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Love, guitars and mother
Isaak plays a wicked game of Wikipedia
"Living on a tour bus cuts down on my chance to meet the right person," said Chris Isaak. He plays the Brady Theater Aug. 12. Courtesy
By KAREN SHADE World Scene Writer
Published: 8/4/2009 3:33 AM
Last Modified: 8/4/2009 7:07 AM
Chris Isaak has never looked at his Wikipedia page online. There's not much chance for it, when most of your time is spent on the road.
"Please take into account that I am on a moving bus, have slept about two hours in four days, and my bass player and drummer are taking turns singing in the bunks on each side of me. I believe they are trying to sing 'My Sharona,' but no one can be sure," Isaak wrote in an e-mail.
Despite the upheaval that constant touring introduces into his life, Isaak — the star of the "Chris Isaak Hour" on the Biography Channel, the king of cameo film roles, the smoldering crooner of good ol' rock 'n' roll heartache — took a break to answer a few questions we had about his page on the world's largest online "free encyclopedia."
Wikipedia says: "Christopher Joseph 'Chris' Isaak is an American rock musician and occasional actor." How do you define yourself?
"Romantic ballad singer, occasional surfer, former farm hand and roofer, and full-time screwball."
Wikipedia says: "His best-known song is 'Wicked Game.' " What is one of your favorite songs from your backlog of work, and why?
"My favorite...I like 'Forever Blue.' I always thought it was a complete story in a song. And it came to me so quickly. It started out as a letter to my ex. But you know, I don't usually listen to my own music, at least not if people can see me.
"I read one time that Sinatra used to like to play his own records. I always liked him for that. I guess EVERYBODY likes Sinatra."
Wikipedia says: "Isaak was born in Stockton, Calif., the son of a potato chip factory worker and forklift driver. Isaak's mother is Italian American." Is this true, and how does your background influence your work, such as "Mr. Lucky," your new album?
"All true. My parents are still together, married 60 years. I asked my mom what the secret was to staying married that long, and she told me, 'Don't leave.' I like that. I kind of used the idea in one of my songs:
'A simple plan, here's what we'll do,
'You count on me, I'll count on you.'
"Of course, it helps to be in love "
Wikipedia says: "Isaak has also appeared in numerous films, mostly playing minor cameo roles." How did this start?
"Somebody asked me to be in a movie, and I showed up on time. I think the secret to my success may be my punctuality and my penmanship."
Wikipedia says: "Many guitarists have thought Isaak's main electric guitar is a Gretsch 6120, however Isaak revealed in a 2002 interview that it is, in fact, a one-of-a-kind Gibson." What kind of sound do you work out of the Gibson?
"I love my Gibson. They really hold up to the beating they get from me during a live show. I don't try to mistreat my guitar, but it's hard on a guitar when you are running around and sweating on stage a couple of hours a night for months on end.
"A poorly made guitar will look good for about a week, then peel and warp like a pair of cheap boots in a rain."
Wikipedia says: "Isaak is also an amateur boxer, a former Golden Gloves champion and an avid surfer." You are also the host of "The Chris Isaak Hour." Is there anything you can't do? What's next?
"I have had a heck of a time with personal relationships. I think maybe living on a tour bus cuts down on my chance to meet the right person. I only get to meet the girls that the drummer has in his Scripture studies in the back of the bus. Many of them are convicted felons, and one of them gave me candy that made me sleepy.
"What's next? I will keep on singing and swinging. I love being on tour, I think I spend more time on a bus or a plane than at home. When you are on the way to the next town it's a magical time. You feel like everything and anything may be right around the bend."
If you could change your Wikipedia page to say anything you want, what would you write?
" 'Considered by many to be the greatest writer of an era, many have compared his works to Shakespeare or Micky Spillane. Yet, to balance this genius, he is also a virtuoso on the guitar, drums and flugelhorn.' Nah — nobody would buy that.
"I did hear a great quote from Buck Owens shortly before he died. I really loved his music, and he was just the greatest man when you met him — big, friendly, smart and damn funny. They asked Buck what he would want to have said about him. He said something to the effect, 'That I was a hard worker,' and I loved reading that."
CHRIS ISAAK
When: Aug. 12
Where: Brady Theater, 105 W.
Brady St.
Tickets: $35.50-$45.50; tulsaworld.com/tickets
Karen Shade 581-8334
karen.shade@tulsaworld.com
By KAREN SHADE World Scene Writer
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