So let me ask you all this one question. Do you enjoy Rockabilly? I mean do you like a genre of music that makes you toe tap and funky bass lines with some killer guitar work. Well I am a fan I love the stand up-bass licks and the twangy old school Rock N Roll sound. I am walking into the ballroom in the Historic Ashland Armory I noticed the band getting ready to do sound checks and watched Big Sandy warming up, but where was the Reverend? Out of the corner of my eye I see this man in what looked like a hooded Carhart jacket blue Texas Rangers hat and Red Doc Martens walking in from the side door, there he was the man the legend and the GODFATHER of Rockabilly and Psychobilly the later is my opinion. The Reverend Horton Heat himself. 

EE: Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to chat with us. For me this is another true honor to be sitting in front of you sir. So tell me how has the tour been?

RHH: This tour has really been great we have had a bunch of very memorable shows and memorable residencies, we did two nights in Orange County, we did three nights in Portland, three nights in Seattle and two nights in San Francisco, so that’s kind of nice, it was great to be stationary for more than a day at least for us.

EE: So lets go back to the beginning when you first started. What was your biggest musical influence?

RHH: Well in the sixties I’m an old guy I remember the Beatles when they were on the Ed Sullivan show and I heard all the girls screaming I though that was pretty cool and I wanted to do that you know and really its kind of crazy that Monday morning after the Beatles were on Ed Sullivan on Sunday night that next day there was an explosion of guitar sales. Ever kid was like mom, mom, mom I want a guitar, or dad, dad, dad I want a guitar. So that was the beginning rise of the music equipment industry. 

EE: Did you follow suit with the trend as well?

RHH: My parents got me a super cheap Stella Guitar because I was very young, I was only like five years old when the Beatles played, but I was like six or seven when they gave me that Stella Guitar. But other than the Beatles there was Top Forty Radio back then it was a great mix of Country, R&B, then Rock so you would hear a song by The Doors, then Buck Owens or Merle Haggard then you’d hear a song by Diana Ross, I mean it was just everything you know at the time a lot of country was crossing over. So that’s what influenced me songs like the Fight Inside Of Me, I got a tiger by the tail, that was big song is anyone going to San Antione, King of the road. Then there was Light my fire by The Doors. When I heard that song it was like crazy so there was that. I had a cousin that went to Viet Nam and I remember him saving his money for a new Camaro. When he came home on leave to visit he had an Eight Track player with Johnny Cash Live at Folsom Prison and when I heard that song and the way the prisoners were reacting to the lyrics and that was a turning point in my life. Lyrics and there meaning and how they can effect people. To me it was just an excuse to sing and play guitar.

EE: what was your first guitar?

RHH: The Stella acoustic guitar. so I cut lawns and saved a hundred bucks and my dad told me if I can learn the song Halisco he would help me get and electric guitar. So he got me the record and I learned it the same day, that same afternoon. So they pitched in another hundred bucks and we bought a 1958 Les Paul TV model that is now worth 15 to 18 thousand dollars. 

EE: do you still have it?

RHH: Of course not, that’s why I don’t like to talk about this stuff.

EE: what has been your favorite tour so far?

RHH: I like it now more then I did back then, the playing music, and that’s kind of unusual at my age. Now I like playing music NOW a lot more than I did back when I was younger. But the traveling and the whole beyond playing music is challenging. You know back in the day I used to enjoy that more the traveling and the traveling and the late night and the clubs and all that stuff. You know its just not me anymore and I want to focus on being and artist. We had some great tours back then yaknow, but one of the best ones was the Cramps, because they were so entertaining. We would play our gig and watch them every night and it was always just crazy funny and off the hook! 

EE: What do you like to listen too? Is there a certain artist?

RHH: Well big Sandy just bought me a Jimmy Rivers album that is really killer, and I’m not that familiar with him and some of the other hot guitar players in that era I am really thrilled, and I can really connect with Jimmy Rivers, western swing, Steel. But as far as new stuff, and I don’t get to listen a lot to new stuff I’m too busy trying to make new music. But I Really love JD McPherson he is really great. There’s this guy a lot of people don’t know of but there is this album called Roll by Lance Lipinski and its great, you know at some point in my life I was just focusing on this Rockabilly, mis 50’s Rock N Roll Rockabilly think and this guy Lance Lapinski can do the Jerry Lee Lewis style of piano playing really, really well. And the Delta Bombers who are with us now.

EE: if you were to have a Theme song what would it be?

RHH: If I was given my own theme song, (he tried to sing it and well yeah). I wrote my own theme song. I can’t sing it write now And I am glad this isn’t for radio, now if I had my guitar, I could play you my theme song lick but you know that’s a good question. I have actually thought of that and your jamming my frequencies I have thought of having my own before and I think every music person thinks of crazy stuff. But you know sometimes when I am walking around its either The Good the Bad And The Ugly, Or The Way I walk by Jack Scott.   

EE: What comes to mind when people call you the Godfather of Psychobilly?

RHH: well that I’m not, I just latched on a type of music that I love, I’m grateful for that and in some ways I am. Because but only in a couple ways. One thing we worked so hard when we started touring and started playing around sine 86 to 89 to when Jimbo joined in 89 Jimbo was gung-ho to play any gig. To this day our manager doesn’t even call us to ask if we want to play this gig, he just books it we just ask where we are going and we are like okay. That made it to where we were playing all over America, and writer all over were asking what is Rockabilly? They did even know what Rockabilly was. The First 5 to 10 years of my career was to answer in interviews and one of the man things I had to do was to explain what Rockabilly was. And these music writers had no idea what it was. Then I wrote the song Psychobilly Freak Out, and you know in some ways i brought Psychobilly to America. But Psychobilly is a big thing in Europe. There are serious about it too, there are Psychobilly gangs that are like our biker gangs here. And one time someone threatened to kill me probably because I was drunk. But all I wanted was the Reverend Horton Heat to be was a Rockabilly band.

Well guys its been a pleasure to sit with this amazing legend in the Rockabilly Genres. He paved the way for young artists that love that swing slap bass style that keeps your legs moving and toes tapping. 

Reverend thanks for the sit down and I look forward to seeing you again. So I had a great time and heard some great tunes. The Delta Bombers were amazing and Big Sandy thanks for the help. The Staff at the Historic Ashland Armory needs a shout out they are all volunteers and they help keep music going in southern Oregon and the Coat Check ladies as well!

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Anthony Bernardi

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