Tubes Fee Waybill Crazy Stories of Rock Excess That Made Him Get Clean

[@bpagan7781]

Fee is a classic pro-performer. He always knew the importance of being the leader. The Tubes were a breath of fresh air amongst the pop bands of the 70's! Rock on Fee!!

[@fritzbergmann9895]

I must seen the Tubes live 7-8 times in a span of a year in 81-82. Made so much sense Fee didn't do drugs with the physical performances he did. You could see the great shape he was in.

[@Ghostdog4]

Legend! The most under rated band of all time! Their songs are the story of my life!

[@powerkor]

YOU HAVE MY PITY

[@geriheide8031]

Love the Tubes. One of my favorite bands forever ❤️

[@patrickkem689]

Fee Waybill! You are an example inspiration for anybody wanting to really wants to be a musician. It used to be About drugs… but the truth is the longevity of survival is health exercise taking care of yourself Seriously. Fee you are a soldier to be admired. Thank you man! You are the real deal!

[@stancruz4809]

Thank you for this great interview with Fee Waybill. He is one of the most dynamic front men in the industry, and still going strong at 72 years of age. It is good to see him healthy and happy, no doubt due to being smart enough to discipline himself from the vices that shorten career's and lifespans too. Cheers from Huntington Beach, California!

[@rushshukla4636]

The Tubes are my all-time favourite band. They never got the recognition they so truly deserve. Every album they made was epic and satirized the American consumerist culture that swept across the world. Fee is a great lyricist, frontman and vocalist. One of a kind. Now for me is their best album.

[@faschuck]

Nice choice. I’m pretty partial to ‘Remote Control’ myself!

[@pommelhorsepommelhorse8731]

Fee, if your watching, thanks for saving that voice - one of the best R&R voices of all time.

[@robf6105]

Fee is very cool. Very intelligent. Great sense of humor. I've been watching his appearances on Letterman lately. Great interview here, John.

[@davidawilliams252]

That is exactly what motivated Steve Perry to not do drugs ( was an alcoholic) but left the music industry in 1998 to save himself. Congratulations to you sir for your determination.

[@narvul]

Steve Perry was in a band called Journey which had Prairie Prince as a drummer when they started.

[@JoshMaxPower]

You know what I wish...is that in 1983, someone would have videoed and interviewed the huge stars of the 30s and 40s who were still alive, some still performing like Billy Eckstine, and just let them talk - just like this! Being on the road when there were no interstate highways, when the only way you could hear music besides the radio was to buy a record and put it on, and music and media was not a 24/7 thing, and there was no such thing as a drum machine, a punch-in and everything in the studio was live and if you didn't get it live, you didn't get it and you couldn't fix the mistakes. Because in the very near future, virtually every big rock star of the 60s will be gone, and all people will have is the interviews. Bless you for your work, John Beaudin!

[@lilmelvin11]

Thank you so much for this interview! The Tubes were such a talented band and very astute in their humor. Nice that Fee mentioned Danny Kaye. Saw them as a kid at Vanderbilt University in the 70s after getting the first album and seeing them on that SCTV fishing segment later. Great !

[@dankelly5150]

I think they were referencing Edmonton Beach, an overgrown slew about a half hour west of Edmonton?

[@conradpoos2859]

The Tubes segment on Fishin' Musician is phenomenal. I love how SCTV would integrate music acts into their skits.

[@deancol4080]

I remember seeing the Tubes in Cleveland back in the early 2000s and Fee came back out on stage after the encore and shook hands with fans. What a class act, Fee is the best!

[@danburnes722]

The fishing musician with John Candy was fantastic. Awesome!

[@Adamswelltroddenpathways]

@@danburnes722 the funniest thing about that sketch was Candy admitting he doesn’t even eat fish, after all that talk

[@charlesbyers6911]

Fee, we love you and are grateful for your dedication to your craft. You rock!

[@gerardcooney1810]

Loved Fee Waybil and the Tubes. A very underated Band.

[@OtherMike5000]

ABSOLUTE *LEGEND!*

[@seansherrod8725]

I have loved Fee Waybill and Praire Prince (drummer) since my senior year of junior high school 1980/1981, God bless them both ALWAYS! A hidden gem from The Tubes is “Tip of My Tongue” co written by Earth Wind & Fire! Man that tune is GROOVIN AND SMOKING!!

[@gemaelvarra8914]

Yes. I used to think that The Tubes and Chicago - and the EWF of course - were sharing the same vibes back in the 80s. Maybe it was because of the "David Foster factor".

[@gemaelvarra8914]

Yes. I used to think that The Tubes and Chicago - and the EWF of course - were sharing the same vibes back in the 80s. Maybe it was because of the "David Foster factor".

[@yeldarbarrow3172]

Tip of My Tongue is a banger for sure! 🤘

[@joetanaka6446]

Keep going Fee! Norcal boy here. My brother turned me on to The Tubes. Must have listened to the first album 50 times before we saw you guys. Thank you for sharing this interview!

[@semloclusa1630]

Thanks for asking the obvious question, to our favorite artists. I’m glad Fee is still around.

[@greggardner2042]

I met Fee after a gig in Napa, Ca. a number of years ago. He is a down to earth guy and was great with all of the fans. His solo album Fee Waybill Rides Again is fantastic!!! Too bad rock radio ignored it.

[@jamesirwin1839]

First saw them in 77 or 78. Still one of the most entertaining shows I've ever seen

[@RadioClambake]

I saw The Tubes twice at SoCal amusement parks when I was a teen. Amazing, and still sticks with me to this day.

[@derek5168]

Learn from the mistakes of others you don't want to be a dead idol 💯

[@janeswidler5129]

Diane Ladd. Loved the interview

[@9sunskungfu]

I been watching a lot of these guys (The Tubes) lately as I've only just discovered them. The other night i happen to watch Xanadu , the Olivia newton john movie as I've never seen it and now that she's just passed away, i wanted to watch it to celebrate her life and to remember her as i did when i was a kid with that crush i had on her. Anyway as i was watching most of the music and dance routines..(i skipped most of the film because the story was just boring) I was surprised to see The Tubes were also in the film too performing. What a strange coincidence.

[@Fortinclan]

Fee Waybill is a class act, saw them live many times. The last time I saw them around 2019 my kid wanted a shirt but they were sold out. Fee took us backstage and gave my kid his concert shirt and took pictures with us as well. What a class act

[@ericmalone3213]

Interesting Fee Waybill testimony on The Devil's Dandruff. David Bowie & Joni Mitchell did some of their best work on mucho cocaine, it didn't interfere with their singing one bit. Drugs and drink affect people very differently.

[@yeldarbarrow3172]

Bowie became paranoid a.f. when he was at his worst coked up....

[@JimToynton]

The tubes didn’t get the recognition they deserved. Especially in the 80’s. I saw them twice then. What a show! You go Fee!

[@timothywills7709]

Great storyteller. I always loved that SCTV sketch on Fishin Musician. I remember Fee presenting Gil Fisher a gold record - " a brass bass kind of thing".

[@petergarcia8615]

Yep! We were all treated to TWO Tube songs on that episode thanks to Lola.

[@danielodom3839]

I was at that Winterland show. Dec. 28 , 75 i believe.

[@RobertEllis-e7p]

You're not sure. Must of been quite a show

[@darrell6800]

Interview Sparks frontman. Still has the vox chops in his 70s. It’s physical

[@905Alive]

Hopefully a lot of young musicians hear this. Many think Keith Moon is the way to go and "wow he was so cool", I could mention names but a lot of the 80's poser bands that did a lot of drugs are toast now, they didn't stay in shape, didn't take care of themselves. Many many musicians from many eras didn't make it, from jazz and blues in the early 1900's to today, country music was rife with drugs. I've been blown away by how many singers smoked cigs, not even pot, just cigs will kill your voice, ruin it, that's your dream why ruin it??

[@joeanthony7759]

Depends on the person. Robert Plant smoked cigs a long time, didn’t hurt his voice much.

[@dukecraig2402]

Live fast die young leave a good looking corpse. That's how any decent respectable rock star does it instead of growing old and looking pathetic on stage breaking their hip in front of everyone.

[@anthonydworak8127]

Ciggys are tasty

[@buzzedalldrink9131]

@@joeanthony7759thats because it always sucked. I have no idea what ever made him think he could sing just my opinion

[@filramil]

@@joeanthony7759 have you heard Zep 1 vs his later solo stuff? range not even close . Still a good singer but ….

[@dustinhockensmith6055]

Sadly, Rick Anderson (bass) just passed away. As far as I know, he is the first Tube member to pass away, besides some of the female vocalists they have worked with (Jane Dornacker in 1986 & Re Styles this past year). There may be others that I don't know about.

[@dankelly5150]

Vince Welnick died in 2006.

[@groundhog713]

Original keyboard player Vince Welnick died from suicide in the late 2000s. I don't know exactly when.

[@jefflofgren5304]

Vince Welnick (keyboards) passed away around 2006.

[@wolfgangdevries127]

Vince Welnick

[@toddmorrissey8372]

Vince Welnick slashed his own throat in 2006.

[@MissingMars]

Thanks John - please tell Fee we LOVE him.

[@tedpikul1]

Kids, there's only one Fee Waybill. Look up the 70s live performances.

[@rogerbranton1752]

Fantastic! Fee is undoubtedly one of the greats! Really special to have this unexpected Can-Con in this installment. Thanks for that too!! 😄

[@martianshoes]

Something similar happened to me during facial surgery in 1971. While putting an implant in my nose (result of a car wreck) a hypo syringe inside my nose slipped out of contact and shot pharma grade coke (common use for facial surgery then to numb but prevent muscle relaxation) down my throat. I gasped and gestured and the surgeon saw what happened and poured saline down my throat. Then sensation of salt was nauseating but I hung on. My intestinal tract was out of action for days. Couldn’t speak until the next day. PS - I met John Candy in Atlanta airport while he was filming “Summer Rental”. You’re right Fee; he was a prince.

[@stayathome2]

Fee Waybill is such a cool guy. I saw the Tubes a couple times in the mid-late 70's, and a bunch of times more recently at a place called Penn's Peak, here in NE PA. They still do a great show, although not quite as elaborate as the old days. After the show, Fee was at the merch table and hanging out by the bar. Such a unique band that could really write and play.

[@SirManfly]

I believe the lake they are referring to outside of Edmonton is Devil’s Lake? Some entrepreneur thought it would be a good idea to put a music venue an hour outside of the city in the middle of nowhere and people would flock there. They didn’t and it went out of business soon after !

[@joeysplats3209]

Thanks, Fee. We hope to talk to ya later!

[@Jimi_Lee]

I saw Fee and the Tubes in Phoenix on the "Remote Control" tour. Probably my best concert experience so far.

[@jtdrumshop9301]

SCTV stories also. How Cool! Thanks for all your amazing guests!

[@stevenr6874]

Love The Tubes but I'd rather have an autographed picture of Randy Mantooth

[@jongilbertson2106]

Is that what you want from life?

[@joetanaka6446]

Or a baby's arm holding an apple!

[@Polacerbic]

Fee is the undisputed 👑 extremely well played. The Tubes are Gods ❤️

[@SonicsRevenge]

Just lost a good friend who played guitar last week, 1 year younger than me, he and others I know from playing in bands played hard and partied hard and were still doing it, burst aorta. I've lost 5 musician friends in the past few years. I have met Fee several times as The Tubes played The Tangier's in Akron on Halloween for years.

[@joshuaswannmusic6462]

You have to love this man. Such an inspiration. Thank you for this interview.

[@krisscanlon4051]

Fee is one of my favs...just a great personality talent etc can't get enough of em

[@glen7228]

That's crazy to hear him talk about not using pot or coke. Considering that when they were scheduled to play my hometown, there were several petitions going around to stop that show from happening because of their persona and on stage antics. This would have been early to mid 70s

[@timfeeley714-25]

Had me fooled with the whole Qwey Lewd thing! The action figures are awesome!

[@BillWilson-h1n]

love Fee! Met him after a show about 10 years ago and talked baseball of all things. What a nice, down to earth guy. Great performer and always fun!

[@MrMissy1964]

The TUBES are great. While Fee is the lead singer and frontman , as he said several times, it's the band and their exceptional musicianship that is what really makes them great and that Art school mentality made those earliest years great fun and Fee fit in perfectly. From your interview, Fee seems more guilty of ART excess than rock access. I think I did more drugs in HighSchool than he has his whole life. I'm the one who thought his heart had stopped. I'm the one who had to bring my gilfreind back from a speedball OD.. I'm the one who had to quit to save his life. Stopping was nothing for Fee because he didn't live the Rock and Roll lifestyle, he wasn't addicted, he wasn't a user. He lived the artist/writers life, at one point I think he was drinking too much and pickling himself. He rigthed himself and came back home to the Tubes healthier. Fee and Robert Plant are still rocking the 70s at 70 because they statyed pretty clean but what happened to Page. He might have crawled free from the dope bag , but the journey seems to have left him half empty and he's never been the same. I think you missed the story here. Discipline and success not excess.

[@HumGuitar]

Love the Tubes, loved SCTV!

[@jjdvideo]

I believe Diane Ladd is Laura Dern’s mother.

[@billkalivas9750]

I believe you are right.

[@guzziguy1000]

Saw them at the Syria Mosque in Pittsburgh right when they released Young & Rich . Helluva show !

[@antrygis1]

Hey there sports fan!. Wow...the video for that and Mondo Bondage were so cool. Of course they got some $$ for 1 in a million girl and that was great. They were an ACT w/great musicians of their time. Great stuff.

[@Gratefuldeadgriffin]

Can’t wait to see them at the canyon club in Agoura hills

[@johncollier9280]

I'll never forget seein' The Tubes live in Santa Cruz. Midway through Che Guevara-like dudes with rifles strolled up 'n down the aisles as the tv screens on stage said LEAVE THE THEATER NOW...THIS IS NOT A JOKE! Sirens blared, the overhead lights came on 'n everybody looked at each other in their stoned states wonderin' what's goin' on??? Then the next song began as if nothin' weird had happened. Oh those Tubes...!!!

[@georgeklavins7257]

Omaha's own.....Fee Waybill... My son and I saw you(again) here in Omaha last July at Barnato. One of my all-time favorite shows. I meant what I said as we were talking at the bar after the show Prairie...The few minute jams between songs while Fee was backstage changing...Your drumming, including solos is spot on, nothing exaggerated. I loved seeing your eyes light up when I told you that. All you could say was "REALLY".....Exaggerated drum solos are a dime a dozen. Re had passed away a few weeks prior

[@superbassomatic]

Fee is great in interviews. He's never been hesitant to tell it like it is, and he's got a great memory. And, he's still killing it with the Tubes on the road. I saw them a year ago, and they were great.

[@johnhermanson5249]

I saw the Tubes at NYC Bottom Line. Holy S what a show! Thanks for this interview. Did Fee do an episode of the Drew Carey Show?

[@paule1983]

Fee Waybill is a hybrid alien.

[@philrobertson951]

Tip of my Tongue...great track, funky as has ever been made. Gotta say I love those 2 Foster records

[@RobertEllis-e7p]

You gotta love Fee Waybill. He is a role model, love the Tubes. I'd like to meet him some day, Rock On Mr. Waybill!

[@BlackMan614]

"Life-style cancer". Yup... that is a great description. Fee is a master of his craft.

[@rhawk620]

I can attest to this…met him in the early 80s at a backstage party in Indiana offered him some coke and he told me the same story. Really nice dude

[@garycitro1674]

Particularly in the earlier years that I saw them, they were more theatrical and just amazing all around. GREAT musicians. Even in the later years I saw them in a smaller club in New York City, and Roger Steen has to be one of the most underrated rock and roll guitarists on the planet.

[@kevinkaatz883]

God bless bro, keep on rockin!

[@IanDenchasy]

WPOD!!! "What Do You Want from Live," is THE most underrated live album of all time.

[@eyeeye00]

The Tubes are a everysong band. They are 🎸 🤘 🥌 Rock.

[@dankelly5150]

Whenever I need a kick a$$ rocker, I'll put on The Tubes-Remote Control album! Still my favorite Tubes album!!

[@spazmonkey3815]

First time I heard Fee and the gang it was a life changing event.

[@andyroid5028]

*Nice interview w/an 80s music legend. Some random facts:* _•Fee Waybill: John Waldo "Fee" Waybill (born September 17, 1950)._ _•Prairie Prince: Charles Lempriere "Prairie" Prince (born May 7, 1950)._

[@DrTomoculus]

This is what kept me away from cocaine. The Drip. I could not stand that sensation. The experience of that drip put me off ever doing it again. (My experiences were only 4 times.)

[@hughjames8339]

Saw the Tubes and Todd Rungrens Utopia want to say around 1976-77

[@zendean5207]

The second concert I ever attended, in 7th grade, was The Tubes. It was the same night as the big Who return concert in 1982, and they did covers of Baba O'Reilly and The Kids are All Right. Then in the encore they did White Punks on Dope and the bikini laden dancers dumped giant dumpsters of white powder and bathed their nude bodies in the powder like an orgy. Blew my 13 year old mind.

[@n.miller907]

I have those SCTV Fishin' Musician episodes with The Tubes on VHS tape. I watched them so many times doing those songs. The Tubes music was always blasting away on my top of the line car stereo system back in the day. So many good memories.

[@michaeldy3157]

Drugs killed many of my friends. Glad he survived

[@JustinSevenTwo]

Just saw him play in December, he's still rocks the house!!

[@stevevaughn2040]

In bay area, long time ago, my administrators (secretary) husband was a life long friend of Fee. She disliked him because when he hit San Francisco her husband would vanish with Fee for a few days. Tubes were great.

[@senorfunball]

Saw the Tubes at Six Flags over Georgia, the Plimsouls opened Also the Fabulous Stains is a great rock and roll movie 🤘🤠👍

[@JoeVideoed]

Ah, The Tubes. Bay Area band with Arizona roots. Don't blame them & Alice Cooper for leaving; locals ran both bands out. Thankfully, other bands later on stayed to make the Valley of the Sun a place to be for great bands.

[@richardshort311]

He can't clean up, but he knows he should. Love 💕 you.

[@Taterwheel]

Smoked a doob with him backstage after a show in '78, won't say where it was though. He was the most incredible showman I ever saw though, loved the shows! Also enjoyed the records, Spooner is such a brilliant lyricist.

[@bobbyhamblen2338]

Cool Dude...Respect to him.

[@relevantinformation6655]

I know a number of well known hard rock stars (bands who have sold over 25 million albums) and despite their appearance, they are stone cold sober. It becomes a business. In order to survive, you have to be on top of your game.

[@hornpuppy22]

His story about She’s a beauty is epic

[@wworden3868]

I think it was him at a Violent Femmes show in Phoenix, backstage we was twisting up a fat joint from a baggie he had. This was maybe '93??

[@kevinjohnson8758]

Love the Tubes.

[@rigmaster1]

Saw The Tubes and Fee this summer at the "Totally Tubular Festival". So glad I got to see them, but Fee looked like he was having some serious back or knee issues. Still sounded good though!

[@MikeJBlues]

Awsome testimony , 🙌 👌 👍 🙏

[@lifetree4623]

Laura Dern's mother is Diane Ladd.

[@bradtanner6047]

Fee, always entertaining.

[@DjTroublemaker]

The stains was a great movie. "everybody wants to go to heaven, but nobody wants to die"

[@zendean5207]

I've seen the movie he is talking about. It was released eventually. Can't remember where I saw it, but I saw it and it was a really great rock and roll coming of age movie.

[@jeffthevideoguy23]

The Fishin Musician brought me here

[@rjm4091]

Excellent.

[@ThiloSausMUC]

💪Keep rockin your Life ❣forever Fee 😎

[@woodyreed2882]

I always thought he looked like actor Craig Wasson .. fwiw... lol.

[@relevantinformation6655]

I know closely a few rock musicians who have sold over 25 million albums. All of them are stone cold sober because it’s a business. As they became successful, they had to choose between profit, or party. They chose wisely.

[@SelectCircle]

So you never met the Stones. 8 D

[@JustaJuboi]

Slipped my disco. Bad ass🙏

[@peterwoodhouse4314]

Funnily enough, only last night I saw for the first time a Tubes Winterland 1974 gig with Fee Waybill doing that 'ripping off Danny Kaye, head among the salad' song which seemed to exit the set list by '75. I wonder if it's the same gig he's talking about?