‘BETTER WITH AGE’
Greg Kihn touring, writing new songs decades after ’80s hits
There’s no slowing down for Greg Kihn.
The 69-year-old musician continues to write new music, as well as rework some of his iconic songs.
He’s best-known for the 1980s singles “Jeopardy” and “The Breakup Song (They Don’t Write ’Em).”
Three decades later, Kihn is hard at work on a new album.
He is also on tour with Rick Springfield, Tommy Tutone and Loverboy, which makes a stop in Albuquerque on Monday, Aug. 6.
“I remember back in the ’80s when ‘Jesse’s Girl’ was a big hit,” he says. “We did a couple big tours with Rick. It was great, and we had a wonderful time. Now we’re on the road again, and it’s going to be a lot of fun. We were all part of this decade of great music. There was a place for all of us. It’s amazing that we’re still doing this.”
Kihn was first signed in 1973 to the now-legendary Beserkley Records, and he was the focal point of a roster that included Jonathan Richman, Earthquake and The Rubinoos.
His groundbreaking video for “Jeopardy” became one of the first concept videos and was played extensively on MTV during the early days of the then-fledging video channel.
The song was also parodied by Weird Al Yankovic with his single “I Lost on Jeopardy.”
The Greg Kihn Band spent much of the ’80s touring with the likes of Journey and the Rolling Stones and appearing on popular TV shows including “Solid Gold,” “American Bandstand” and “Saturday Night Live.”
Kihn also carved out a successful 16-year career as a top-rated DJ on KUFX in San Jose, Calif., before he left in 2012.
Not to mention that he’s also written six novels and two screenplays. And his most recent album is “Rekihndled.”
“I’m always playing around with something,” he says with a laugh. “I think that’s the only way I’ve been able to have a career that spans as long as mine has.”