February 21, 2002: Eric Burdon & The Animals - Eric Burdon
Podcast: The Art Bell ArchivePublished On: Thu Mar 06 2025
Description: Art Bell sits down with rock legend Eric Burdon, frontman of the Animals, for a wide-ranging conversation about music, war, and the cultural revolution of the 1960s. Eric recalls growing up in post-war Newcastle, England, discovering rhythm and blues through imported American records, and forming the band that would produce anthems like "House of the Rising Sun" and "We Gotta Get Out of This Place." He describes how those songs became unofficial national anthems for servicemembers stationed around the world.The discussion turns personal as Eric shares his close friendship with Jimi Hendrix, recounting the guitarist's final days. He describes watching Hendrix deteriorate, recognizing danger when he first saw Hendrix without his guitar in public. Eric reveals that Hendrix was kidnapped at gunpoint and discusses the FBI's heavy surveillance of musicians during the Vietnam era. He reconsiders his earlier theory that Hendrix's death was a suicide, suggesting his extensive research for a new book points toward a different conclusion.Eric reflects on the British Invasion, the influence of Elvis Presley on an entire generation, and how LSD opened creative doors while also exacting a heavy toll. He speaks candidly about John Lennon's transformation through Yoko Ono, the threat Charlie Manson's crimes posed to the Beatles reuniting, and what he calls the healing magic of live music, the spiritual energy that fills the space between performer and audience.
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