In short
Bruce Hornsby discusses confidence and creative persistence, the music industry’s shift from paid records to streaming, his new album Indigo Park, and a “visitation” dream about his father that inspired the title song. He also shares early-career stories and a surprising basketball anecdote involving Allen Iverson.
Guest backgrounds
Bruce Hornsby is a longtime singer-songwriter and pianist with a career beginning in the mid-1980s; he’s released multiple albums and is known for crossing styles. He mentions music executive Lenny Warinker and producer Tony Berg (with Blake Mills). He also references jazz guitarist Pat Metheny.
Key claims
Napster/streaming ended the idea that recorded music should be paid for; artists now tour partly for financial self-preservation. Auto-tune lets poor vocals be “fixed.” Hornsby says he wrote Indigo Park after a dream of his father and that Tony Berg affirmed the album after “loud silence.”
Notable examples
Hornsby says he beat Allen Iverson in one-on-one and other games during a Virginia gym visit after Iverson’s imprisonment; he cites “Like a Rolling Stone” as “mailbox money” songwriting. He recounts meeting Mike McDonald of the Doobie Brothers, getting demo money, and later finally impressing Lenny Warinker in the studio.
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOMorning Zoo Phenomenon
1:40 to 4:00
Discussion about the inane aspects of morning radio shows.
“Should I put on my radio voice, Bruce, all of a sudden?”
The Evolution of Music and Radio
4:00 to 6:26
Bruce and Rob discuss the changes in music and the music industry.
“the change in, well, radio really, I mean, look, we're on Sirius.”
Mailbox Money and Artist Reflections
6:26 to 9:05
They discuss the concept of mailbox money and reflect on iconic songs.
“And with auto-tune, you can have a really shitty singer.”
Bruce Hornsby and Allen Iverson
9:05 to 13:12
Bruce shares a personal story about his connection with Allen Iverson.
“Here's the Bruce Hornsby can't possibly be true part.”
Friendship and Basketball Games
13:12 to 14:00
Narration of Bruce's experiences playing basketball with Iverson.
“And he said, listen, Alan knows what you've done and would like to come and thank you in person if that's possible.”
Basketball Stories and Friendships
14:00 to 16:04
Bruce Hornsby shares a humorous story about playing basketball with Allen Iverson and forming a friendship.
“And, and I had a day where I couldn't miss.”
Basketball Stories and Friendships
17:21 to 18:13
Bruce Hornsby shares a humorous story about playing basketball with Allen Iverson and forming a friendship.
“Summer always changes how you get dressed.”
Bruce Hornsby’s Music Career Beginnings
19:09 to 24:16
Bruce discusses his early music career and experiences in Los Angeles.
“and yes did you write did i see this right that you were writing for for 20th century fox what is Well, yeah.”
The Journey to Finding My Voice
24:16 to 28:06
Bruce reflects on the challenges and milestones in his path to success as a musician.
“He produced a demo for us around that time.”
Listening to 'Indigo Park'
28:06 to 29:32
Bruce shares a touching moment with Lenny while listening to his new song.
“I love when life comes around like that.”
Show all 17 chapters
Visitation Dreams
29:32 to 30:26
Bruce discusses a dream visitation from his father and the meaning behind it.
“Tell me about the song in the new album that is inspired by a dream slash visitation of your father.”
Lessons from His Father
30:26 to 34:34
Bruce shares memorable sayings from his father and the inspiration for his music.
“But it was, I had this dream and I woke up in the middle of it with tears in mind, weeping a little bit in the bed.”
Lessons from His Father
34:45 to 35:36
Bruce shares memorable sayings from his father and the inspiration for his music.
“Therapy is one of those things a lot of people talk themselves out of without even realizing it.”
Misunderstanding 'Mother Mary'
39:15 to 40:04
Bruce and Rob discuss the meaning behind Paul McCartney's song 'Mother Mary'.
“I only recently, that's an amazing story.”
Upcoming Performances
40:04 to 42:03
Bruce talks about his upcoming gigs and musical collaborations.
“Look, a lot of people, the song Indigo Park has sort of really, it's caught a wave.”
Baseball Lore and Personal Connections
42:03 to 43:59
Explore the unexpected connections between music and baseball history.
“Why do I have it in my head that you're an Orioles fan?”
Upcoming Music and Audience Engagement
44:00 to 45:39
Bruce Hornsby discusses his upcoming album and the dynamics of live performances.
“And I'm going to look you up at the Troubadour.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Rob Lowe:Confidence. It's listening to your gut. It's moving forward even when the path ahead is unclear. For nearly 160 years, Pacific Life has helped people keep their promises, building confidence for generations. Whether you're confident in your financial future or just beginning to envision it, we're here to help. Ask a financial professional how. Pacific Life. The power of a promise. Pacific Life Insurance Company, Omaha, Nebraska. And in New York, Pacific Life and Annuity, Phoenix, Arizona. Grainger knows when you're a procurement manager for an office park, you're not managing one building. You're managing all of them.
0:35Rob Lowe:And to stay ahead, you need to see through walls and around corners. Lights about to fail, filters ready to clog, HVAC on its last leg. If you wait until something breaks, you're already behind. Count on Grainger for quality products, easy reordering, and 24-7 support. Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com, or just stop by. Grainger, for the ones who get it done. I know you don't want to say the actual words. He didn't win a game all day. We started off playing.
1:17Rob Lowe:Hey, everybody. Welcome to literally Bruce Hornsby and The Range. The Range isn't here. The range was hard to schedule and had a lot of demands that I couldn't meet. So it's just Bruce Hornsby without the range. I'm a huge Bruce Hornsby guy. Never spoken to the man. So I'm very excited. Let's get at it.
1:48Rob Lowe:We're happening, man. We're doing this. Should I put on my radio voice, Bruce, all of a sudden? You do what? How funny is it like when you're getting ready to do a radio interview and they're like, yeah, we'll be on in about five minutes. We're coming back off of a break and we're just really happy to have you. We'll just be right back after the break. Hey, good to see you, Bruce. We're so excited to have you. Hey, we're back with Bruce. Yeah. You know, the worst offenders in that regard are people who work the morning zoo. Oh, no, don't get me. And you're a radio. You own a radio station now.
2:23Well, not really. I don't know if I'm actually, I don't. I sold it at a loss.
2:31Rob Lowe:Oh, come on. Yeah. Alas, it's true. I make crappy investments now and then. And that was, I think, again, alas, one of them. But yeah, the morning zoo guys, you know, hey, we got Bruce Hornsby here. Hey, we got a trumpet over here. Hey, why don't you play the trumpet? Give us a little trumpet action there, Bruce. You know, and so you realize, oh, my God, I've entered the inane zone. And I'm stuck here. It is absolutely insane. When did the morning zoo phenomena, and by the way, why is it, couldn't it always have to be a zoo? Couldn't, like in Dallas, it's the morning zoo, but in Chicago, it's the nut house.
3:12Rob Lowe:But no, no, no. Okay. No, no, no. It's the zoo. Always. Why? What's going, when did that start? Yeah, I don't know who started the zoo. Maybe Rick Dees. He was great. good guy yeah he's a good good man uh and i was quite a bit of i enjoyed in my old 70s lounge disco era days uh taking the piss out of disco duck with our band so i hats off to you rick for for adding that to the culture amazing yeah the zoo thing i mean you you your career is and i want want to talk about your new album in a second, but you've seen so much and done so much. You might as well be a music historian. I mean, we're laughing about the Morning Zoo, but the change in, well, radio really, I mean, look, we're on Sirius.
4:05Rob Lowe:We're on Saddle. It's not radio anymore. The music business is unrecognizable from when I first came out in 86, which is now 40 years ago exactly that's why i waited to put this record out not really waited because we're pretty bad i'm pretty bad at making records so it always takes me longer than it should but then i thought oh yeah 2026 an easy mark 40th year uh since our first record uh people always ask me about movies and tv and how much it's changing it's the same it's seismic that's what we're talking about I just think that music changed quicker or earlier. And 20 years earlier, I think Napster started a lot of it and streaming started it.
4:49Rob Lowe:But so when people ask me, what's the biggest change? I always, it's always interesting what I tend to come up with. So I'm asking you, what do you think is the biggest change in music for you? Well, one of the biggest changes on a business level, One of my great friends is the great jazz guitarist, Pat Metheny, and we've talked about this through the years. And we've both decided that we're both very grateful for having come out early enough that we had, in my case, about 15 years and, Pat, about 20, 25 years before music became something that generation after generation thinks should be free.
5:30So the idea that a record of recorded music is something that's worth paying for, that concept went away with Sean Fanning, Napster. That was the beginning of the end. And so, of course, what a massive change. People wonder why everyone's on the road playing gigs. Well, one of the main reasons is sort of self-preservation on a financial level. When records as a prized possession went away, now you're – unless you're lucky to have the mailbox money, and that's a different discussion. If you have that, that helps you not have to grind on the road like so many do. So, yeah, that's probably the biggest change.
6:24But there are so many changes. Well, hell, now, well, we've been in the age for years that you can make a record, that most anybody can make an amazing sounding record. And with auto-tune, you can have a really shitty singer. And it doesn't matter. The joke became, you're in the studio and the person does a vocal and you go, yeah, that was terrible. Come in. Because we can fix it. Oh, yeah, that sucked. You're done. Great job. Great job.
6:57Rob Lowe:You. So I have another question. The you talk about mailbox money. This is another question I like to ask music fans. Anybody. Because I love music. I love, love, love, love, love music. But my my love, my my knowledge of music is, I think, extremely limited. And it's and I think it's like anybody. It's the it's the music you grew up with. Right. So, you know, I'm going to say from very, very, very, very late 60s, a little bit, but hardcore up until probably the 90s, because I had my kids in 90. So a little bit of 90, but it's that 20-year period. But I like to ask people, if you could have written for mailbox money, any song in the world, what would it be?
7:52Rob Lowe:Well, it would be Like a Rolling Stone. That would be it. That would be what that would. That's the first thing that comes to my mind. Okay. Well, listen, first of all, that's a great. I would have. I like that answer for the answer of great fucking song. Well, that's why. Yeah. That's right. Okay. Then you're going to think that I'm just a money-grubbing whatever it would be. Listen, and no disrespect to Jimmy, who I knew and was a great guy, but if I could have written anything, it would be Margaritaville. Okay. Well, that's going to be some serious mailbox action. It's mailbox money, man. Come on.
8:32Rob Lowe:It's mailbox money. Well, I'm thinking artistic. I'm thinking what moves me when you ask that. You're too much of an artist. Bruce, you're just... I apologize for all my shortcomings. You're an incorrigible, incorrigible artist. Yes. Okay. I need to hear... It's funny. Whenever people come on, I do a little research and stuff comes up. And some of them go, oh, that's interesting. Yeah, I like. Oh, yeah. Good. I want to ask. And then there'll be somebody that goes, wait a minute. This can't possibly be true. That's true. That's part of my story. Yeah. Stuff like that. Yeah. Yeah. Here's the Bruce Hornsby can't possibly be true part.
9:11Rob Lowe:I know you're a huge basketball fan. This Allen Iverson story, come on, man. Tell us about the Allen Iverson story. Well, I don't really talk about it, to be honest with you, Rob. And I'll talk about it a little bit. But it's so idiotic to talk about it because it's something that's just not believable. And so for me to talk about it, it just seems ludicrous. because 95 % of the populace listening will go, motherfucker, that's just not true. You're just lying your ass off. So can I say that on the air? You just said it, and it is going into posterity forever. Okay, all good. All right, so I'm going to try to make this quick.
10:03No, it's good. I don't really like to tell it, but anyway, here it is. Okay, so Alan Arbison is one of the iconic, if not the iconic athlete from my area here in Virginia. He played, he and I both played in the same league, the same very intense public school league called the Peninsula District. I grew up on the Virginia Peninsula, the lower peninsula in Williamsburg, bucolic, pastoral Williamsburg. But in high school, my high school was 55-45, white to black, almost 50-50. And I was the only white guy on the basketball team. And we went down to the peninsula, and it was like that. It was a very soul league in the most beautiful way.
10:52So Allen Iverson also played in the Peninsula District, where he just dominated. He was amazing, of course.
11:00Rob Lowe:Even then, he was AI, even then. Well, yes, and here's something a lot of people may not know about AI. We call him Chuck. Bubba Chuck is his nickname in Hampton, Virginia, where he's from, or just Chuck. So if I see him at a game, we hug and I go, what's up, Chuck? So Chuck, as we know him, was also an amazing football player. He was a great quarterback and defensive. He was just a supreme athlete. And so he had as many college scholarship offers, high major offers, in football as he did basketball. He was arrested. You may know the story. he was arrested with a bunch of his friends in a bowling app for brawling in a bowling alley or maiming by mob is what he and his friends were convicted of and he was sent to jail after his junior year where he not single-handedly there was another killer player named Tony Rutland on that Bethel High School team that won the state championship in his junior year but he was amazing after that he missed his senior year because he was in freaking jail So I, we elected the first black governor ever in the United States, Doug Wilder at that time.
12:22And I knew little Douglas as we called him. And, uh, and I knew his chief of staff real well. And so through the chief of staff, I started lobbying the governor's office and governor Wilder because I thought there was a complete miscarriage of justice. This is not a short story as it turns out. That's a great story, though. So sure enough, after a bit of cajoling from people like me, who knows what that meant, really, Doug Wilder pardoned Chuck. So that was nice. And his friends and his fellow brawlers, whatever happened. And so about two months later, that was around Christmas time of 92, maybe 91.
13:11A couple of months later, I get a call out of the blue from his high school coach, a guy named Mike Bailey. And he said, listen, Alan knows what you've done and would like to come and thank you in person if that's possible. So I said, well, yeah, OK. Hey, look, why don't you guys come up here this Saturday and I'll find a gym and we'll play some basketball. I was about 37, 38 then. And so still doing a little ball, playing a little bit with my older friends. And so they did that. And I had, I called one up front of mine who was the high school, head high school coach of local high school here.
13:52And he opened the gym and we came in. And, and, uh, look, I think I caught him frankly, right out of prison. And he was, maybe he wasn't quite up to, to, uh, didn't have his game back. And, and I had a day where I couldn't miss. And so, uh, you got to say it.
14:12Rob Lowe:I know you don't want to say the, this, the actual words, but right. So, so he didn't win a game all the, all day. We started playing a game. We play an old man's game called No Paint. It was full court. You got to go to run in, run and gun, but no paint. So no contact, really. So we won that game, but that's okay. Then we played three games of one-on-one. Then we played three games of 21, which is another game. And so we became friends after this. I had his dorm room number when he went to Georgetown the next year. John Thompson brought him in. And so I would mess with him. I'd call him up after some killer game he'd had.
14:57I'd say, hey, Chuck, you may be killing these young college boys, but what are you going to do about some 38-year-old piano player, son? And he would just howl and laugh laughing and say, I don't know, man, piano player slash basketball player.
15:11Rob Lowe:So that's the story. Listen, I have it right in the notes. Hornsby stated that he beat Allen Iverson in a one-on-one basketball three games in a row. That's an amazing accomplishment. Forget all your other stuff that you've done, dude. That's going on your Wikipedia page. I think it probably is there. Look, again, that's all. That's all I'm saying about it. That's good. It seems inane and not believable, and it's not. So if someone doesn't believe it, but there are lots of witnesses. There you go. And then it brings up my favorite phrase ever. Ty Cobb said, it ain't bragging if you done it.
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19:08Rob Lowe:now when you when you first came to los angeles to start your music career was what like 1980 and yes did you write did i see this right that you were writing for for 20th century fox what is Well, yeah. Okay. All right. I'll give you the quick version of this story too. We were discovered, we're playing around here. I've gone to college and gotten my degree. So I'm a school musician. And so I'm dealt with all that in a great way. I'm so glad I did all that. Had a really hard teacher at Miami who beat my ass and said, you're terrible. But if you do everything I say and do this and this and this, you won't be terrible.
19:47And he was a guy who could really walk the walk. He wasn't just talking. He was a badass. Vince Maggio was his name. He was my teacher. I felt I was always making records and go, what will Vince think? And so.
20:00Rob Lowe:By the way, do you remember anything in particular that he grinded you over? Because I can't imagine. I mean, you seem like a prodigious early talent. Well, see, I was a hippie jock before that. I was a hooper. And so I got into piano late, age 17, because I heard the amazing Elton John record Tumblebee Connection. and I heard the amazing Mad Dogs and the Englishman Jill Cocker record with all that Leon Russell and Chris Stanton piano. So I was hooked and I moved my focus from shooting to woodshedding, to practicing the piano. Okay, so we came back here. We started a band, started working up. I started writing songs late, 21 or so.
20:44We acquired a following of people who came to these bars where people were playing Shake Your Booty and Brick House. And they wanted to hear our band play my songs. So we were catching a little bit of a ride, of a wave back then in this area from Richmond to Virginia Beach. And we were fans of the Doobie Brothers, Mike McDonald especially. We were fans of Mike McDonald. The Doobie Brothers were playing Hampton Coliseum. And we found out where he was staying, the Sheraton Coliseum. My drummer and I, my drummer's a big, strong guy. I'm just, I'm a big, tall, bony-ass guy, but we're both sort of imposing.
21:236 '4 guys, although I'm in the shrinking years, so not 6 '4 anymore. Anyway, we found him in the lobby of the Sheraton Coliseum. We went up to him and said, hey, Mike, we're the baddest MFs in this town, and we're playing over at the Steak and Ale. Those two statements, they don't go together. But you should come here. So he did. That was their night off. He said, well, I'm going to a movie, but I'll try to come. And he did come. And we really grabbed him. We saved all my songs, and we were giving it up. We freaking meant it. And he grokked this deeply and said, hey, you guys, that was unbelievable.
22:04Come over to the – let's hang out at the hotel, at the Sheraton Coliseum, the next night. So we did that. He says, come up to my room. we have a new record coming out tomorrow it's called Minute by Minute yeah exactly so we're in his room listening to this cassette an amazing moment then two months later he came back the next night and sat in with us, the place is packed now the word was out about what had happened the night before there was hardly anybody there the night before we were packing them out as we say rather than packing them in so they don't want to come there's no stopping them that's our standard line because we're still because we're still packing them out to be honest with you so uh anyway we two months later we're sleeping on his floor in studio city wow and he's turning our and he's turning our tape onto a little reel to reel back then onto he was singing on so many records you'll remember the time yes of course he was oh there's mike again there's mike again And so he was working for all these producers on these other records, and he'd take them, our tape.
23:17From that, we got a little interest from the now departed Doobie Brother, ex-Doobie Brother, Jeff Baxter, who was starting to produce records. Baxter set us up the summer of 79 in a rehearsal studio in Hollywood, and we showcased for every nickel and dime record company and big company. we didn't get a deal because I because what I was writing was sort of derivative it was sort of steely band doobies kind of thing white r &b you call it yep uh and so didn't get we had a deal offer but it was we're warned away from this deal uh I got a deal so I I was but I got signed by 20th Century Fox Music Publishing which sounds so impressive but it was really not a big deal it was it was part of 20th century records was was also happening and that was that was not a big deal either so but i it it paid my bills down there out there for a couple years and i moved there in 1980
24:21Rob Lowe:well that that makes sense because when i saw it i go you're right it wasn't a big label i'd never i'm a fan of that era that's right in my sweet spot and i'm like 20th century fox i don't remember them being so heavy in the music business i and you're right you're and you're right that they weren't it was just i don't know it seemed like a side project that the big companies that the big company they had to have a label yeah yeah a label and a publishing company is that i wasn't on the label i was waiting for you to say yeah no i did a lot of side work on tv dude have you ever seen hill street blues who do you think's playing that piano at the beginning that's me that's what i thought was gonna was come out of this story well speaking of hill street blues mike post the guy wrote and had the hit with that.
25:07Genius. Legend. He produced a demo for us around that time. But again, we couldn't get arrested. And so, Rob, six years later, I moved to LA in 1980, June of 1980. I got my record deal in 85.
25:25Rob Lowe:Wow. So it took me a while. And it was right. They were always right. The great Lenny Warrinker. Do you know the name? Of course I do. Yes. Okay, so Lenny— Great music executive and a great legend for discovering people. Exactly, and a great record producer. Produced all those mid-'70s James Taylor records and the Ricky Lee Jones records, for God's sake. The first two, Gordon Lightfoot, all the Randy Newman records. So I always wanted to be with Lenny. He gave me demo money in 82. We made a demo, passed. In 84, we had our band The Range. I was trying to hide behind a name because I thought Bruce Hornsby was a pretty lame stage name.
26:03So we were just in the range. Got offered a bunch of demo money from different labels. We picked Epic. They passed. And then Lenny got a hold of it. And he passed then again. So then after that, when we hit it, I'd run into Lenny around town. And he would just flog himself. Oh, my God, I can't believe it. And I said to him, look, Lenny, please stop beating yourself up here. because when you were waltzing around with me in the early mid 80s, I wasn't ready yet. I had not found my own voice. It took me a while. I guess you could call me a slow learner. And so that's what happened. But here's a beautiful end story to the Lenny chapter.
26:47So I've been making my last several records at the vaunted venues in the Valley, Sound City.
Read the full transcript
26:54Rob Lowe:Sure. Great documentary on that. It sure is. Dave Grohl did a great job. Well, my great friend, Tony Berg, great record producer for many, many years. Tony took it over with his young partner, Blake Mills. One of the great indie, well, just great guitar players in any genre. So Blake commandeers the big A studio and Tony's in B. And Tony and Lenny were friends because Tony used to be an A &R guy in the 90s with Geffen, which is related to Warner Brothers. And Tony called Lenny and said, hey, your boy Hornsby's in this studio. He'd love to see you. Come visit us. Well, Lenny's 83, maybe now 84, and he doesn't drive much.
27:43So that was in the fall of 24. So he never made it out, but he finally made it. We're still working on it. We work every few months on this thing, this new record. and indigo park so we he finally in may of last year he came out so this was a deep thing for me so here comes lenny in the studio we we have some little small talk and then i say well you want to hear this and okay yes i'd like to so we put on this song the first song on the record the title song and first song i wrote for the record called indigo park and he put his head down i guess this is how he likes to listen to music he put his head down on the console uh and listened that way and he was just so moved just going oh oh Bruce is so great you know just and I was getting teary-eyed because this is the guy I wanted to be with and I'd always told him I always wanted to be with you and I still think to this day if I had been I would have done better because you were and I'm sure still are if he still did it a great music person he's not an instrumentalist he doesn't really play but he just has the taste of life and so that was an amazing moment of affirmation about this new thing we played him several songs and he reacted so strongly to it and And we've been to dinner a couple of times since in the last seven months.
29:21Rob Lowe:I love when life comes around like that. Yeah, right. Yeah, it was so beautiful, so fulfilling for me because, again, he was the guy for me. Tell me about the song in the new album that is inspired by a dream slash visitation of your father. Because I've had a visitation. Okay. Not many people. So I know exactly without even talking to you, without even I know exactly what you mean. And I'm sure that there are people out there who have had that. But I also know people think I'm insane when I talk about a visitation. Well, yeah, and because of that, that's our standard reaction. And I understand it.
30:06It sounds goofy, like, oh, no, you didn't. That's just, you had a dream.
30:12Rob Lowe:It was vivid. You had a dream. It was just an extra vivid one. I'm like, I've had dreams my whole life. I'm 62. I know what a dream is. This wasn't that. This seems different to you. Yeah. Yeah. It was different. Right. So that's, I don't call it a visitation, but I guess I could. But it was, I had this dream and I woke up in the middle of it with tears in mind, weeping a little bit in the bed. So my dad was an old-time country boy. He saw a picture of me. He looked like Charles Atlas, a big, strong guy from the next county over. But straight country. That's some great old country sayings. one of the great ones is that he would say to us and this is going to I can say this now because this is going to be in a profile on me in the Guardian UK which is a great thing when he would see people stressing about some relationship they had, would say no this guy I don't know about him my dad would say oh you know what fuck them all but six.
31:26Five for the pallbearers and one to piss on the grave. Meaning, all you need in the end is six friends. Those six people to take those jobs. That's great. Fuck them all but six. Fuck them all but six. That's a really good one. That's so funny. And so he had another similar idea. basically his country way of saying, hey, relax, don't stress. He would say, take a light strain. And hey, everything's okay. Y 'all take a light strain. So I had one more song to write. I'd written nine and sent them to Tony, Tony Berg, who was a tough room. And so he will not sugarcoat anything. He called me up after three or four weeks of what I call the loud silence when you send someone something and you don't hear a thing.
32:28That's what I call it.
32:29Rob Lowe:The loud, oh boy, we all know that one. Have you read my script? I have a couple loud silences going right now. Of course we do. The screaming silence in some cases. Oh my God. So he called me then, three, four weeks after I'd sent it. I'm boarding a plane in Charlotte, a connection, and here he is. So I get out of line. And he said, I love all nine songs. I love all nine. You're on to something there, kid. So I had one more to write after that. So that was, of course, great affirmation again. So I had one more song to write, and I thought, well, I thought a couple of things. This will probably be the grand finale.
33:21So I wanted it to have sort of a valedictory feeling, sort of a closing statement. And I took this phrase, take a light strain, and wrote that. The third verse is the key verse. I dreamed I stood in the square room for a while and the door opens. My dad dressed in style in a white suit and matching shoes with a big smile and arms, dressed arms, he moved. Huge bear hug, waking up so moved. Flying, trying to go deep in the clock, deep in the groove. Whoa, never been so moved. And so that's, and then it goes into, so say goodbye with a whisper and a smile. I'll see you real soon or maybe after a long while.
34:10Time, it bends, and we ride a swirling wave. A little physics action there. Time, it bends, and we ride a swirling wave. Take a light string as we all try to do our best to remain. So that just felt like the valedictory song, the closing statement. Again, based on this dream about my dad.
34:45Therapy is one of those things a lot of people talk themselves out of without even realizing it.
34:51Rob Lowe:Like it's too expensive or it's too overwhelming figuring out where to even start. But RULA is one way to make that first step a lot more doable, offering accessible, affordable therapy that fits your needs. Sign up in just a few minutes and get matched with a therapist who fits what you're looking for. You need to talk to somebody quickly. Appointments are often available as soon as the next day. And with insurance, sessions average around$15 copay. You can see estimated costs up front, so there's a lot more clarity going in. And in terms of outcomes, 93 % of RULA patients report symptom improvement.
35:30Rob Lowe:If therapy has been sitting in the back of your mind, RULA is a pretty simple way to take that first step. So turn off the talk track that's keeping you from progress and head to RULA.com. That's R-U-L-A.com to find a therapist the easy way. Spring has arrived. Spring is also the perfect time to refresh your outdoor space. And Paragold is a destination for luxury home bringing design's best brands together in one place. Paragold offers its largest ever selection from ready-to-ship outdoor furniture to weatherproof lighting, accents, and serveware for every style and space. It is the first to bring design's best brands together in one place, making it easy to shop, enduring all-weather pieces.
36:27Rob Lowe:Many of these brands have been around for decades and prioritize quality materials, solid construction, and traditional craftsmanship. Paragold also offers free, fast, full-service delivery on most items and complimentary design services, making the whole process easy. I've been checking it out, and everything looks super fun. There are many great options, particularly some outdoor chairs that look great. There's lots of great stuff, so go shop in-store and online at paragold.com. Guys, let's face it. As we get older, we can't just skip sleep and eat whatever we want and still feel great the next day.
37:12Rob Lowe:But if you're entering your men's health era, you know it can feel complicated. Sprouts Farmer's Market makes it easier. Not only do Sprouts have the high-protein foods, nutrient-dense organic produce, and innovative snacks your body craves, it's also got the newest supplements, vitamins, joint support, even creatine to help get you feeling more like you used to. Whether it's men's health or any other health journey, it's easier that sprouts farmer's market. Dads find one version of things they like and they stick with it for decades. A wallet, sneakers, even the haircut. From watches to cologne, Macy's Father's Day online gift guide makes it easy to upgrade dad's go-to favorites.
38:00Rob Lowe:Same vibe, better version. Give his wardrobe a refresh with a Tommy Hilfiger printed floral linen shirt or level up his signature scent with a Rabanne 1 million elixir gift set. Does dad basically live at the grill all summer? Set him up with a Cuisinart Deluxe Stainless Steel 14-piece grill set. For the watch collector, ooh, yes. Macy's has instant favorites like a Casio men's digital vintage gold-toned stainless steel bracelet watch. And for dads who never met a sport he didn't love, that'd be me, shop at an Adidas World Cup fan jersey or an Under Armour golf polo. Plus, you don't have to splurge to make dad feel appreciated.
38:48Rob Lowe:Macy's has a whole lineup of gifts for$50 and under, including Perry Ellis dop kits and Levi Chino shorts, this Father's Day, give him something he'll actually use, something that feels unmistakably him. Let Macy's be your guide to gifting for Father's Day. Shop now, online, or in store.
39:15Rob Lowe:I only recently, that's an amazing story. And I only recently realized that Paul McCartney's song, Mother Mary comes to me. Yes. Let it be. About his mom. His mother Mary. His mother Mary came to, I always assumed it was Mother Mary, the Christian Mother Mary. I think the world thought that. I thought it. I think the world. Actually, his mom said that to him and literally said, let it be. Yeah. Yeah. Well, it's so similar. Yeah. I'm excited. I hope you guys are going to come on the road to support the album. Oh, like crazy. We've got too many gigs. We're playing Fallon on April 30th. Look, a lot of people, the song Indigo Park has sort of really, it's caught a wave.
40:10It's really touched a lot of people. And so we had three of those shows, three of the four shows come to us, late night shows to come and say, well, you play Indigo Park on our show. So Fallon was the one who came in first with a specific date that we could play. We're playing crazy routing. We also have a great gig before that. We're closing one of the smaller stages at the New Orleans Jazz Fest.
40:38Rob Lowe:Ooh. So yeah, that's such a great event. And the night before, I'm playing with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band. And hopefully my dear friend and brother in music, Brant from Marsalis, who now lives back there where he grew up, hopefully he'll be with me on both gigs. So yeah, we have a lot to look forward to. Lots going on. And Rob will be playing the Troubadour two nights. Oh my God, the famous Troubadour. Oh God, the Troubadour. In June. In June. That's what I'm, okay. I'm having my team is listening. Make a note, block out dates in June. Yeah, it's something like the 17th, 18th, or the 16th and 17th.
41:17One of those two. Do you know that I've never, this is going to sound like blasphemy, I've never been to the Troubadour. Okay, well then this will be fun for you. Again, it's the vaunted venue. It's the legendary singer-songwriter situation. And so, yeah, we love playing the troupe. Okay, before I go, you think you didn't want to talk about Allen Iverson.
41:43Rob Lowe:Where do I hit you with this one?
41:47Rob Lowe:I can't imagine. Go ahead. Okay, maybe you might even be able to, if you know what I'm about to ask you. No, I don't. You might. As I get into the lead up of this question and you think you know where it's going, you give me the signal because I think you're going to know immediately. Oh, boy. It might even start with this. you are a notorious Orioles fan. That's not true. Not true? No, that's just not true. Yeah, that's... Why do I have it in my head that you're an Orioles fan? Well, the only possibility is that, before I mentioned, Brantford and I played the national anthem at Camden Yards for the Cal Ripken streak-breaking game.
42:33Rob Lowe:Oh, that, okay. So that must be it. I was friends with a bunch of the California Angels baseball players back in the late 80s, early to mid-90s for several years. And whenever they would come to camping yards, my pals and I from here in Williamsburg would drive up the three hours to Baltimore and hang out with our friends. I just assumed that you were like Huey Lewis with the Giants or that you were like the musical mascot. There's teams always have a kind of a musical mascot. Not me. Not you. Okay. Well, then, then I won't, then I won't ask you to comment on the famous, uh, lights going out in the stadium in the middle of his hitting streak.
43:15Rob Lowe:Oh, I don't know. I don't know. I'm unaware of that. Do you know this? Okay. No. Because there are people involved that I may have as guests on this show. I'm not going to say anything, but if you're listening out there and you are, cause you're obviously listening and you, my good friend are going to Google when we're done here, the controversy around the stadium having a sudden power outage. Yeah, I feel like that rings a bell to me. And why the real story as to why that happened is one of the greatest pieces of lore in baseball and show business history. But it involves friends. So I'm not going to that's where I'm leaving.
43:59Rob Lowe:I'm leaving you all with a mystery. Yeah. Yeah, I'll look it up. Yeah, I will. And I'm going to look you up at the Troubadour. Yes. Indigo Park, it's out April 3rd, but obviously the song is out now. And it's been a pleasure. I've been a fan of yours since I first heard you with your big breakout back in 86, I want to say. Well, likewise. Come on, outsiders, West Wing, Austin Powers. You've run the gamut of styles. Oh, thank you. In a great way. So, so much. So yeah, great to be with you, Rob. And we'll see you at the Troubadour. Let us know. Oh, I'll be heckling and applauding. Yeah, a good heckler.
44:42Rob Lowe:I think it's good if you had a paid heckler. It would add a little something, something. We're used to it. We take, since 1990, we've taken requests at our gigs. People put up pieces of paper on the stage. just littered with, if it's our true fans at the gig. But also then you have the Schmendricks, the loudmouth cats who are just going to wear it out, you know? Yeah. Sometimes we have deadheads who will not stop yelling for a certain dead song that they know that I've done. So I never do it. I never placate them. Yeah, that's amazing. But anyway, so yes, you won't be alone in your heckling self-appointed heckling job.
45:28Rob Lowe:I will be there. And thanks for coming on and have a great rest of your day and week. And I'll see you in June. Sounds great. Okay, Rob, great to be with you. Thanks, man.
45:42Rob Lowe:All right, everybody. Thank you so much. I'm going to go start working on my basketball game. I'm going to go check. Who should I challenge in basketball so I can talk about whipping someone's ass? Shaq? Is Shaq too old? I can talk about Shaq because he's my man. I love him. Call me up on Lowline and tell me who I should challenge to basketball. Because that story was amazing. Anyway, thank you for being with me. And I'm going to see you next time right here on Literally.
46:18You've been listening to Literally with Rob Lowe. produced by me, Sean Doherty, with help from associate producer, Sean Calvano. Research by Jeff Fox. Engineering and mixing by Joanna Samuel. Our executive producers are Rob Lowe for Low Profile and Nick Liao, Adam Sachs, and Jeff Ross for Team Coco. Booking by Catherine Cook. Music by Devin Bryant. Special thanks to Hidden City Studios. Thanks for listening. We'll see you next time on Literally.
46:52Pandora makes it easy for you to find your favorite music. Discover new artists and genres by selecting any song or album and we'll make you a personalized station for free. Download on the Apple App Store or Google Play and enjoy the soundtrack to your life.
47:05Rob Lowe:Out on the road, it helps to have a partner like the Loves Rewards app. Download Loves Rewards and get great deals like a free Loves coffee or fountain drink. Just buy any four, any size, and get the fifth one free. Loves Rewards. Save and earn at every turn. Terms apply. See website for details.
From the publisher
Rob loves talking music with great singer-songwriters! Legendary musician Bruce Hornsby (known for his Grammy-winning work with Bruce Hornsby and the Range, as well as touring with the Grateful Dead) joins Rob Lowe to discuss how music has changed so dramatically since the 1980s, cheesy morning radio hosts, Bruce’s new album, mailbox money, playing basketball with Allen Iverson, and much more. Make sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube at YouTube.com/@LiterallyWithRobLowe! Got a question for Rob? Call our voicemail at 323-570-4551. Your question could get featured on the show!
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