The Joe Jackson Interviews

Bono makes magnificent self-promo videos. The latest is on Apple. However, most Irish journalists are aware that he has never told the whole story. Dunphy and I talked about this 30 years ago. He wrote their bio

While watching the funeral of Pope Francis on TV, I was transported by the hymns being sung. It brought me back to my roots. I dedicate this podcast to the memory of Pope Francis

As I say in the intro to this podcast, made March 22, 2025, the week of the Trump dump of JFK assassination papers that still didn't tell us conclusively who killed Kennedy, I have been fascinated by JFK and the murder of the man since I was a child. Hence, circa 1990, when I got to interview Anthony Summers, Oliver Stone, and later Sam Giancana, I was entranced by talking with them all. This is the first of a series of podcasts based on those interviews. 

It does not seem like thirty years since I sat and chatted with Dermot before he was forced to leave Ireland to go to the UK to get a TV station to back Father Ted. I'm rerposting this and will repost part two. 

Boyzone No Matter What, the Sky documentary being screened globally, originated in The Joe Jackson Archive of 1,400 tapes of celebrity interviews. It uses my tapes and photographs, but there is far more material in my archive that was unused because of time restraints, such as this clip from a 2002 interview with Ronan Keating. 

I loved Kris Kristofferson's music since a girlfriend gave me his first LP. So you can imagine what a joy it was to meet and interview the man for the first of four times in 1993. We had a two-hour chat backstage at a Johnny Cash gig in Dublin. Check my website joejacksoninterviewer.com for articles

Kris has died since I first posted this podcast. I love the song, was thrilled ot be able to talk to him abiut its geneisis and about Johnny Cash Enjoy

I wrote a book called Nanci Griffith's Other Voices: A Personal History of Folk Music. For it, I did a half-hour phone interview with Pete Seeger - from Ireland to America – hence the sound ain't great - and for a few minutes, we discussed Dylan's legendary gig at Newport. Pete says he got pissed simply because the crowd couldn't hear the words of Maggie's Farm!

While digitising my Boyzone interview tapes that led to the Sky documentary Boyzone No Matter What, I came across this short clip at the end of an interview, I was taping on the phone with Sinead. She had read and loved my Keith Duffy interview and had choice words to say about Louis Walsh - in 2001.

Another uncut clip from the audio tapes that led to Boyzone No Matter What. The revelation of the series to many viewers seems to be that manager Louis Walsh was the "villain" of the story. I believe there is more to it than that. But these tapes were part of the research for the series, and here's Keith in 2001, ripping into Louis, whom he says he loves nonetheless. Keith told me the same thing at the premiere of the series recently. 

The tensions between members of Boyzone may be new and news to the millions of people watching the Sky Documentary Boyzone No Matter What, but they are not to me. The documentary originated in my archive of tapes. Here's a clip that didn't make the final edit. Me and Keith back in 2001. 

The new Sky Arts documentary No Matter What originated in my archive of 1,400 celebrity interviews. I also wrote the book Boyzone Our Story and interviewed the lads in-depth from 1994-2002. Here is the first set of interviews I did with lads when all, apart from Mikey, were still in their teens. I warmed to some more than others from the start, and when I met Shane, Ronan and Keith at the recent premiere of No Matter What, my feelings remained the same. Fame changes people, sadly

As I say in the intro to this podcast, hastily put together on 'the evening of the day' I heard Marianne had died, she was one of the most fascinating women I met, in, or beyond the world of celebrity interviewing. She also was an infinitely superior artist to certain rock stars with whom she was endless compared and who I won't name.  

I love this phone chat I had with Leonard. It was our third interview and showed me and - when published in The Irish Times - that Cohen had a great sense of humour. But I am guessing that Bono doesn't like what he said. Lighten up, man!

It's coming up to forty years since I, as a Cohen fan, and writer, not journalist, conned my way into meeting Cohen by getting a commission to interview him for a rock magazine. It left me feeling so transcendent I decided to become an interviewer! Incidentally, the editor in question said it was crap and that I should have asked Leonard more about "sex and drugs and rock 'n' roll." Yawn! Cohen told me he thought it was "a great interview" then added, "Thank you, man." I was only a kid!

It's been. more than thirty years since I did this phone interview with Joan Baez. I'm reposting it because of the release of the movie A Complete Unknown. I'd prefer to listen to the real Joan Baez, telling her own story and touching on her time with Bob

Boy George telling me to tell Bono that if he still hadn't found what he was looking for, he should look behind the drum kit, was just a quip. But the quote made it around the world thanks to MTV news. It's just a bit of fun. We talked abut it years later

Tommy Tiernan is now an interviewer who aspires to do in-depth interviews on TV. I commend his aspiration. Here is part of an in-depth interview he did with me.  Am I kidding about any of this?  You decide!

Imagine falling love with a song when you are 16, the, later in life meeting the guy who sang it and who asks yo uto write his life story! This is a tiny section from the chapter about Macarthur Park, from my book Richard Harris: Raising Hell and Reaching for Heaven.  

Its that time of year again. I've loved Elvis's Christmas album since I was a kid. That;s why it was such a joy to interview in LA in 2004, the writers of its opening track, Santa Claus Is Back in Town. 

This was recorded in my kitchen at home, hence the echo. I love getting on tape the memories of someone like Brush about "Philo" or anything else. 

I grew up listening to my Dad's Sinatra LPs, and was an Elvis fan, so it was surreal to have this chat on the phone with Nancy. Even more so to see we agreed about Elvis's gospel songs

This time thirty years ago, Shane and I sat in the Shelbourne Hotel and had this chat. We also, as he says, met each other a lot while drinking late at night in clubs in Dublin. Shane is gone. I'm reposting this to try in my small way to ensure he is not forgotten  

A song loved by millions of people, still, and by me since it was released and because I knew a woman like its subect. It was a delight to talk with its creator, a lovely guy.

As a kid I argued against anyone who said Elvis used drugs. But later i life I got to interview the likes of Tom Jones and got to know more about Elvis's use of drugs. 

I always loved Taylor's music and was delighted that he turned out to be such a provocative thinker and interviewee. 

Imagine the scene. It's a morning after the Grammy Awards show, I'm sitting in Frank Zappa's studio in LA, watching Tom Jones record with The Chieftains. Zappa, who rarely gives interviews, is told that U2 are more appreciated in Ireland than The Chieftains, gets angry, and gives me one of his rare interviews. It was also one of his last 

Gray was at the peak of his popularity in Ireland when we did this interview in his home. He talks with great passion about Dylan, Morrison and Springsteen. It's a team of solicitors! Kidding

I love celebrating the music of the Irish in particular, because I am a proud 'Paddy"! Here I am in 2004 discussing some Irish great with Damien Dempsey.

We all remember the music that first moved us. I did a series of interviews with musicians about just that. This is a chat I had with Mr Elliot, from Def Leppard.

I bought that Sinatra album when it was released. It has been reissued this month. It isn't Sinatra at his best vocally, but he's still bnuiriong it up and the band is fantastic, including Benson

I have many reasons for reposting the podcast from The Joe Jackson Archive.  One is that it has Dermot, a man I very much admired, angry at the fact that he was driven out of his homeland and ours in order to make Father Ted.  Sometimes, a country scatters its finest to the furthest shores.   

A relative of mine died from a heroin overdose. My Dad died addicted to drugs. Being anti-drugs in the Irish rock music scene worked against me for years. I don't care. Drug use is on the rise again, in Ireland, and elsewhere Christy's story is more relevant than ever

I became an interviewer to track down and talk with my music heroes. Kris Kristofferson was one of them. He influenced me greatly. This is my tribute to one of the greatest songwriters in any genre, who died yesterday. Kris R.I.P. 

As part of a radio interview we did in his recording studio, Diamond and I talked about the roots of one of his most resonant songs, I Am; I Said.  He even joked about the talking chair! 

I like reposting this to remind people of Sinead's love of music. When all the the stories are forgotten about Sinead, her music will be remembered. In this podcasts she talks about her early influences

I am reposting this to go with the upcoming movie. I remember Bono telling me in 1994, 'I discovered Aznavour." I was too cool to tell him, so did I, 20 years earlier!

I interviewed Flatley once, he wasn't happy with the interview. So? I interviewed Jean twice. She was. Here is the backstory of their clash.

My final interview with Richard took place in the Savoy Hotel in London a year before he died. It lasted nine hours, and forms part of my book, Richard Harris: Raising Hell and Reaching for Heaven.  This is a fun story

It wold have been inappropriate of me to ask Scott Walker if he was gay. This is as close as we came to discussing the subject

As a child I loved The Monkees TV show, It was a delight to interview Mickey and it shows! Great chat about, among other things, the 'postmodern deconstruction of The Monkees' that was the movie Head!

Let's go back to the glory days with Oasis. Here, in an interview we did in Dublin the morning after an Oasis gig I attended, Noel discusses gigs, fans, songs and his music heroes such as John Lennon and Burt Bacharach. It fades at his claim,'I am a romantic" which we will discuss in our next podcast!" Is he? 

During the 1970s, I discovered those 1960s Walker recordings of Brel's songs. In the 1990s we got to talk about them 

Summer re-run of the fun, and fractious encounters I had with my fellow Irishman, the moody Van Morrison

Broadcasters are rarely remembered after they die. Larry Gogan should not be forgotten. He brought great joy in generations of Irish radio listeners. 

k.d. one of the great singers, talks about here heroes Joni Mitchell, Roy Orbison and Leonard Cohen. Four amazing talents 

I am the Elvis fan who, on the day he died felt disillusioned but the lies being told about Elvis and the lies he told about himself.    I went in search of the truth about the King and interviewed many who knew him

I am the Elvis fan who, on the day he died felt disillusioned but the lies being told about Elvis and the lies he told about himself.    I went in search of the truth about the King and interviewed many who knew him

I am the Elvis fan who, on the day he died felt disillusioned but the lies being told about Elvis and the lies he told about himself.    I went in search of the truth about the King and interviewed many who knew him

U2 tried to "mincemeat" Dunphy in terms of aspects of his book he once told me. If they did, why, one wonders?  

A clip from one of the four interviews I did with Tori that make up my Ebook, Tori Amos Soul Searching and Uncensored.  What she says about gun control still applies