Exclusive interview with Robby Krieger of The Doors by Zach White

Robby sits down and clears his throat. His polyester pants, checkered red and silver, shine along with pale green eyes that have seen everything there is to see and then some.

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“You’ll have to excuse me, I’m losing my voice”. I flick through my notebook frantically as I finally land upon the page with my coveted questions. I’m a bit nervous: after all, it’s not everyday that you get to interview one of The Doors.

The last two hours with his solo band, The Soul Savages, had been a testament to everything great about a rock ‘n’ roll gig. No more that 80 people packed into a small jazz bar in West Hollywood bore witness to an intimate night of exceptional energy delivered by a world class backing band consisting of Ed Roth (keys), Franklin Vanderbilt (drums) and Kevin “Brandino” Brandon (bass). Throughout the show, Krieger led the band in playing mainly original material (impressive in its own right) with some Doors magic sprinkled in throughout. Before performing ‘Riders on the Storm’ featuring a guest appearance from his son Waylon, Robby reflected on the power of music and its longevity in uniting people: “Music is the last thing that everyone loves. Maybe if people listened to a little more music they’d think less about wars and such”

Besides creating solo music and being only one of two Doors still alive, Krieger is also an avid philanthropist and advocate for arts education. Earlier this year, he sold his share of The Doors catalog and rights to Primary Wave Music, with the money going to charity, and sells prints of his original paintings at gigs to help “Art for a Cause,” a charity that aids school age children in pursuing a creative path after the highly controversial removal of all Arts programs from Los Angeles public schools due to budget constraints. It’s safe to say that along with being a rock star, he’s also a true class act. Following the band’s performance, Robby was kind enough to give a few minutes of his time for this interview exclusive to “It’s Psychedelic Baby!” Magazine.

“Music is the last thing that everyone loves”

Hi Robby, thanks so much again for sitting down and talking! Let’s get right into things. What was your most memorable Doors performance and why?

Robby Krieger: Oh my god… probably the first time we played the Fillmore. We played with The Young Rascals and somebody else, I forget who, and I think we blew them all off the stage. They loved us! San Francisco really loves The Doors.

How would you describe the 60s and your experience with The Doors in one sentence?

The 60’s was the best time EVER to be alive! I think.

How do you feel about vinyl making a comeback?

I think it’s great! I think it’s a good sign.

When you got a black eye prior to your performance of ‘Touch Me’ on live TV, did you win the fight?

(Laughs) Obviously I lost.

But you always win on stage!

If you read my book “Set The Night On Fire” you can read all about the black eye and all that stuff.

The kids need to know…what is the future of rock ‘n’ roll?

I hope it gets better than it is. Because it’s not doing so well right now…

Any words for our readers?

Sorry I haven’t been in Europe lately, but I hope to get back there one of these days!

Final question. What would you like your legacy to be?

Just making music to heal the world.

Zach White

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Headline photo: Robby Krieger by Zach White

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