Page 29 - Black Velvet Magazine Issue 106

BV106 pg 26-33 fozzy centre.qxp_BV106 pg29 14/05/2022 00:23 Page 4

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ne of Black Velvet’s favourite life quotes go and hook up with her ex-boyfriend, and they up not very well off. As a child, he shared a bed-
Ois ‘One person can make a difference had kind of planned this. And I just shared my room with his sister. When his mother remarried
and everyone should try’ by John F. Kennedy. story with her and we had this great moment. I and his sister had her own room, Rich then
It’s something that has motivated us and that we just said ‘Hey, it’s OK. At the time, I thought it shared a room with his step brother, sleeping in
see happening in society (although arguably not was the end of the world. Now, I look back at it a bunk bed.
often enough). Rich agrees that we all have the and laugh at it, because it’s just stories, right?’ Rich says, “The worst rock stars on the
ability to make a difference in some way or an- It’s the road map of our life. Good things happen planet are the ones that had great lives. I mean,
other if we put our mind to it. and bad things happen and they all shape us. I you show me somebody who has had two awe-
“Absolutely,” he agrees. “And, I think, some- just told her ‘It’s fine. In a year from now, that some parents who made them do their home-
times we get so caught up in thinking globally or won’t matter. You’ll be making new stories and work and life was just really good, and I’ll show
nationally that we don’t realise the easiest way creating new things.’ Those are the things that I you someone who doesn’t have a fantastic story
to make a difference is to be nice to our neigh- think are ways that I can… I hate the words ‘be or doesn’t have pain or struggle and strife to re-
bours, be kind to someone in a shop, to be com- of service’… but if, sometimes, we can just late to in songs. It doesn’t mean you can’t sing
plimentary about someone when you notice they share bits and pieces of our own life, if they can or play guitar or play drums, it just means that
change their hair or they’ve it’s going to be difficult. All
done something special. It’s ‘great art’ comes from a
just smiles and happiness place and I say ‘great art’
and joy is contagious. And, in quotations. There’s
the more that you can re- plenty of fantastic songs
member that life is not just that were written that
about you, that if you can get people love, pop songs
outside of your own issues that are shallow and are
that sometimes when you’re just kind of like marsh-
feeling down, if you can just mallows. They taste
say something nice or do great but you don’t really
something nice for someone remember it after you’ve
else it actually energises us eaten it because it didn’t
in the process, because leave a big impression,
kindness is a trait that’s in- but a complex meal that
fectious. And when we show is deep with flavour, that
kindness, it makes us feel sticks with you for a
like our purpose on this while, you know, that was
planet is not just to clock in created with love and
and go to work, and put food care and a passionate
on the table, but also just do chef, and I think my story
those little things that we can has helped me. I moved
all do. And, if we’ve made out of my house when I
four people happy every day, was 16 years old and
those four people may then moved into my friend’s
do the same, and it just house basement that
spreads. The idea that you was an unfinished base-
and I can change the world ment and I remember the
is probably naïve, but we can next day of school, after I
change people around us – had kind of run away and
and that may be even better. done that, I remember
“Any time I see some- thinking, ‘How am I going
what moderately intelligent to pay for my school
musicians opine about world lunch?’ I hadn’t even
events I just think I didn’t re- processed what was the
ally think that any of us really next step in taking care of
know enough to kind of dig myself. I had no money, I
too deep into these things. had nothing. The harsh
I’d like to think I understand, reality of, ‘Wow, I may
but I only understand what have thought it was
I’m reading. Then I’m just rough, but now I don’t
reading what someone know how I’m going to
else’s opinion is, their slant eat. Should I ask my
on the news. Everything is friend’s parents for
coloured and biased, I don’t money to eat?’
even know what’s real and “Fast forward three
what’s not. I just know that I or four years, I was living
can be a good husband to in a storage shed, which
my wife and I can be a good was our rehearsal space
band member to my band for Stuck Mojo. All of us
members, and, after the were living in the same
show, I love to say thanks to place with no bathroom.
people who came out. I sit on We used to shower with
the stage and have conver- a hose over a fence. It
sations.” help other people, great. I’ll leave figuring out was in an industrial area. I didn’t think anything
He gives us an example of one of those con- famine and supply chain issues up to smarter of it. I didn’t think it was rough. I didn’t whine
versations – which may seem trivial, but in fact people than me.” about it. I just thought, ‘This is where I am,’ and
stayed as a poignant memory for both parties for part of it made me… this word means lots of
a long time to come. t’s no wonder that fans are queuing up to things to others, but it made me kinda hard, it
“At one of our shows, some young lady was Isee Fozzy live and talk to Rich after the made me tough. It made me realise that I was
telling me that she went to the prom recently and show – you can tell he’s a kind, caring citizen only going to get what I made for myself. There
her prom date stood her up and she was really with his feet on the ground. Success, it seems, were going to be no handouts. There were no
sad. And I don’t know why she thought to share could not happen to a nicer guy. And the re- government grants for rap-rock music in 1991.
that with me, but I do think there was some di- wards that Rich and his band are reaping now, There were no people who were going to help
vine intervention involved because I went to from years of hard work and dedication, are us. We were just going to have to do this for our-
prom with a girl and she left me at the prom to made all the more sweet by his past. He grew selves. And it made us.
FOZZY