My feet never touched the ground. Lots of good groups with crazy and unique images. It was wild. I spent all of my time doing gigs, TV appearances, interviews, or recording. I could write a book - and probably will.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
Wherever I went, crowds appeared again, and I started making solo albums for the first time in my career.
My whole life was writing, recording and touring over and over again. At some point I realised I wasn't enjoying myself any more.
One of the great things that I loved about doing solo - which I ended up doing because I was too shy to ever try out for bands back in the day - I could sit there with a list of songs and 'paint away' for the show.
I was able to endure and play a special part in music history. And I always managed to keep working, even if I wasn't a big solo artist.
I ended up writing songs and growing up in public with my songwriting. And it's a good thing for me back then: in the early '70s, there was a thing called artist development, where an artist could find his feet, find himself, find his voice. I think I made five or six albums before I sold five or six albums.
I've had the privilege of meeting and/or interviewing most of the top metal and hard rock artists at various points in my career and sharing their stories and music with millions of fans on air through TV and radio.
I toured with Skrillex, did an HBO commercial with Diplo. In the hip hop movement, I was the first artist Travis Scott ever featured with before he blew up. I had the songs with Chris Brown and Tyga. I've worked with some of the biggest artists in the world.
I never imagined I'd be a solo artist. And now I couldn't imagine being part of a group.
I started stand-up in 2007. I'd done a couple of gigs before that, but not much, and I was in a sketch group at Uni from 2005 as well.
When I first started in rock, I had a big guy's audience for my early records. I had a very straight image, particularly through the mid '80s.