Monday, October 26, 2009

TriJangle interview, part 1 - Pat Terry

My friend, Doug, is producing a show. On Saturday, November 14, three outstanding musicians and songwriters will come together for an evening of good music at the Westridge Auditorium Theater in Elgin, Illinois.

Pierce Pettis, Pat Terry and John Austin are the "Songwriters in the Round".

I asked Doug if I could do a short interview with each of them. I tossed out three questions, one for the gearheads, the second one as the obligatory question (and I told Doug I wouldn't use: If you were a tree...), and the third one as the thread that runs through all three of their lives.

Pat Terry was the first to respond to the questions, so I'll post his first...


Q: What guitar are you playing the most these days?
My favorite guitar is still my 1970 Martin D28, which I bought brand new and have used on every project I've done since then.
Q: What are you actively listening to? What music is inspiring you?
I've been listening to Wilco, Rosanne Cash, Johnny Winter, and Leonard Cohen... and of course, there's always some Lennon/McCartney thrown in for good measure.
Q: In a sentence or two, what did you take away from working with Mark Heard?
Mark always drove home the importance of doing whatever was vital and real to me at the time. In the end, I think as songwriters that's all we have to offer.

For more info about Pat Terry, please visit his website, PatTerryOnline.com. His Q&A section has a lot more questions and his answers are more in-depth, but I specifically didn't want the guys to spend hours answering my questions. This was to be more of a drive-by interview.

My connection to Pat Terry...

Pat (along with James Dean Hicks and Roger Murrah) wrote the song, National Working Woman's Holiday. Sammy Kershaw recorded it in 1994, where it made it to the #2 spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs Chart. Sammy's current keyboard player is Steve Farmer. I went to high school with Steve and were in a number of bands together, both legit and pick-up bands. So, it is almost like Pat and I are old buddies.

Ticket information can be found at TriJangle.com.

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