Gene
Continued from page 6
IE: So your manager Bruce mentioned that
you play the Arcada this month. Do you
have any memories of playing Chicago
with the Rascals during the 60s?
GP: Back in 1966, we played the
Stockyards for Dick Clark (Laughs). I
believe we also played for a promoter back
by as well?
GP: I wasn’t exposed to alot of those guys.
Living in Rochester (NY) and the Archer
was more of a white situation. I did get a
lot of Chuck Berry. I learned about Willie
Dixon and all of other guys later on.
Chicago was very influential in Rascals
success. Alot of it because of WLS radio.
Gene Cornish
IE: Right, yeah, WLS was huge.
GP: Dick Biondi (WLS Deejay) was very
helpful. I always give a shout out to Dick
because I know he is still in radio. I was
very grateful for him for what he did at the
station. When I was in Chicago, it’s the
Second City. My time, my week in
Chicago 2 years ago showed me what a
beautiful city it is. What I saw anyway. I
didn’t see the Southside but I didn’t get all
06•2015
in the '60s named Frank Fried who also
booked The Rolling Stones...at a couple of
hockey rinks! And we played the Aragon
Ballroom back in the '60s. Two years ago,
the 2013 with the ‘Once Upon a Dream
Tour’, with whole reunion of the all original Rascals, we played at the Cadillac
Palace Theater in Chicago.
IE: Some of your contemporaries in the
British Invasion bands like the Rolling
Stones and the Beatles to a lesser extent
were influenced by Chicago Blues artists.
A lot of those Chess Records guys like
Muddy Waters and Willie Dixon. Was
that something that you were influenced
40 illinoisentertainer.com june 2015
over town, we were so busy doing 5 shows
at the Cadillac Theater. It was a great
week.
IE: So what was the idea behind this tour?
GP: Well, the plan is to finally have me do
my own ]\