Interview with 76 year old Ian Anderson founder of Jethro Tull
sample quotes
In 1967, the year Tull was formed, only a few rock bands memorably utilized a flute, but not as a lead instrument. One was the American band the Blues Project. The other two were both English: The Moody Blues and Family.
Did any of these bands inspire Anderson as a "not-very-good flutist?" In a word: no.
"What inspired me as a flute player was Eric Clapton, because it was his guitar playing I wanted to emulate," he said.
...snip...
"Well," he answered, "I did actually meet Roland Kirk, who I was terrified of. Because word was that he was a pretty intimidating person and not flattering or kind to other people. We met when I played this jazz festival in 1969 on the East Coast, I don't remember where.
The Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island?
"Yes, Newport," Anderson said. "I don't know why they booked us and Led Zeppelin, which seemed weird. Our manager said: 'Roland Kirk wants to meet you.' I thought: 'Oh, god, what am I going to do?' Plus, Kirk was blind which made it even more difficult to confront him in a social setting. But he was really kind and nice. Or, at least, he pretended to approve of my rendition of his song because he was getting the mechanical royalties for it!
"Many years later, Kirk's second wife (Dorothea) showed up at one of our shows in New Jersey, long after he was dead. She said: 'Thanks. I get a (royalty) check twice a year for your performance of Roland's song and it's helped to have that coming in to help pay the bills."
...snip...
By the 1980s he owned several salmon farms in Scotland. At their peak, they employed 400 people and — in 1997 alone —produced 900 tons of smoked salmon, with annual revenues of $26 million.
Commenting on his fish-fueled entrepreneurship in a 1988 Union-Tribune interview, Anderson said he would rather be remembered for providing hundreds of new jobs than for selling tens of millions of albums.
"I guess I'm a socialist at heart," he said at the time. "Actually, I'm a communist [censored] at heart, but I live in a capitalist world, so I try to be a good capitalist. My kids usually prefer to say: 'My daddy's a fish farmer.' It's easier to say that than: 'He plays in an old man's rock group with these fat, balding fellows!'"
...snip...
By his count, Anderson has performed in 55 countries on at least five continents. He recalls first encountering Russian President Vladimir Putin at a 1992 Jethro Tull concert in St. Petersburg. At the time, former KGB agent Putin was the chairman of the city's External Relations Committee and an assistant to its mayor.
...snip...
Earlier in his lifetime — 1969, to be exact — Anderson turned down an offer for Jethro Tull to perform at the now-legendary Woodstock festival, citing the fact that he didn't "like hippies." In the 1970s he sometimes berated concertgoers for smoking pot because the smoke impacted his singing and flute-playing.
