Bill Kirchen - Titan of the Telecaster, & inventor of 'Dieselbilly'_2026-08-14 interview on KZSC's 'Bushwhacker's Breakfast Club'

Bill hitchiked from Ann Arbor, Michigan to the Newport Folk Festival in 1964, where Bob Dylan debuted "Mr. Tambourine Man" (he was lured their by Bob Dylan & Mississippi John Hurt playing); he returned in 1965 when Dylan played electric; Bill was playing in his high school talent show, & wanted to play "Subterranean Homesick Blues", but the organizer insisted on a Jug Band "The Who Knows Pickers" - one of the other bands at that talent show was Jim Osterberg's - who became Iggy Pop - band; came to California in 1966, then hopped freight trains back to Ann Arbor to form a folk-rock band named "The Seventh Seal", playing covers; through that he met John Tichy & George Frayne (who became the Commander) & they formed the core of what would become "Commander Cody & his Lost Planet Airmen" in 1967 - 1968; Bill co-wrote some Commander Cody songs; Bill came out to California, & talked the band into coming out to California in late 1968, touring & playing ballrooms, the Fillmore...by 1969 (Bill turned 21) Commander Cody was up-and-running, touring, playing with the Grateful Dead...the 1974 live album, "Live from Deep in the Heart of Texas" is one of the 100 greatest albums of all time, according to Rolling Stone; Commander Cody was much more skilled playing live then they were playing studio albums, where their rambunctousness ran counter to the discipline that you need in the studio; Bill is "Titan of the Telecaster", according to Guitar Player magazine; Nina Gerber, who has spent a career as a side-person to folk icons, is part of the Bill Kirchen quartet, and when she plugs in brings tremendous depth...fiery!; Austin music scene & the Armadillo World Headquarters; musings on 60 years in the music industry; so much change, but still optimistic, "Music is going to win!"; the "Money Question", "Have you been able to make a living playing music, & if so, how?" "Yes. You have to be light on your feet. You can count on me. Workin' hard. I love my job. I'm not hiding."; "they singing voice in your brain comes from a different place than the talking voice." Bills' advice to the next generation, "Do what you love!"; the other 2 in the quartet are Rick Richards on drums, & Jack Saunders on bass; the Hot Rock Lincoln guitar riff? "Born out of incompetence! Take it where you find it!"; "You've got some hearfelt questions, Dan. You made me sit back...& dig deep! So thank you for pumping the show!" An interview on "The Bushwhacker's Breakfast Club" with "Dangerous Dan" Orange airing Friday mornings on KZSC Santa Cruz, California. 2026 is Bushwhacker's 37th year on the air! Thanks for listening! To support KZSC (& these podcasts), please go to KZSC.FM and click on the "Donate to KZSC" button in the upper right-hand corner. Thanks!