5 minute read
Walter Trout
The origins of blues music are steeped in tales of woe and hard times. And when it comes to the latter, Walter Trout has a lot of experiences to share. Having battled a life-threatening illness, the US blues great returned to the road, only for the pandemic to halt the artist in his tracks.
With his landmark 30th solo album Ride released during the summer, the artist reflects on his career, his illness and his life during lockdown. “I went through all that illness and almost died and came back. I was just really enjoying my career, and then everything just stopped,” said Walter. “I kept thinking to myself, I don’t know how much longer I have here. Time is wasted, and I have music I want to make.”
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Walter’s health battles and his life-saving liver transplant are well documented. The artist released his autobiographical album Battle Scars in 2015, which in turn illustrated the artist’s life during that time. At this point in his career, Trout is enjoying being on stage again. “When I get up and play, I feel like I’m 25 years old. But then, when I look at my career and realise how long I’ve been at it. I started playing professionally in 1969 - so we’re on 53 years,” said Walter. “I know that I’m going to have some music to leave behind when I finally do go to the big jam session in the sky there. But I want to make more records. I want to write more songs.” He jokes: “I’m in a creative burst, especially after sitting on my ass for two years.”
For the legendary performer, music is not just a career, but his songwriting also acts as a kind of therapy. “I tell this story on stage quite a bit, that after my illness - I had to relearn how to play the guitar. I had to start over, and I worked on it for a year. My wife and my kids said to me, hey - we’re really glad you’re back, and we’re really glad you can play the guitar again. But we’ve got to tell you, you’ve been through a lot of trauma, and right now, your kind of a pain in the ass to be around - you’re not a very nice guy. My wife said, you either need to go talk to a therapist about what you’ve been through, or you need to write some music about it,” explains Walter. “She gave me that idea, and I wrote the album Battle Scars, which the entire album is about my illness. As a matter of fact, I wrote 18 songs in two days. So that was the same as talking to a therapist for me. After I wrote that album, I was a different person. I got it all out.”
Aside from his solo career, Walter Trout has performed alongside many of the greats of the genre. The artist recollects his time alongside Big Mama Thornton. An artist who is perhaps best known for her recording of Hound Dog – a song that later was recorded by Elvis Presley. “I had a great time with her, and I loved her. She was really fun,” said Walter. “It was near the end of her life. So, I always tell people she was really small emaciated Mama Thornton. She was ill, and she sat on a chair, and wherever we played, it didn’t matter the size of the venue; she always put a hat out in front of her and asked for tips, which is really from old school playing in the juke joints.” Walter Trout remains wistful about his time with the late great blues woman. “I have recordings of her where she gives me solos, and at the end of the solo, she goes let’s hear it for Walter on the guitar. Every time I hear her say that, I break down and weep. She was very generous to me,” said Walter.
When first introduced to Big Mama Thornton’s band, Walter was immediately put to the test. “I first got into the band, and we didn’t rehearse. It was like, you show up tonight, and you’re going to play with Big Mama Thornton,” explains Walter. “I’m in the dressing room, and I say, hey, Mama, we haven’t rehearsed. What are we going to play? And this is what she said to me. She goes, all you’ve got to do is play like BB King. She goes, I don’t want to hear any psychedelic guitar - play like BB King. When my first solo comes up, she goes ladies and gentlemen, this boy over here is going to try to play like BB King.” A baptism of fire, perhaps you will agree. However, this wasn’t the only time the artist was put to the test. “The same happened with John Lee Hooker - we didn’t rehearse,” explains Walter. “You need to know the vernacular of the blues, and if you know that, they will put you in there, and they will trust that you’re going to be just fine. With John Mayall, we’d be playing at the Royal Festival Hall, and he would turn around and say, key of C, and he’d count the four, and off you go.”
With the pandemic in our rearview mirror, Walter Trout is touring relentlessly, including a recent UK tour. “I’ve had a lot of people tell me it was the best they’ve ever seen me and my band. We were blazing man. We were having such a good time. Everybody in the band was so happy and just excited to get back to what we do. We just really went for it. We were very happy to be there, and the shows were all packed. It was just a great experience that that UK run.”
With his new album Ride released earlier in the summer, moving forward Walter Trout has no plans of slowing down. “I’m working really hard. As my wife says, If I’m still alive by the end of December, then I’ll keep going,” said Walter. “If you go on my website and look at the tour dates, it’s actually ridiculous. After not working - any time the offer of a show came up, I just said yeah, take it - I don’t care.” And who could blame him after such a prolonged period of downtime. “Even my band, we look at it, and they go, we hope you’re able to do this, Walter.” Trout concludes: “I’m gonna give it my best shot.”
Ride, the landmark 30th solo album by Walter Trout, is out now via Provogue.
