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"To me, America’s greatest promise is its idea of justice, freedom, diversity and tolerance."
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Brown BurnettSometimes those who acquire U.S. citizenship are more understanding and appreciative of its freedoms and opportunities than those who are born into it. John Kay, singer/leader of the group Steppenwolf , was born in Germany in 1944, immigrated to Canada in 1958, came to the U.S. in 1963 and became a citizen in the 80’s. He sees a spirit in America many of us take for granted. "The promise of America is still very much alive,’’ he says, now entering his fifth decade of touring the nation and the world with Steppenwolf. This is a busy time for Steppenwolf, and Kay in particular. His voice is burned into rock history with the classics "Born to Be Wild’’ and "Magic Carpet Ride" still being frequently heard. He’s going to be in Memphis this month (May 26) to perform with Steppenwolf and many others at BluesAid at the New Daisy. And now John Kay’s found another musical path with his solo album Heretics and Privateers (Cannonball). It’s heavily acoustic and a throwback to a his pre-Steppenwolf days when it was just him and a guitar, neck deep in folkdom in a more innocent and intimate musical era. It’s a sound one doesn’t associate with his voice, but it works well. The songs still remind us of the thoughtful songwriter of opinion and conviction who was always bathed in electric guitars with his blues roots showing. But the solo album contains some plain, old country acoustic blues and is wonderfully refreshing. "There’s a certain amount of intimacy that you get with acoustic instruments and voice," he said. "But it depends on the song. That’s why some are acoustic and others electric." "I came into blues kinda through the back door. When I was a kid growing up in Germany and didn’t know English yet, I was introduced to American music through Armed Forces Radio. When I came to Canada, I fiddled around with the radio dial and found all sorts of other music I’d never heard before - country, rhythm and blues, Ray Charles, black gospel music coming out of the churches in Buffalo, New York, a hundred miles away." Then came the folk revival and Kay was fully immersed in the music that would shape his life. He found the folk music revival in Toronto, then in Buffalo. Then he found the Newport Folk Festivals – saw Sleepy John Estes, Hammy Nixon, Mississippi John Hurt, Skip James. People he said made "magic music." And then he found the Main Library in Buffalo. "I systematically went through every Library of Congress recording of blues artists they had. I was 19 or 20. I played Robert Johnson to death." Then came his group the Sparrows, then came California, then Steppenwolf, then fame. Kay dusted himself off after legal wrangles with a bogus Steppenwolf in the late 70’s, and re-emerged with a new resolve and a new Steppenwolf in the 80’s. They’ve been rolling ever since. Now living in Nashville, the group stays busy with about 50 or 60 dates remaining for this year. "We’re 34 years into the Steppenwolf saga and have learned how to manage our own store. We have our own publising company, recordng studio, merchandising company and of course, the website." ‘Classic rock’ radio and, yes, steppenwolf.com have kept a fan base thriving and regenerating. Heretics and Privateers was gleaned from Kay’s travels with the band and Kay, as always, is opinionated about what he sees. "In our country, in these times, there are a lot of people minimized by the power structure, so to speak, because they (politicians) figure anyone who doesn't vote or is too disgusted to vote, 'what do they matter anyway?. They don't determine if I wind up in Washington or not so 'screw 'em'." "Many of these tunes have a point of view from the things I would hear on the road among the working people of America," he said. "There was an attitude where people didn’t lose their sense of humor but were saying "To hell with it, They’re not gonna beat me down. "I found great solace in that. When I toured and hitchhiked around years ago, there was a real sense that this country is going somewhere – righteous indignation about what’s not right. "Today there are still untold numbers of people doing the right thing and they’re the ones that keep me from slipping into cynicism. The last tune on the album, ("The Back Page") is an acknowledgment that there’s a lot of what, to me as an immigrant boy who came to this country, is that the promise of American, as far as I can see, is still alive. "It’s just that the media, the culture we’re in, don’t give those ideas a lot of exposure. Everything is focused on our worst traits and conducts." Kay is involved with the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University, part of Washington’s Freedom Forum, and notes how the worst attacks on American freedoms and values are from other Americans. "People don’t realize how special this country is and that people in other parts of the world are quite literally dying to have this kind of freedom. "To me, America’s greatest promise is its idea of justice, freedom, diversity and tolerance." Kay says the solo album is a "one-time thing for now" and has no plans for a solo career, even though the album has been well-received all over. And "the Wolf", as he calls Steppenwolf, had its "best year ever." "We’re so fortunate. Our core group of fans keep us going. That’s why I can do something like the solo album. "In the early days success was all about being in the Top Five, having a gold album. But these days it’s about having the luxury of writing something that means something to us. We own what we create and then get to see thousands of friends in different parts of the world. They are the reason we’re thriving. "Our rewards these days are measured in human terms – in more than just numbers." |
