can here's a difference between when I was
that age. You can suddenly send it to the other
side of the world in sixty second. It's like WHOA.
But the actual with you if you distill it right
down to its essence, it's about original lyrics, original songs,
(20:51):
being influenced. Don't forget your influences. You know, I was
influenced by the Beatles. I was influenced by this done
Marvin Gaye or Rita Fraknu so on fifty years and
people are influenced by today's bands. So don't be afraid,
don't copy, you, don't plague your eyes, just be influenced.
And I know this sounds so condescending. Stay away from drugs.
(21:18):
I mean that really, I mean that as a father
and a grandfather. Now that what is out there now
show is not out, was out when we were around
it right right when I was around. I don't want
to include you, but it's I just heard two days
ago the son of a wonderful drummer, Steve Gadd, just
passed away. Duke. You know fentanyl, because that's the number
(21:42):
one killer out there. So stay away from drugs please,
but be original, don't be afraid to collaborate with other people,
and don't be afraid that's something. The only thing to
fear is fear itself. I believe FDR said that in
World War Two. It's true. You've got a little sequence.
(22:05):
So you've got some poetry or some lyrics, put it
down in a little clip and send it to someone
who you might know, and say what do you think?
Because unless you ask, you will never get any feedback.
And I love helping you know, I've written a lot
of songs and I can help. So someone sends me
(22:26):
a little song, I'll say, you know what, pretty damn good.
But you know, we're just learning. That's all we're doing.
I'll learn till the day I die.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
What made you get sober? What happened?
Speaker 3 (22:39):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (22:41):
I was a lunatic. I nearly died one night back
in the nineties, and I've been struggling for years before that.
But you know, when you're in your late thirties until forties,
there comes a time when it, you know, come on,
(23:01):
grow up. But I'm an addict and I've had an
addictive personality all my life. And I took some substances
and I was left on the tour of US and
I had a girlfriend with me. All the guys are
gone back into the hotel and I was catatonic and
(23:23):
she slapped me and started walking me around, and she's
when I finally came to and she said, you know,
you nearly die. You were that far from dying, and
it really scared me. So yeah, that was literally a
wake up call. And it wasn't helping, you know what, Schelle.
It wasn't helping. It was like, you can have a
(23:45):
drink or a beer or a joint or whatever. But
when it starts taking over your life, and it progresses
through tequila in the morning lines of heroin. I mean,
I am rotcham Rounette, and it was brought to me
that coming that close to death. Wow, I really And
(24:09):
that's when I started to get sober, and that was nice.
Speaker 2 (24:13):
How long did it take.
Speaker 4 (24:15):
I've been totally sober now eleven years.
Speaker 2 (24:18):
I mean, but how long did it take for you
to get to that point?
Speaker 4 (24:22):
I started the trip honestly in forty years ago. But
I would get that arrogance that Alex had. Oh, I
can you know? I got a year cleaned, I went
back out another year clean, and went back out until
it finally got to the point where this was just
a complete waste of time. And in AA and NA
(24:46):
they say, you know, you've got to be totally, totally honest.
It's very hard to do when you you lived the
life of secrecy and sneakiness for years. It's very hard
to do. But I go to meetings online and you know,
and and helping youngsters to get so much, you know,
(25:10):
in road recovery and this little thing that I go
to and I'm on the board. We got kids of
seventeen or eighteen who've been sober for three years, and
they got sober fifteen, and I go, oh my god,
I wish I'd known about you guys all those years ago.
But you know, we're just passing it on.
Speaker 3 (25:33):
We only have about a minute left. Simon Kirk, drummer
for Bad Company and Free. Bad Company finally nominated to
the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the first time.
Speaker 2 (25:43):
All right, a minute left.
Speaker 3 (25:44):
What have we not said that you want to say
to our listeners, Simon Kirk, Oh.
Speaker 4 (25:48):
Damn, I'm trying to think of something profound.
Speaker 2 (25:50):
You know, everything you've said is profound.
Speaker 4 (25:52):
I mean, I can't really think of anything, quite honestly.
But you are well. You good, Oh, thank you.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
I'm just having a conversation with you.
Speaker 4 (26:06):
I think an interview is as good as the interviewer.
Some of some of the questions we really spot on,
and I'm not asked a lot about sobriety, So thank
you for doing that. I have no secrets or qualms
about talking about my addiction. If it helps other people,
(26:26):
so great, that's all I want.
Speaker 2 (26:29):
I really appreciate that.
Speaker 3 (26:30):
I appreciate your honesty, and I so appreciate your music
and your contributions and your contributions along the way the
days after nine to eleven. That means the world to me.
It says so much about you as a person. So
thank you, Simon Kirk. And if you missed any part
of this interview, download the iHeartRadio app. It's new, improved
(26:51):
and it's free. It's always free and free. Should be
in Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for Blank's sake,
all right, and I'll see you guys tomorrow morning on
the Jim curR Rock and Roll Morning Show. Q one
o four point three.
Speaker 1 (27:07):
You've been listening to Sunstein sessions on iHeartRadio, a production
of New York's classic rock Q one o four point
three
Popular Podcasts
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy And Charlamagne Tha God!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Decisions, Decisions
Welcome to "Decisions, Decisions," the podcast where boundaries are pushed, and conversations get candid! Join your favorite hosts, Mandii B and WeezyWTF, as they dive deep into the world of non-traditional relationships and explore the often-taboo topics surrounding dating, sex, and love. Every Monday, Mandii and Weezy invite you to unlearn the outdated narratives dictated by traditional patriarchal norms. With a blend of humor, vulnerability, and authenticity, they share their personal journeys navigating their 30s, tackling the complexities of modern relationships, and engaging in thought-provoking discussions that challenge societal expectations. From groundbreaking interviews with diverse guests to relatable stories that resonate with your experiences, "Decisions, Decisions" is your go-to source for open dialogue about what it truly means to love and connect in today's world. Get ready to reshape your understanding of relationships and embrace the freedom of authentic connections—tune in and join the conversation!