WITH DENNIS QUAID
skepticism they sense (from audiences), like, “Oh, great. An actor with a guitar.” Do you have to win people over in a way a regular musician wouldn't?
A: Yeah, somewhat. I used to feel that more than I do now, and that's all fine. Come and see the movie star, and stay for the music.
Q: The night the Sharks (were born), Harry Dean Stanton invited you onstage.
A: That's where it began. I went to see Harry, a good friend of mine for decades. Our (current) keyboard player and our bass player were playing with Harry, and I got up and did “Gloria” and “Not Fade Away,” and we connected with one another. Harry was gracious enough to share bands, and we just took off from there. Harry Dean passed away last week at the age of 91. (Bandmate) Jamie James and I were at his bedside, and I brought my Bluetooth and we put on Marty Robbins' “El Paso,” and Harry kind of came to and mouthed the words with us, and sang his last song. It was really extraordinary. Harry was a great teacher.
Q: Before that night, you had put music aside for a while, right?
A: In the '90s I did. I was, you know, one of those people who really loved cocaine back in the '80s. I got my act together with that and sought help, and for 10 years I kind of hung it up with music, and concentrated on being a father, and really had self-examination,