To say Collective Soul is my favorite band of all time would be an understatement. For me, they’re what the Beatles were to most boomers—my ultimate musical inspiration. They’ve shaped the radio host, musician, and storyteller I am today.
Having Will Turpin of Collective Soul on our show was a full-circle moment (pun absolutely intended). Since I was 8 years old, I’ve dreamed of meeting the band in any capacity. My first brush with that dream came when I was 12, when Ed Roland gave me a quick buzz on the head from the stage. I was starstruck and instantly ready to become a rock star myself. What I didn’t realize back then was that it’s a lifelong job with zero benefits when you start—something I definitely know now, haha.
Will was an incredible guest, and you can check out that interview here. Matthew Graham joined me for the conversation, and together we had an absolute blast.
Not long after, I finally got to see Collective Soul share the stage with Live at the amp. The night flew by in a blur of amazing music, and after an electrifying set from the Soul dudes, I got to head backstage and meet Will Turpin and Johnny Rabb—two of the nicest guys you could ever hope to meet.
Will and I have since become friends, and I’m hoping he might produce a single for me or my band someday—I’ve already got ideas brewing.
Huge thanks to Amanda (ABC Publications), Josh Bradley, Drew Carrano, Fernando Perdomo, and Greg Richling—who we recently interviewed about the Collective Soul documentary and his time as the OG bass player for The Wallflowers