Richie Kotzen: "I Had To Stay True To Myself, So I Left."

Today on Justin Hawkins Rides Again..The Podcast, I am speaking to the legendary guitarist and vocalist Richie Kotzen! You may know Richie rom his time in Poison and Mr Big, or currently as the frontman of the power trio that is The Winery Dogs. If not, this is your introduction to an incredibly talented human being and musician. He is a fantastic guitarist and as well as being a part of those bands I mentioned before, he is also a prolific solo artist.
Check out his KZbin channel @RichieKotzenOfficial .
The JHRA Merch Is Out Now! thejawsofvictory.com/
I do monthly Zoom Call Nights over on my Patreon, they're A LOT of fun: www.patreon.com/jushawk
Justin Hawkins Rides Again...The Podcast. You can listen on Apple Podcast, Spotify etc: open.spotify.com/show/0hQYjIw...
The Darkness are going on a World Tour this year to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Permission to Land - get your tickets here: www.thedarknesslive.com/tour-...
#richiekotzen #musicpodcast #justinhawkins

[@JustinHawkinsRidesAgain]

The Darkness are going on a World Tour this year to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of Permission to Land - get your tickets here: www.thedarknesslive.com/tour-dates/

[@independenceltd.]

a world tour with no TX dates? surely, you jest.

[@stevesmulski1462]

Justin - Allow me to share a tale with you of yesteryear. There was a period several moons ago where I was living just off of Hollywood Boulevard in a youth hostel, but I was unemployed and struggling at the time. I used to go see Richie play with his trio at a tiny club called The Baked Potato. They were literally some of the genuinely finest, most intimate gigs I’ve ever experienced. Richie touches upon the fact in this interview that he would have no specific plan or pre-conceived set list whilst performing these shows, so he would literally get to the end of a tune and then look around at his band mates saying “What should we play now?” I remember yelling out “SO COLD!” and he just looked me straight in the eye and busted straight into the riff. For me, that moment was like the closest thing hypothetically to being in the same room as Hendrix, and him playing you a request. Surreally euphoric. But bare with me - Here’s the 2nd part of the story which relates more to something you said in this interview…. Richie’s daughter August had a band at the time called “The Suits”, and I got a facebook notification one day that they were doing this small last minute gig at a hotel which was just around the corner from where I was staying. I walk into this place and Richie is sitting at the bar, recognises me from having met him several times at previous gigs, and warmly greets me saying “Hey man! How’s it goin’?” Now, at the time Richie was having problems with nodules on his vocal cords, and he’d decided at the time (probably through doctor’s orders) to quit drinking at the time. My drinking was getting a bit out of control myself at the time, and I told him he’d actually inspired me to lay off the drink for a while myself. I mentioned a particularly poignantly emotional song he’d written many years ago called “I Would” which is all about addiction struggles and has really always connected with me on a deep level. He looked really genuinely flattered, and next thing I know a couple of weeks later, he’s busting out this same random fairly obscure song from his back catalogue on a live FOX TV broadcast. 🥲 There’s a studio (original album) version, and also version from absolutely stellar stripped down “Acoustic Cuts” album, which just so happens to be my particular favourite… You talk a bit in the interview about how one of your favourite musical devices is when a major changes to a minor chord of the same key - Well - You might wanna check this tune out… 👊😎

[@EduFirenze]

South America?

[@brettvincient]

Canadian dates?

[@clairotway6045]

Come back to New Zealand. Would love if you played at Spark Arena, Auckland!Keep rockin Justin. Love ya❤ . Hopefully us Kiwis get to see you on our shores again soon.😎

[@independenceltd.]

Richie Kotzen is literally a musical genius. He has damn near 25 solo albums and for the vast majority of them he writes everything, plays everything and produces. And every album has hints of hard rock, pop, jazz fusion, blues, soul...the guy can do it all. Which often means that he's outside of my wheelhouse, but I can appreciate his limitless skill.

[@HunterRouth]

Facts

[@ESP77769]

If there ever was an artist deserving more recognition, it's Ritchie!! His guitar playing alone is legendary!!

[@stargazerh112]

@@ESP77769💯

[@afterforever2765]

No doubt about it - what a musician!

[@frontman62]

Absolutely right about him, it’s kinda cool that he’s not that mega popular when introducing his music to other people 👍😎

[@cloughjunk]

Justin, I'm a huge Richie Kotzen fan, and this is probably the best interview with Richie I've ever seen. So great to see him at ease in an interview and the long-form approach gave him the space to tell all the stories! Great interview!

[@RyanCrase1]

Richie is the best! About 9 years ago I shot a bunch of videos for them for their self title album (on Loud and Proud Records). Richie was so humble and mellow, but oh shit can he rip! Hearing him play and sing blew me away. That guy is the real deal. I recently ran into him at my friend’s show (DogStar) and it was so cool to reconnect. Hanging out after the show, I learned that Richie was actually in DogStar for a minute, and is on their first album! Total Legend of a guy and this interview rules!! Here’s one of the videos I shot for them with a few good pals: kzbin.info/www/bejne/favWZaufqLN0mcU&feature=sharea

[@ericbrintonmusic]

Agreed

[@kotznr8793]

100%

[@YoutubeHatesFreeSpeech582]

Richie is my fav guitarist/ singer of all time! He is so underrated. I call him the white Jimi Hendrix. I think he is the best alive.

[@user-rs6fk1vu6q]

Agreed. Justin gave him the space other interviewers don’t. I’ve seen Justin twice from right in front of the stage and have great photos. I’ve been trying to see Richie since the plandemic. ☮️🤞🏼☮️🤞🏼☮️🤞🏼

[@pgrove]

Kotzen is without a doubt the most underrated guitarist/singer/songwriter combo out there. Even ignoring the Winery Dogs and Smith/Kotzen he has SO MUCH phenomenal solo stuff. In a world where Grammys were awarded to people with actual talent, this guy would have 40 or 50 of them.

[@montauta]

Ritchie is not underrated. Grammys is OVERRATED.

[@pgrove]

@@montauta He's incredibly underrated regardless of how garbage the Grammys are.

[@afterforever2765]

Well said!

[@stu73ke]

Underrated is an over used term IMO. I don't think RK is underrated by anyone who has heard him.

[@montauta]

@@pgrove underrated by whom? Maybe the word is "unknown" by the "mainstream""

[@chrisbr1969]

I love Richie Kotzen. I have every album he’s ever made or played on. He’s so underrated. Not only is he an amazing guitar player, but he also plays every instrument, has an amazing voice, and is a great songwriter!

[@aaronball9640]

Richie is crazy talented. An absolute BEAST on guitar and vocals.

[@YoutubeHatesFreeSpeech582]

He is Chris Cornell on a higher level literally! His guitar playing is super crazy.

[@AdamCornfordMusic]

Richie’s voice is insane. Particularly, Winery Dogs version of Fooled Around and Fell In Love. Also wish I had a signature Cornford amp (my surname). Love the channel Justin, thanks for the content.

[@Snoopdave2000]

Almost Chris Cornell level

[@BobGnarley.]

Richie Kotzen is top of the pops. Absolutely insane vocals and top tier guitarist to boot

[@jopshua4703]

To leave out the songwriting aspect of his talent is almost a disservice. Very eclectic, prolific, and original yet oddly familiar at times. He has some sleeper albums that he's not directly credited for that took me a few years to locate. Wilson hawk and forty deuce are a couple awesome side projects hiding out there.

[@jopshua4703]

And his production ability. He's got a great ear for the mix and style of a track. I love how all the tracks he has done since he took his own production over are so much fuller and louder than the average track you'll hear from the same era. Much more pronounced on the CD format than digital.

[@KickflipGnasty]

@@jopshua4703You’d have to be familiar with him on a certain level to know that though. You can tell he’s a good singer and guitar player after watching him for only seven seconds.

[@jopshua4703]

@@KickflipGnasty absolutely, I've been a fan for about 8 years now and listened to the entire collection but it's so cool how long you can still discover new (to you) things he's done over the years.

[@HunterRouth]

What an EPIC Surprise! The Winery Dogs' self-titled record should have won several grammy's and went platinum! Richie is the King!

[@Law-Enduring-Citizen]

The Grammys mean nothing at this point.

[@cleatusandclovis1845]

Damn after the concussions he seems to be doing great!!!! Rock on Kotzen

[@xDeadmanX1070]

You can tell how much Mr. Hawkins loves doing this podcast. So much fun to watch.

[@marchanson169]

Been a fan since I was 14, I'm 47 now and it's been an honor to watch his career.

[@bowtycool]

Same here! I'm 55 now and I have everything he's ever recorded including all the old Shrapnel stuff. I've seen him play with Poison, several times as a solo act and this past year with the Winery Dogs. Still waiting for my chance to see him with Mr. Big. In my opinion Kotzen is a rare talent that is far too underappreciated.

[@667neighbourofthebeast]

47!? 55!? Dang that's crusty!😅

[@Chris-jo1zr]

Some time in 2008 or so I found Richie. I'm so stoked Justin has talked with him though, I love the guy.

[@jopshua4703]

@@667neighbourofthebeast Richie has been on the scene since he was a pup and has not really stopped recording and touring since. You really can't be young to have followed him his whole professional career.

[@user-rs6fk1vu6q]

62 year old female head banger from Philly suburbs. Richie is yummy aside from crazy talented. Never seen him live but I’ve seen The Darkness twice. We ALL have great taste. ☮️🩷🌸🙌🏼

[@damienxavierchambers]

I was a huge poison fan as a kid. And when Native Tongue came out, I was blown away. To this day it’s one of my favorite records ever!

[@Doady1337]

He also is one of the only vocalists who can cover a Chris Cornell song and actually do it justice. Love the guy, a truly talented individual and good guy.

[@dman1069]

Sound garden needs to hire him!!

[@Prometheuspredator]

Most definitely. Have you seen the KZbin video of Ritchie singing "Cochise"? My gosh, he is absolutely amazing and sounds like Chris.

[@jiboo6850]

y'all need to stop with that comparison with Cornell. they're nothing alike. Richie sings vastly better and i find that really stupid to compare them.

[@dman1069]

@@jiboo6850 someone hurt u? 😅

[@jiboo6850]

@@dman1069 no i'm just tired of hearing this. Sound Garden is its own thing and Cornell was great but come on... Richie is not made for that. y'all have to take that off your head. look at his reaction in this interview it's says it all. it's not on his wish list and he has a way to do things that wouldn't get along in an established band. he wants to make his own stuff freely and he's right. he's fantastic like this. he MUST continue like that. end of story.

[@kellyelrington5663]

RICHIE!!!! Such soul. Love the no use of plectrum and that voice. Oh my. Love everything he has done. Leather pants go alright on him too!!

[@mconnolly787]

I am so glad that Richie is starting to get the recognition that he deserves. I have followed his career through his solo albums and every band that he has played with. Like others have already said, Richie is a musical genius. Great interview Justin 👍😁

[@brucecampbellx]

These interviews are so damn good. Great chat! Thank you, Justin and Ritchie. 👍

[@brrrproject]

After beeing a fan for 30 years i can say that this is the most sincerely interview, the most relax, the most real richie kotzen i've seen. This is the guy you meet after his shows outside completely relaxed. It is good thing to see him like this. Open for conversation, packed with good stories. Lovely guy.

[@magnuslervikmusic]

Richie is one of those amazing musicians / guitar players who just keeps getting better and better. Always learning, always evolving! Inspiring!

[@kencraig7308]

Having just become a listener of Richie had to chime in here. Surprisingly I chose a blues Rock essential playlist one day and after some live ZZ top played this epic number called "Help me" starts in, well I must say I was totally moving my body to this bass and drum intro but then the voice and the guitar come in and WOW, I must have listened to it like 6 times trying to figure out who it is because there was no description of the bands on the playlist, wtf, well I searched and finally found out who it is, and now I'm hooked, thanks Richie for finally bringing funk and rock back to the Masses, Bravo 👏👏👏

[@Stratman5150]

Man, this was amazing! Such a great, entertaining interview. Long time Richie fan and you guys were great together. Well done!!

[@musiciohann]

Thank you for this interview!! It’s always amazing to watch him and listen to his stories about his particular career!

[@indigokiller]

I bought Richie Kotzen’s Inner Galactic Fusion Experience in 95 and just lost myself in his playing and his voice. Love that album.

[@thenipper78]

Love the in-depth conversation, thanks for bringing this to your audience!

[@SandyHallMusic]

That was fantastic!!! Love Richie and you are wonderful ❤

[@theshadowboxer]

Absolutely fantastic! This is the first long interview I have seen with him and I loved it

[@shaggyb9599]

I've seen a lot of Richie's interviews over the last few years, and this is the most relaxed I've seen him, I credit that to him having a lot of respect for Justin, I think some of the interviews he does come across as "work", and this one was "fun".

[@jonnepera684]

This is the best interview ever. Simply love both of these guys. Thank you for this❤

[@heavycoast]

Another great interview Justin! Loving these. Thank you for introducing me to Seed of memory...What a record!!

[@EricSchenkelberg]

This was thoroughly enjoyable, thanks so much to both of you! Nice to see Richie just wandering from topic to topic - more interviews should be like this!

[@aqvarovzes]

You two are my favorite singers/artists. I had so much joy watching this. Excellent content. Thank you very much. The idea of you working together in something is exciting. You boys should just have fun!

[@hanspersson2015]

A wonderful chat by these two greats! Richie is legend and it`s very interesting knowing about his creative process and everything else you talked about here.

[@paulvsmith]

Took my son to see the Winery Dogs at the Manchester Academy 2 the other night. Great performance, wonderful musicianship and just a terrific night.

[@arsenbabychenko3196]

Wonderful to see Richie on your channel!!!

[@briancolvin2197]

Thank you Justin and Richie for a fabulous interview !! So great to hear this after seeing the band melt my face off and looking forward to Boys Just Wanna Have Fun !!

[@seanmoore4956]

Thanks for this Justin. Ritchie is my favorite guitarist one of my favorite singers. This interview was brilliant and you both seem to get along great. Would love to see a collaborative musical project with you both.

[@hagiharayumiko2650]

My listening share is almost 100 percent Richie Kotzen❤️i listen to something else and immediately long for his composition, his voice his riffs and solos. There SIMPLY has never been Anyone like him in my listening life and probably never be again 😍

[@carlosportillo2781]

"We signed up for the rollercoaster, we didn't sign up for the tea-cup ride" - I can relate to this! Great interview. Love Richie Kotzen!

[@TheCanyonpascal]

Very nice! It's great to see a multi facettes artist who's articulate, who's got a wide range of interest (outside of music) and who's honnest about his craft. Nice way to get to know Richie Kotzen. I'll go listen to his work now. Great interview Justin! Thank you.

[@viniciuscosta1906]

Great talk! It was super organic, natural, and casual. Thanks, Justin, for that. It's always great to hear different experiences in life. Ritchie, please keep sharing your thoughts in more of these conversations. It was fantastic to hear your perspective and get to know you better. You're a very interesting person, and I truly enjoyed listening to your unique worldview. Congratulations, guys!

[@Rocksarum]

Thanks for the episode!🤩 I admire even more Richie after watching it. He's not only a superb singer and guitarist, but also is so down-to-earth and has great values🥰 I totally identify with that quote in 35:45!!!👍😄 ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[@sleepdepot9790]

Great interview. Especially love hearing that being creative doesn't always have to be about music but also the joy of creating a deck or anything else along those lines. Totally agree. 👍

[@drausiogoncalves3434]

Loved it Justin!!! My two rock and roll heroes of all time!! Thank you for this!!!

[@wwland]

One of the absolute BEST! Thank you for this!

[@Marvidsen1973]

I’ve loved RK since the Native Tongue album with Poison. Ever since he have kept the standards extremely high 🙌🏻🎸

[@careful__Icarus]

Rikki's wife loved Ritchie's "native tongue" too.

[@kingcontraryman7850]

Wow, what a blast. Always a blessing to hear from Richie. Interesting hearing how different techniques such as flamenco inform his technique and style….and who would have known he loves DIY!

[@ZombieMan789]

That was awesome!! Absolutely love how down to earth Ritchie kotzen is. He’s been such a guitar influence on me for such a long time and I’m so glad he’s still rocking and writing new music. Definitely a very cool guy.

[@Daniel-uu8ur]

Thank you for the great interview. I love this authentic just natural go with the flow vibe of you guys. Just have seen The Winery Dogs last thursday in Berlin. I really enjoy Richies playing and singing. A great musician.

[@theoy545]

Super Super great Interview Justin!!!! Thank you for this and for being Real and Rock n Roll! Kotzen is one of my favorites by far. Awesome Artist👌👌👌

[@brookchivell]

Man that was an amazing interview. Ritchie is amazing!! Thank you

[@mastertheguitar]

YES! Loving this interview. Kotzen is a HERO.

[@1jimbojam1]

Thank you for making this!!!!! Nothing could be more cool than BOTH you talking shop together

[@Imperialmusicfan]

Great episode! Richie is a brilliant musician. We need another one to discuss his approach to playing all the instruments and vocals... that'd be super interesting!

[@vladdyvansavage8760]

Awesome Interview Justin. Richie Is a class act! Was fortunate to see his trio play live here in Melbourne a couple of years ago and met him after the show. Absolute Legend.

[@Marshallstack23]

Dude! Thanks for featuring Richie, absolutely great interview!

[@skylerchase7111]

My favourite episode thus far !!! Richie is truly a blessed, humble human being and loved every stories he shared and the whole conversation was brilliant. I can’t wait to hear “ Boys just want to have fun “ 🤘🎶🤘

[@debbysheaanderson333]

Longtime RK fan, what a delightful surprise! I saw Richie and his band play a little club in Seattle on a rainy Monday night in 2018. Unfortunately only about 75 people were there. I was able to stand right in the front, seeing Richie play, so close that I could see the veins on his fingers! Love love love his solo work.

[@kreavix]

This was absolutely wonderful to watch and listen to ❤

[@gary5150]

Great listening in to this conversation. Cheers Justin 👍🏻

[@roaringscot]

Great interview, with two talented musicians talking life, music and everything in between. Well guided by Justin. Richie really comes over as a grounded, sensible guy. More of this.

[@dwadland]

Absolutely fantastic interview. I was lucky enough to see Richie on the Smith/Kotzen tour and the recent Winery Dogs shows. He's just an amazing guy.

[@pinkiewerewolf]

This was an amazing interview. I've been lucky to live in Northern California, make the drive down state to see Richie and the great musicians he surrounds himself with quite a few times in the last 10 years. Small venues like The Siren in Morro Bay, Ventura, Yoshi's in Oakland, Santa Cruise...

[@chrisbarclay]

Amazing scoop Justin. Love Richie Kotzen. What a great interview. Meeting you back in New Zealand with The Darkness was a highlight being a big fan and then seeing you interview Richie was epic 🫡🤘🏻🙏🙏What he said about being depressed and trying to ‘turn off the art’ is exactly what I struggle with. It’s crazy because that is the actual vernacular I use. Much love and respect

[@alex.guitar]

Brilliant interview Justin! So much fun to watch. It shows what a great person Richie is, beyond being a fantastic guitarist and musician. I enjoyed this conversation very much!

[@davidturner2974]

Kotzen is just AMAZING. Have had the joy of seeing him solo live and with Winery Dogs in the last year+ and he's just phenomenal. Awesome, awesome interview.

[@steveness2501]

Gotta be one of my all time favorite interviews. Well done!

[@sixweekssobergtr1]

HEllz Yeah! Thank you so much for this interview!

[@joesantiago9062]

Such a great conversation, could’ve listened to hours more of you guys!

[@Mondayman622]

What a great interview!! Loved it. Richie grew up in my area of Reading Pa. I saw him many times on his first band back in the day.

[@NinStardust]

Great interview guys! Thank you! 🥰 Those quick fire questions at the end were fun. Hope they become a regular thing 🥰

[@270win284]

Amazing interview . Kind of a 2 way interview which is amazing . I love everything about this .Both Great people .

[@Owenator26]

I recently just came across The Winery Dogs and absolutely love their music. Richie definitely has a Chris Cornell tone to his vocals and is great guitar player. Then he's also backed by the solid rhythm section of Mike Portnoy & Billy Sheehan an awesome trio!

[@stargazerh112]

He is also an incredible bassist

[@miccullen]

Yeah, I guess you could call Sheehan and Portnoy "solid"...

[@brentj.peterson6070]

They are INSANE live🔥

[@SausageKramp]

F'ing great time watching this interview!!! I can't wait for Boy's Just Want to Have Fun!!!

[@stargazerh112]

That was awesome. I love both of you guys!

[@davidlawson7786]

I remember when Ritchie’s first Shrapnel records album came out, we’re both the same age 53, also a guitarist too, but damn he was a monster on that release, the song unsafe at any speed was bananas. Lol what a brilliant player and songwriter as well. I really loved this conversation in this video, this is my favorite episode on Justin’s channel. Ritchie seems like a really cool guy and he seems to have very good attitude towards life in general and I can tell he is very grateful as well. I really enjoyed Justin and Ritchie’s back and forth about music. Now I have to listen to the Winery Dogs. Thanks for this wonderful video Justin. Cheers from Chicago 🙏

[@Hippimom74]

Amazing interview! Thank you for this! ❤️

[@joeyswaney8497]

That Poison album is by far the best album Poison ever did. I saw that tour in Atlanta back in the day. Great show. I also met Kotzen in LA back 2003. My buddy and I helped him carry his gear out and put it in a pickup truck his dad was driving. Very cool dude. Very humble guy. Absolute musical master.

[@hallowedbeminename]

I would have loved to hear Richies thoughts on the Smith/Kotzen record. Adrian is a legend and an incredible guitarist!

[@shady1kenobi]

i fucking LOVE that album... and EP songs are good too. Can't wait for (hope they do) a follow-up soon!

[@markwarren471]

That was so good! Been following Richie's career since the Shrapnel days and had the pleasure of hosting him and his solo trio about ten years ago at a Tampa music venue I managed. Absolutely no rock star pretense offstage and his completely KILLED it come showtime. For the gear nerds, his amp at the time was an 18-watt Marshall 1974X stack and he was just riding his guitar's volume knob for the rhythm/lead. What Richie said about getting a similar sense of accomplishment from home improvements and maintanence as with songwriting and recording really resonated with me. I like to say "I don't enjoy mowing the lawn but I really like having mowed the lawn"...same with music making.

[@Coffeehousesantos]

That was a great interview.So awesome to see Richie Kotzen artist in their comfort zone speaking freely .

[@TheSoulsandRevive]

Cheers for this interview Justin! Richie is a phenomenal musician and a great inspiration as a songwriter! Great laid back persona too!

[@sonum4298]

This is the first Richie Kotzen interview I've seen. His persona is one of the rarest kind in a f'n good way. He is not just a very intelligence and creative person but a true and honest person as well. The title for the interview is perfect. Justin you did a brilliant job with this Interview! ... kinda like always^^

[@felinekaiju4517]

The whole interview resonated with me. I found Ritchie during covid when his signature guitar came up when looking for a telecaster. I deep dived into all his stuff and loved it. He's a top bloke too, and love all of his interviews.

[@peaveyimpact]

I literally started playing guitar because of Richie.....was huge in to Poison as a little kid so of course when Native Tongue came out I bought it instantly and it absolutely blew me away. That shit was the sound in my head. Been a massive fan ever since

[@nikkitalavoie]

Thank you guys for such an honest conversation about death and emotion and songwriting. My music had died 12 years ago when I lost my grandmother and then my Dad....in May I lost my father in law and then my husband died May 22nd from undiagnosed hypertension....I haven't stopped singing writing and picked up my guitar again....I am devastated but music is literally the only thing that is getting me through this. We renovated our old house listening to Ritchie.. we love Winery Dogs, have followed Darkness since they hit the express train. I booked Monsters of Rock for me and my older brother for March so I can't wait to see you both and Vixen cause inspiration ❤️

[@Blakenbacker]

Awesome! My favourite guitarist at the moment and a great person. loved the interview, would be amazing to see you guys write, record and perform something together for the channel.

[@sinnertrain7405]

This such a great interview. Ritchie is super amazing. God blessed him with incredible talent!

[@dave-jk6en]

That was brilliant, best interview you’ve done!! Could have listened to 10 hours of that

[@genealdridge6994]

That was great fun! Makes me miss him even more. I look forward to meting you and whatever madness you two will create on the Monsters of Rock Cruise.

[@Drinckx2]

Excellent stuff! He's had a remarkable career with its twists and turns, but the integrity has always been present. I saw The Winery Dogs recently and they are such a good band. Often when you gets these supergroups it becomes about talented musicians rehashing their back catalogues, but with TWD, they are writing great material that combines a bit of retro with some contemporary rock to great affect. Richie Kotzen is so gifted as a guitarist, singer and writer.

[@JeffBisCamp]

Great Interview ! Cheers 😎👍🌴☀️🔥🎸

[@deborahnawran1020]

What an amazing interview, creative soul and down to earth- greetings from South Africa, thanks Justin Hawkins 🎸🎼

[@MrPhilbirkhead]

I’m a fairly new Richie Kotzen fan, this interview filled in so many gaps in my understanding of his musical journey and I I’m just so glad I got into him, which was through Mike portnoy really after I got into other music he’s Involved in. Richie has so much passion and ability. Thanks Justin you were fantastic at download last year. You still got it. Plus I love that you love Mark Knopfler, he’s probably my number one first influence from back in the 80’s, keep up the great work guys. 🎸🎸🎸

[@airdrie_wolf]

Totally relate to what Richie said about feeling down after a day of working on a song that he is really happy about! I experience this all the time after a few days of feeling upbeat. Great interview... Great Guest... Love his work especially Winery Dogs.

[@MrCherryJuice]

Last night I watched the Ritchie Kozen in Japan DVD on KZbin. There is much more to him than I anticipated - he is much more than just ripping rock, with the soulful bits really winning me over. And this interview has revealed so much more. I have always reckoned that with a great producer he could rule the world. He and Glenn Hughes (they had done things together) are similar in that they are massive talents that somehow don't quite get it right when it comes to delivering their goods. Jeff Beck also intermittently suffered that fate. I like to think Ritchie will gain numerous new fans as a result of your very considered (and considerate) questions and ability to let him relax and respond so naturally. You both appeared to have a fine time, as did those of us on this side of the screen.

[@edwardjons8684]

Yay! My favourite rock guitarist of the past 20 years - seen him 3 times in the UK. Absolutely monster player and singer - and even better live!

[@moodlefyful]

The Smith/Kotzen album has some fine guitar playing..fantastic vocalist.

[@dcbdiscerns7617]

Excellent interview, sir (more a lovely conversation). I love his latest collaborations with Adrian Smith (Smith/Kotzen) simply wonderful! Classic rock is alive and well🤘 ❤

[@kellysmith1484]

Such a great interview. Both of you seem to hit it off and agree on so much. In love what you do Justin.

[@AresKiske]

I watched him with the W.Dogs weeks ago in Rock Imperium (Spain-Cartagena) and they blew me away. What a band, what a performance. Great artists. Very nice interview :)

[@Rocksarum]

🎶Ehhhhh... Cartagena!🎶 (Kiss cover mode of "La Macarena"😂😂😂) Hope they'll come back soon👍

[@jdculver666]

Loved it...I would love to see more interviews like this. You're position in the industry gives you great insight and, i would think, creates a fun atmosphere for the person you're interviewing. Only critique is I'd say you have to be careful about interrupting. Great stuff.