The following are highlights of a new Journey Of A Frontman interview with Chris Jericho:
Alex Obert: Would you ever look into an opportunity for Michael Starr to appear at a Fozzy show and sing Tonite with you?
Chris Jericho: Not sure, I mean it’s always kind of fun. M. Shadows came and sang Sandpaper with us. Phil Campbell came and did Addiction with us one time. It’s all about where you are and what the different bands schedules are and all that sort of thing. It would definitely be awesome, he did a great job on it. Love those guys and we’ll do a lot more towards with them again, so you never know.
Alex Obert: Regarding another guest vocalist on the album, who is Christie Cook and how did you discover her?
Chris Jericho: Rich has been working with her for years. She’s a girl from Atlanta and that music scene there. She was on the Duke record, I believe. And she actually did some touring with Rich when he took the Duke project on the road. She’s been in the Fozzy extended family for a while. And when it came time to start tracking Unstoppable, Rich had this vision of having a female vocalist on it to do a duet for a Gimme Shelter/Great Gig in the Sky type of a vibe. It would be where the girl is not just on the chorus, but actually having her in on the verses as well. We thought about should we get the typical Lzzy Hale or Cristina Scabbia or somebody like that, well we thought to just ask Christie. She’s already in the family and she’s a great singer. So we’ll give her the spotlight, give her a little day in the sun. We couldn’t have found a better singer. She absolutely nailed it, really did a great job on that song.
Alex Obert: What are your thoughts on the track, Scarecrow?
Chris Jericho: I love it. I think it’s a great song. When I first heard it, it was one of my favorites because it’s so different and weird, there’s a little bit of a prog element to it. Some of these songs on this record are a little more straightforward, little more of a poppy type vibe, Tonite or Lights Go Out, that sort of thing. No Good Way too. But then Scarecrow came on and it’s not a long song, but it’s very much progressive with the tempo changes and a really amazing chorus. It fits the vibe with a really super heavy riff. It’s a great tune, man. We think it’s gonna go over great live as well.
Alex Obert: You were telling me about Rich Ward earlier, how do you feel he influences you?
Chris Jericho: Well we’ve been working together for so long. I’ve learned a lot about music from Rich as far as phrasing for lyrics. He writes all the melodies for Fozzy and he knows exactly where my voice sounds best and what notes I would hit best. So I think rather than an influence, it’s more of a partnership. We kind of really work in tandem for everything that Fozzy does. Recording, that’s more his thing. Promotion is more my thing. Choosing what tours we accept, we think of that together. That’s the secret of being in band, there’s the songs and the music and that sort of thing, but the secret is more being able to get along and do a little bit of the give-and-take. It’s a good team. If you’re gonna win the Stanley Cup, you’ve got a guy that’s the main goalscorer, you’ve got a guy who’s killing penalties, and both of them have to know and respect the other person’s role in their team to win the game. That’s what we’ve figured out over the years, how to do that.
Alex Obert: With a live show, what’s the secret to being a good frontman?
Chris Jericho: Just a connection with the crowd. People want to have a good time when they come to a show and you have to do everything you can to let them know that it’s okay to have a good time. Some crowds are easier, some crowds are harder, but you have to go the extra mile to get those people to open up and realize that they’re there to have fun. So it’s all about the connection, man. It’s the same whether it’s a Fozzy show or a WWE show, you have to have that connection with the crowd. And when you get that, they’re gonna be more into what you’re doing.
Check out the complete interview at JourneyOfAFrontman.com.
