Nils Lofgren

Nils Lofgren :


Way back in the '60s I went there trying to sneak backstage to see Cream and Jimi Hendrix. I used to go with my Telecaster and try and tell the security that the headline act needed it for the show, and they were expecting me. ...

My band Grin, of course, we cut our teeth in Baltimore and at UMBC. A lot of great memories of Baltimore. I remember seeing Jimi Hendrix in the hallway, walking to the stage, looking awful. He looked like he weight 90 lbs. My band Grin had opened three shows for him on my 19th birthday out in California.

To me, Jimi and Jeff Beck were always the two greatest guitar players. I didn't know him. I just asked him how he was doing, and he said 'Not so great.' I said 'Take care of yourself, we need you. He said, 'Yeah, well, my manager's got me playing 64 cities in 66 days.'

I'll never forget it. He was all alone, walking down the hallway to the stage. I was hiding in a doorway. I was young and naive, but now I get it. He was just a piece of meat for his management and for the booking agents. ... No one was really protecting Jimi. It was ruthless. He had too many hangers-on, and drug dealers and groupies and people that didn't really care about him around him. I was grateful to see him play so often and open shows for him, which was an honor.

Source : http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/midnight_sun/blog/2009/11/checking_in_with_nils_lofgren.html

R&F n° 153 d'octobre 79: Interview de Nils Lofgren par... Benoît Feller: