LEE ROCKER plays The Coach House Oct. 6; press photo
“It goes way back, but I’m from a musical family of classical musicians from New York,” states the legendary Lee Rocker.
“My dad was a solo clarinet for the Philharmonic, my mom was a music teacher at the college there; so, there was music constantly around the house. And I started really playing instruments like the cello around seven years old. It’s kind of a family business, you know?
“Started The Stray Cats in my dad’s garage. And you know, by the time I was seventeen had a record deal in England. So, it started super young.”
Rocker has been a seminal force in music ever since his twenties and shows no signs of slowing down either.
“I gotta say, playing music really is…just a passion,” Rocker explains.
“It’s like breathing, it’s something I gotta do. You know, it’s sort of hard to describe but its part of me and I love doing it. I’ve been on the road and recording for almost forty years, 39 years, and in a way, it just gets better and better. I’m passionate, always pushing myself, always trying to learn more, do things a little differently, and figure new things out. So, it’s a constant growth in a way.”
Lee Rocker
Well known for his work with The Stray Cats, he has his own band that plays regularly too.
“It’s a four-piece band I’ve had now for a couple years,” describes Rocker.
“My guitar player is Buzz Campbell, and Buzz I’ve known for god…at least twenty years and we’ve worked together for probably close to that. I’ve got a great drummer, Larry Mitchell, and a wonderful like multi-instrumentalist guy, Joey Eights… like the number. And he plays pianos and guitars and harmonica. The band is a well-oiled machine I gotta say. We have a new record coming out soon, a live record we did at a venue called Daryl’s Place, which is Daryl Hall’s place in New York.”
Their upcoming show at The Coach House is especially momentous for the Orange County native.
“I’m stoked and looking forward to The Coach House,” Rocker excitedly expounds.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been there. It gives me a chance to not only do the concert but tell some stories, to talk about some things behind the music.”
He further elaborates on the upcoming live show, “I’ve cherry picked songs from throughout my career. Certainly, doing my hits like “Rock This Town” and “Stray Cat Strut” and “Sexy And Seventeen” from my Stray Cats years.
“And then things from throughout my career that I’ve written and songs that I’ve done with people – ranging from George Harrison, or Keith Richards, or Carl Perkins – who was a really good friend of mine and wrote “Blue Suede Shoes”. And I definitely have some new stuff, I’ve been in the studio, and I’m gonna bust out a couple brand new songs that I haven’t even had a chance to record yet.
“The audience is what it’s all about. The energy in the room and I gotta say, for me, it doesn’t matter if that room is 500 people or 5,000 people. It’s just that human thing of being in a room, and that transfer of energy between an audience and a musician is just so cool.”
His affection for music is readily apparent, and as a result he has touched numerous people’s lives.
“When you meet people and hear how your music has changed people’s lives, it’s pretty amazing,” Rocker said.
“I spoke to someone a little while back…a man from Japan who said he had seen the Stray Cats in the eighties. He loved the band so much that he learned English and moved to America. It’s really moving stuff…you know, monumental.”
As for the future, it looks as bright as ever.
“We are putting out a new live record I mentioned called the Low Road,” Rocker revealed.
“It’s just a great live concert that is also a DVD, a CD, and also on vinyl. That should be out in December.
“Next year, I will definitely be putting out a new studio record of songs that I’ve written. So, folks should check the website and social media cuz we are gonna be talking about it and things are coming up quick.”
Make sure to catch Lee Rocker and his band as they rock the night away and divulge fascinating stories from his lengthy time as a musician. It all goes down Oct. 6 at The Coach House!