For a man who has sold more than 75 million albums worldwide and written some of the most powerful anthems in rock music, Bryan Adams is incredibly humble.
He does not believe his speech Songwriters Hall of Fame Nomination – to write broken strokes including “Cuts like a knife“”He runs to you” And “Summer of 1969— would lead to induction as he shrugs off continued snubbing by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (he’s been eligible since 2005).
Adams doesn’t spend much time thinking about the accolades he has received in the industry, instead staying focused on his theatrical skill and delivering hit songs.sky“”This thing we started cannot be stopped” And “(Everything I do) I do it for you“To arenas full of fans around the world.
Adams, 64, toured the US this summer with Joan Jett and The Blackhearts on tour in support of his 2022 album So Happy it Hurts.
Hell Embarking on a new phase on January 20 in Montana and hit cities including San Jose, Austin, Orlando and Charlotte with his “buddy” Dave Stewart and his “Eurythmics Songbook.”
Adams is also released ‘Live at the Royal Albert Hall’ box set. Dec. 8, featuring three of his albums — “Wake up the Neighbors,” “Cuts Like a Knife,” and “Into the Fire” — played in their entirety.
In a recent phone conversation, Adams shared with USA TODAY why he’s grateful for Taylor Swift (he’ll be taking his daughters to a show in his native Canada next year), his love of road life and the award nomination that nearly made him fall out of his chair. .
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I watched your tour kick off in Baltimore last June, and I was blown away by how powerful your voice is. How did you maintain it so well? Do you have any kind of audio system?
I have no idea. Maybe genetics. I’ve never been one to go out there and party a lot so that might be part of it. I keep myself to myself. I also do different tours than most people – two weeks on two weeks off – so it gives you time for a break and family. I’ve figured out the way I like to work and live. I also never wrote songs that were outside of my scope, so even the early songs weren’t extended to sing.
She will head to Greece and Austria in December, then begin another round of dates in the US in January. Do you like being on the road?
I do it because I have a second family with the band and crew, and it’s great to keep the music going. It’s nice to go to these amazing places because you can do a little bit of history research. I made a pact with myself in the 90s that I would travel with my band around the world and go places people had never gone before. We were the first to play in Portugal, India, Vietnam, Egypt and Lebanon where no one had toured.
Will you bring the inflatable car (seen at the back of the arena) for the next round?
correct. This is Doris. She will be there throughout the tour.
Do you think you’ll be switching up the setlist a lot since the first leg?
For the US shows, we’ll keep it similar to what you’ve seen. Gets all the visits plus a few “So happy it hurts“Every night I would ask the audience and ask them what they wanted to hear. People would bring signs with the names of the songs on them.
Have you ever been confused?
I am regularly confused. (Laughs.) It’s not usually that I can’t remember the song, but that I can’t remember the chords. (Longtime guitarist) Keith Scott is my back on this one. He remembers everything, the songs and the facts, so if I ever write a diary he’ll be by my side.
Do any of your favorite songs appear in the requests?
“Cloud number nine” is one. I went through a period in the late 90s when my recording contract got transferred and my albums got lost in the shuffle. That’s how it was back then, in turbulent times.
So, I guess you like the freedom of being an independent artist now?
I feel bold and empowered now. Taylor Swift, I’m totally grateful to her because I re-recorded my tracks (for “Classic” and “Classic Pt. II”) after I heard she did it. She was my inspiration. Now, my productivity is very high. I think a lot comes from the fact that I am independent, and with that comes renewed strength. It makes you see things completely differently, too. You realize that you deserve a little more.
Why have you had trouble valuing your worth in the music industry?
I am the biggest culprit of underestimating my value. Last year when I got a Grammy nomination (Best Rock Performance for “So Happy it Hurts”) I almost fell out of my chair. It was my first time in 24 years and I thought, What? It’s not like I haven’t done anything all these years, but I was so happy and happy that it happened because it came from my peers. It’s encouraging as a songwriter because people Do He listens.
In addition to the tour, you also have a “Live at the Royal Albert Hall” set that you recorded in May 2022. Why were those shows so special?
Featuring a different album each night making each night completely unique. We’ll do it again in May next year: three more albums (“18 Til I Die”, “Reckless” and “So Happy it Hurts”), another batch of films and a bunch of films. It is one of my favorite places to play. It’s not big, so you’ll feel intimate there. It was a lot of fun for me, even though I had to remember all those songs!
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