August 13 2024 – Billy Morrison is a man of extreme ambition and we are very happy to be able to interview him and bring his thoughts to our readers. This interview was conducted via email after we saw Morrison perform with Billy Idol in Toronto a few days ago. We were sitting front row center for that concert and our eyes were fixated on Morrison (and Steve Stevens – Idol’s other guitarist).
Morrison is a British musician, painter, and actor. He is an exceptional guitarist and he has toured with The Cult (check out our interview with Ian Astbury from back in 2012), Billy Idol and has been a member of bands such as Camp Freddy and Circus Diablo. He most recently released a solo album under “The Morrison Project” and features high profile guests such as Ozzy Osbourne (!!), Billy Idol, Steve Vai, Tommy Clufetos, and many others. Morrison has acted in a few movies and shows (a topic we didn’t have time to touch upon during this interview) and is also an artist who paints some very intense and dark art masterpieces.
Let us get right down to it!
“Billy thank you very much for the opportunity to steal some of your time while you are touring Canada for Billy Idol’s 40th anniversary of Rebel Yell. We wanted to touch upon that particular tour, your solo music and your art.”
Billy Idol
- You have been with Billy Idol since 2010 and currently touring the 40th Anniversary of Rebel Yell (info here). How are you enjoying this Canadian tour, and how do you feel the audience is reacting to it?
- Morrison: Actually I joined with Billy in August 2009 so this Canadian tour is my 15th year anniversary in the Idol band. Canada loves the rock and even way back when I was in The Cult, Canada was always a favorite place to play. It’s no different now, going across the whole country with Billy, Steve and the guys. The gigs have been great, the audiences nice and loud, and the band is on fire right now.
- Steve Stevens is Idol’s
long-time guitarist and collaborator. While watching the show in Toronto it was
evident that Stevens and yourself had a great organic vibe which complemented
each other. What’s it like playing with Stevens, and why do you think you guys
gel so well?
- Morrison: Well, Steve is obviously the reason I am in this band. He was the one that suggested to Billy that a twin guitar sound would be good, and he said that he already knew the guy for the job – me! Hahaha! I would like to think that Steve and I have grown somewhat telepathically onstage over the last decade and a half and I really do know what he’s going to play before he plays it these days. I’ve grown exponentially as a player since working with Steve…… you can’t help but step up your game when you are in a band with him!
- I assume the answer changes
depending on the night but what is the highlight for you being on stage for
this particular tour? Any moment(s) in the show that always makes you smile?
- Morrison: Everyone knows that doing the Generation X stuff will always put a smile on my face. I come from the original UK punk rock scene, I saw Billy in Generation X back then, and I was a huge fan of that band. So doing Night Of The Cadillacs and playing my own solo in that song every night is definitely a winning moment for me. And also – playing Rebel Yell…… just being allowed to participate in Billy and Steve’s battle cry every night is an honor.
Art
- While researching this
interview I was surprised to find out you are also an artist (and collector).
How did that come about?
- Morrison: I have loved contemporary fine art since I was a kid and first learned about Andy Warhol through the Velvet Underground and the precursors to Punk. I fell in love with that New York street art scene and invested in some great examples along the way. But my own fine art career began about 12 years ago when I picked up a brush and a canvas after being urged to do so by Ozzy. And over a decade later, here I am with worldwide collectors, gallery shows, and a great emerging art career!
- Your art is now on exhibit in Toronto’s Liss Gallery (info here) for the month of August. Have you visited the gallery yourself and are you happy with how your work is being presented?
- Morrison: Oh Brian (who owns Liss Gallery) could not have represented my work any better! His spot is in a prime location in Yorkville, and he paired me with Toronto’s own Johnathan Ball (who’s work is fantastic) and between us, we have the whole space. My pieces look fantastic in the space, and the two collaboration pieces I did with J.Ball take pride of place and I love the whole aesthetic.
- What inspires your art?
Specifically, is there any intersection between art and music for you and have
you ever worked on both at the same time (sort of like a song written for a
piece of art or vice versa)?
- Morrison: I am constantly working at that intersection! I mean, I currently have a hit album in the States (The Morrison Project solo album, out on TLG/Zoid/Virgin), an art show in Toronto and another art show about to open in Los Angeles. With a whole other separate collection of paintings ready that I want to show in New York! So music and art live side by side in my life, and it’s all the same thing to me. Creativity is what keeps me sane, above water, and out of jail!
We highly recommend checking out Morrison’s art page found here. Below is an example of a piece that got us drooling!
The Morrison Project
- You did a song with Ozzy Osbourne on your new album (more info here). Wow! Crack Cocaine featuring Ozzy is as good as anything he has ever released as a solo artist and a true hard rock anthem. It also hit number 1 in the US rock charts, so congratulations on that milestone. What was the experience like recording with Ozzy?
- Morrison: Ozzy is my best friend and has been for three decades. So we don’t usually make music together – we keep that separate. But over the years I’ve had the pleasure of writing songs with him and recording, and this song was also with Steve Stevens, so it really was just three friends in a room, no egos, just having fun. I think that’s why it came out sounding so good.
That is truly remarkable that you have known Ozzy that long and you consider him your best friend. I am totally blown away by that comment. I recommend all our readers check out the official video below and enjoy what is one of the top rock songs of 2024! Note the leading actress is Paris Jackson (daughter of Michael Jackson) and notice she has the four Led Zeppelin symbols tattooed on the back of her arm.
- Every year we release a top 10
#RealRock albums of the year and certainly your solo album “The Morrison
Project” will be featured on our 2024 list. I wanted to say congratulations on
releasing such an amazing record. Any plans to take it out on tour as a solo
act?
- Morrison: Thank you so very much and I’m honored. The truth is I would love to do a small tour and play the songs live, but I’m just not sure how to do that. Crack Cocaine hit Number One Rock song in the US….. so how can I either NOT play that song (because Ozzy is not going to be there, obviously!) , or play that song with ANYONE else singing it? I just wouldn’t want to disappoint people, you know? Same with all the other songs that guest singers sung on that record.
- The album touches a variety of
musical genres as well as thematic concepts. While most musicians are more
comfortable in staying in their safety envelope, “The Morrison Project” is a
modern masterpiece because it does the exact opposite. It takes the listener to
new places. Was that a decision for this album or is that simply the way you
are as an artist?
- Morrison: It was absolutely NOT a decision at any time! I had no idea I was making an album until a lot of the songs were already done. I was just having fun in my home studio during Covid. So when I eventually realized I had a body of work that I liked, it was already extremely eclectic and multi-genre……. And I didn’t care because I really didn’t think too much about the whole thing. It’s just extremely representative of who I am and a very honest record.
General
- What do you feel is the state
of rock music currently? This is a topic I always talk to our guests about and
try to get their perspective on the future of this music. Will we ever see
another Led Zeppelin or an Ozzy Osbourne in terms of commercial and cultural
impact?
- Morrison: I just think music in general evolves, morphs, changes etc and we have to grow and adapt with it. Of course there will never be another Zeppelin or Sabbath, and we don’t want that. We want new, exciting rock stars, doing their own thing. Cultural impact still happens, very much so….. it’s just that we are older now, so we don’t see it as up close and personal as we did when WE were 15!!! It’s all still out there and the kids still love a good rebellion!
- I agree with you but it seems that people are being spoon-fed more than ever with all the technological advancements of the last 20 years. Nonetheless I will close it off with a fun question, what do you listen to musically these days? Any new bands you are enjoying or any classics you are revisiting?
- Morrison: My answer to this is always the same. I listen to The Sex Pistols, The Wildhearts, and anything new that I truly believe. If I think its coming from the heart, I’ll give it a spin.
Billy thank you, it has been a privilege to have some of your time. I wish you continued success in all your endeavors and can’t wait to see what else the future holds for you. Keep rocking brother.
Billy Morrison Interview article by Terry Makedon
T-Mak World: Toronto’s Site for #RealRock
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