So everybody, I was 10 minutes late getting to Freebo, the man who played Bass for Miss Bonnie Raitt for many years before he gave it up to work on becoming a songwriter. I was delayed because I was submitting another article to one of my editor's and I got hung up in a cyber loop. I apologized for being late and Freebo teased me about it in his good natured way. I just know talking to him is always going to be a good time. He really is a very sweet man. We discussed several things off the record (I can’t tell you the off the record stuff, not even if you beg) and then we got down to some basic questions and answers. I bring to you the results of that Q & A:
Q What are your reasons for coming to Nashville because you really don’t come here much?
A No, I don’t but I need to more and I just want to make the connections and I know a lot of people in Nashville. I know a lot of musicians and a lot of writers and you know I’ve been writing now for 15 or 20 years and have four CD’s and I feel like it’s time. I really haven’t worked on marketing so I feel like I am ready and I’ve got some great songs and I want to get them out there and get myself out there as a writer and a singer and a songwriter.
Q Right and as far as your publishing, you have your own publishing company right?
A Yeah, I’ve got my own publishing company called Baseline Music BMI.
Q Are you looking to have other people cut your songs?
A Oh yeah. Oh sure, absolutely.
Q I didn’t know you were open to that?
A Oh sure, why wouldn’t I be?
Q Okay and you’re also looking to hook up with other writers?
A Ah hah.
Q Well there are a lot of them. You are going to be in awe of the amount of talent that is in this town. You talk about being ready now, and you have been writing for fifteen years. Are you saying it took you fifteen years to be ready for this?
A Ah hah. I mean the truth is like everybody you know when you write your first song you think it’s great you know and you do your first CD and you know you have too, we have to have a healthy ego and think that what we are doing is good you know or is going to be good. As the years go on you also see, at least I’ve also found out where I need to improve my stuff, where I need to focus. It is a craft, songwriting is a craft.
Q Absolutely.
A And it’s important to study it’s like anything else and I am blessed that I’ve been around so many wonderful songs and being around Bonnie Raitt and all the songs that she chose and Jackson Browne and John Prine and Eric Katz so I got exposed to those you know many years ago and I think some of it probably sunk in by osmosis. It really wasn’t until I started writing my own songs and made it a conscience choice to be writing my own songs because I didn’t write my own songs when I was playing with Bonnie or any of the other folks. I didn’t start writing my own songs until maybe the end of the eighties or beginning of the nineties. It has really be like twenty years or so and once I did that and began to really get into the craft of songwriting I started getting inside the songs and asking why is this a good song and really focus on lyrics. I have always been melodically oriented and tweaking the melody’s and okay and where does the chorus need to rise and etc, etc.? You know all the tricks and also all the feelings, the intuitive things that I’ve always known but really needed to hone. And so that’s what I’ve been focusing on and now with four (4) CD’s under my belt and they’ve gotten very nice reviews, particularly the last one from both fans and media alike.
Q Well you know I love it?
A Well thank you. I appreciate that. So I feel like I am ready and it is time and I’ve got a nice little book of like fifty you know recorded songs and I know a lot of them are really good songs and good hooks and they span all sorts of different musical genres. They span all sorts of different subject material, you know from love to dogs to human challenges and trials and tribulations and how we get through them. You know all sorts of stuff?
Q Okay, so you are arriving on Saturday, Saturday afternoon right?
A Yes.
Q And you have a show on Tuesday, March 5th at 6:30 at the Commodore and it’s your birthday?
A That’s right.
Q And you are the featured writer from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m.?
A Cool.
Q Nashville and the songwriting community especially at Debi Champion’s writer’s night is always a very welcoming community.
A Are you going to be there?
Q Absolutely.
A Oh good, great, great.
Q I’ll definitely be there. Are you currently working on a new CD?
A I am always working. I have enough material now for a new CD but I am not quite ready to do it yet.
Q How long does it normally take you? Do you have a timeline?
A No, I don’t have a timeline. It’s just like when it gets closer that’s when I say okay, here’s when I would like to have it out by. At this point it’s fairly loose so I don’t have a timeline.
Q If you have been writing for fifteen (15) years and you have four CD’s and so that means that you release a CD every four years?
A Yeah more of less, my first CD was released in 99 and so it was like 99, 2002, 2005, and 2011.
Q Okay.
A So I am guessing the next one will be probably 2014 you know because it’s already 2013.
Q Now let me ask you another question, your 99, 2002, 2005 and 2011; I know 2011 you probably have a lot in stock? Is your 99 and 2002 out of print?
A No, not at all. I still carry them with me. My 2002 is probably the best selling one, Dog People.
Q Are these available online in MP3 downloads and all of that?
A Absolutely. The best thing to do is go to my website at FreeboMusic.com.
Q Okay and they are all available on CD Baby?
A Absolutely, CD Baby, ITunes and all of the other online places.
Q Is there a final thought or statement you want to make?
A Yeah, come see me.
With that final thought, we spoke a bit more off the record and made plans for March 5th, 2013. I know I am going to be at The Commodore Grill Holiday Inn Select 2613 West End Ave Nashville, TN 37203 (615) 327-4707, by 6:00 p.m., that Tuesday evening having a great dinner and enjoying me some Freebo on his birthday and I hope to see you there too. Come on out and help Freebo celebrate his birthday in Music City. You can learn more about Freebo and his music at: http://www.Freebomusic.com
Find out more about Debi Champion and her writer's night at www.DebiChampion.com
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