The music is the thing for CBS News’ Anthony Mason
CBS News’ Anthony Mason has always been fascinated with the creative process.
The son of an interior decorator and the stepson of a painter, he had a front-row seat to creativity growing up and a particular love of music. As a teen, he turned on Casey Kasem’s “American Top 40” each week and charted a hit song’s rise and fall and he bought the records of the Beatles, the Bee Gees and Crosby, Stills & Nash. He readily admits he has no musical talent but the love was always there.
So in the mid-2000s when he had the chance to interview Bruce Springsteen for “CBS News Sunday Morning,” the native New Yorker was more than willing to take the assignment and query “The Boss” about his process. And thus a regular “CBS Mornings” segment was born.
“I never really saw on television the kinds of stories about musicians that I wanted to see,” Mason explains. “Musicians tend to be treated like celebrities and they’re not treated as people and as artists and I grew up in a family of artists ... so I was surrounded by the creative process and I’m fascinated by the creative process.
“And particularly with music, which seems like it comes out of nowhere. What was it (Tom) Petty said? I don’t remember the exact quote but ... it’s like the only place in the world where I know magic is real.”
Mason’s interviews over the years have been wide-ranging, entailing multiple genres and eras. In addition to Springsteen (who he’s interviewed several times), the impressive list ranges from legends such as Paul Mccartney, Elton John, Aretha Franklin and Mick Jagger to more current stars like Lady Gaga, Adele, Jason Isbell and Kelsea Ballerini.
He’s also developed relationships with some of them, such as Springsteen and one of his favorites Barry Gibb, who he’s interviewed at various points following the deaths of his brothers Robin and Maurice. With them as with all of his subjects, the conversations are about life, music and creativity. Which is something they can all relate to.
“(I) approach them as someone who is interested in artists,” Mason says. “Because that’s the way they want to be seen. You know, they don’t want to be seen as rock stars – at least most of them.”