A Conversation with Eddie Money
Money’s ties to the San Francisco Bay Area helped bring him to this particular venue. His management is a husband-and-wife team who lived in Fremont for many years. Percussionist Bobby LeVine is originally from Oakland, and still lives in the Bay Area. Money himself skyrocketed to fame while living and playing in the Bay Area, where he was discovered by the legendary Bill Graham.
While his fame and success are beyond what many musicians achieve, Eddie Money appears more like a member of his audience than some spoiled, sybaritic rock star accustomed to pampering. We chatted at length, with the interview occasionally punctuated by a scene replayed in most households with children: The parent asks their fellow conversant to hold while they investigate the latest escapades of their all-too-quiet or all-too-noisy offspring. His wife is full-time Mom to their five kids and single-handedly runs the Money household, including doing all of the cleaning. “I don’t know how she does it. You should be interviewing her,” he says modestly.
During the summer, his family accompanies him on tour. Although he admits it makes for some interesting situations (“The band gets tired of seeing Willie Wonka videos”, he says), it is one of the things he does to be sure he plays an active role in his children’s lives.
While juggling family and work makes life hectic for him (as it does with his fans), he is not about to give up playing music – or touring. In fact, at an age when many rockers bemoan the drudgery and hard work involved with extended tours, Money thrives on it. “Hey, I’m still not fat, I’m still not bald . . . I’m having fun,” he says. (In addition to performing, Money surfs and mountain bikes to stay in shape.) His concert dates are non-stop during the summer and “usually three weekends a month during the winter”, he says. (His physical fitness and passion for his work show readily. He began our conversation with an impromptu, 45-second concert, and his pace never slowed during our lengthy conversation.)
When I ask how he manages to juggle so much, he replies, “I do it sober.” Long gone are the days when work and addiction went hand in hand. “I’d like to drink, but I have too many kids,” he jokes.
In addition to touring, Money is constantly searching for other ways to reach fans. “My goal is to make a record beyond radio,” he says. (Such groundbreaking is not a new thing for Money: He was one of the first artists to tape on videocassette, and several of his hits in the early 1980s – “Shakin” and “Think I’m In Love” – were popularized by their music videos.) Working towards those goals, Money has made recent appearances on TV. He also plans to launch a record via the Internet, using both familiar hit songs and a fair amount of newer material. Money has also appeared in Joe Dirt, a movie starring David Spade that gets frequently shown on cable television.
With a hectic personal and professional schedule, Money still gives his time and money to charitable causes, especially those focused on kids. One of his newer songs, “Through The Eyes of a Child”, is used to promote major league baseball, with proceeds going to the RBI Fund, a charity that runs baseball leagues for inner city youth. A portion of proceeds from t-shirt sales at his concerts go to support the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Fund.
Money’s dedication to his work and incessant touring are part of a larger effort to reach audiences with new material, as rock radio stations become increasingly limited or utilize an oldies format. “My audience used to go into record stores all the time. They used to listen to the radio for new songs all the time. Now, they’re going into Ace Hardware for sprinkler parts all the time.”
In spite of the large number of appearances, Money makes sure concerts remain interesting for fans by refusing to make up a set list (a list of the songs to be played in the concert that night, in the order they appear). “I think it keeps us on our toes and we give a better performance [without it]”, he says.
And what, I ask him, does that mean for fans?
“It means I’ve still got two tickets to paradise, but everyone’s invited,” he replies.
