12/17/2023 0 Comments Paul thorn im still hereI was scared every time I went in the ring. PT: I had about 50 fights and I was a world-rated fighter at one time. I just keep perpetuating the growth every year and it's been exciting. I stay in touch with my fans and I care about my fans. In today's world, you got the Internet, websites, Facebook, all that kind of stuff. PT: It is working and I owe it all to the fans. After I saw how the major label thing works, I decided to start my own label, and now I wouldn't have it any other way. PT: My first album was on A&M Records, which is a big major. UOTS: How long ago did you start your own label? I'm proud of it because we did it on our own and we did it without the benefit of millions of dollars to get us on TV or radio, and that's what I'm proud of most of all pertaining to that Billboard thing. I'm proud of being on the Billboard charts, we did really good and our album, went to #24 on the rock album charts of Billboard. WE don't have millions and millions of dollars to pay people to put us on the radio or put us on TV, and that's the game you have to play now to up there where you get presented to the masses. PT: It feels great especially because we're an independent act. UOTS: How does it feel to have Pimps and Preachers appear on the Billboard charts? I've been in a lot of situations where if it weren't for the mentorship they gave me, I could have possibly fell apart or gotten stomped on. I went out to the world touring, I have really realized how much the advice they gave me has served me. My father showed me the bright side of life and my pimp uncle showed me about the dark side of life. They taught me a lot about how to live life. The point of the whole of the song is I pay tribute to my father and my uncle because when I was a kid, they were my mentors. PT: The song "Pimps and Preachers" is the title cut of the album. How much does your most recent album draw from personal experiences? UOTS: Your dad is a preacher and your uncle was a pimp. It's because he was great and he knew how to entertain a crowd. I'm just using Dean Martin as an example, but people are still talking about him even all these years after he's dead. They have that extra little something that you can't define. Those are my idols and heroes, the people like that. An entertainer has the ability to make you feel like he's talking to you and make you feel like everybody's welcome. To me, there's a difference between being a singer and being an entertainer. He would sing these really serious songs, and then between songs he might tell a joke or pretend to be drunk. I mix it up, I lean toward the style of old school entertainers like Dean Martin, who's this talented singer and very classy guy. When I do my shows I don't want to be too serious. PT: I've got a few songs that are humorous. UOTS: Do you strive for a certain balance between comedy and seriousness? You have a bit of variety with songs like "Viagra" and "I Hope I'm Doing This Right." Like Bonnie Raitt and Jeff Beck and those kind of people. When you see them you instantly recognize their greatness and their talent. PT: Yeah, plus they're really talented and you don't have to hype 'em up and build 'em up with advertising. UOTS: So the older artists have a bit more class? I've seen them be really nice to people they thought could further their situation but be really mean to someone they thought of as being insignificant. Some artists I've been around are just mean, I won't call any names. A lot of people sadly don't know how to act. I like all of them pretty much, especially the older artists that have been around awhile. PT: Bonnie Raitt and Jeff Beck, people like them and Mark Knopfler some very respectable artists that I really look up to. Who are some of your favorite people to tour with? UOTS: You've played with some big name acts like Jeff Beck and Bonnie Raitt. We all know it's a tough time in the economy, so I'm thankful that in spite of that our crowds continue to get bigger instead of smaller, so we're very encouraged by that. Up on the Sun: How's the tour going so far? We recently caught up with Paul Thorn to talk about growing up with a pimp and a preacher, Dean Martin, and going toe to toe with Roberto Duran. He is scheduled to perform at The Compound Grill on Saturday, March 26. Fourteen years later, he is still touring. After a brief boxing career, Thorn decided to start playing a mix of blues, rock, and gospel music.
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