Category: Interviews

Motown music influences British singer Rick Astley

Jae-Ha Kim

British singer Rick Astley says he has no illusions about being a musician or a pop star. “I count myself as a singer,” said Astley, 23. “I can get by on the guitar and keyboards to write my songs, and I’m a good drummer, but I’m not good enough to refer to myself as a totally well-rounded musician. Becoming a musician is something I’d like to become. It’s one of my long-term goals. But I’m still quite young and have time to grow into it.”

Ziggy Marley and his family grow within reggae tradition

Jae-Ha Kim

Ziggy Marley is a young man of few words. He prefers that people get his message through his music. “I have nothing to say that I think is more important than the music I make,” said Marley. “It seems useless to me that I talk so much about myself. In the long run, how important is that? A quote is a quote. Music is forever.”

No more Nazis: German actor plays hero in `Restless’

Jae-Ha Kim

When German actor Hans Gudegast decided to become an actor in the U.S., he changed his name. “I realized that if acting was something I seriously wanted to pursue, it probably would be better to fit in,” he says. “So, I decided on using Eric Braeden, because Eric is a family name. And Braedenback was the name of a village back home.”

Jerry Seinfeld brings bright, clean humor to NBC’s prime time

Jae-Ha Kim

Comedian Jerry Seinfeld wants you to listen to the Nike gym-shoe ad and just do it. “It” is whatever you have putting off because of fear or laziness, said the comedian. “I think when people say they’re suffering from creative or writer’s block, it’s just an excuse,” Seinfeld added. “There’s no such thing. A doctor can’t say, `Oh, I don’t feel up to performing surgery today.’ He does it.

Matthew Sweet Gets Down to Earth

Jae-Ha Kim

When singer-songwriter Matthew Sweet was preparing for his tour earlier this year, he went to Zion to rehearse at Jeff Murphy’s studio. While there, a friend picked up a copy of the Illinois Entertainer and noticed a review of Sweet’s LP “Earth.” Instead of running over to read the review and gloat, he panicked. “I’m one of those rare people who admits to reading everything written about me,” Sweet says, laughing. “And I get really embarrassed if someone reads something about me and it’s not favorable. Luckily, the review was really nice. It was a nice introduction for me to the Illinois Entertainer as well.”

Van Damme gets his kicks from acting now, not karate

Jae-Ha Kim

If things had worked out differently for Belgian actor Jean-Claude Van Damme, he would be in Chicago running a karate school today.  But he couldn’t get enough money to finance the operation, so Van Damme headed for Hollywood to pursue his childhood dream of becoming an actor.