Interview Bruce Brookshire of DOC HOLLIDAY
by Philippe Archambeau and John Molet
( March 2006)

First, can you remind us the story of Doc Holliday, how the band was born, its first steps,
its main influences, etc ?

Bruce Brookshire: see attached Bio

RTJ : Can you tell us how did you choose the name, Doc Holliday ?
When you signed your first deal at AM Records ?

Bruce Brookshire: The band was called "Roundhouse". Eddie Stone saw the movie
"Gunfight At The OK Corral" with Kirk Douglas. He suggested it to us and it sounded like a good Southern Rock name. We signed with A&M in 1980, I think.

RTJ : Two years ago, in a small interview, John Turner Samuelson told us that at the beginning you wrote and played heavy-rock and country songs.
Do you have now the same musical tastes?

Bruce Brookshire: Now I like any and every type of music that is sung or played well.

RTJ : Why did you choose one day to play guitar ?

Bruce Brookshire: It was easier to meet girls with a guitar than by playing football....

RTJ : Can you explain us how you wrote the songs at the beginning and now.
I imagine it must be really different.

Bruce Brookshire: I know a little bit more about the craft of songwriting 25 years later,
but inspiration is still something that must come from the heart.

RTJ : Your two firsts albums (First and Rides Again) are really fabulous. They have been very well welcomed, and they deserved it, by the Southern Rock fans. Then, as many southern bands did, you changed a little bit the spirit of your songs. If you could change this now, would you do the same or would you change this musical orientation ?

Bruce Brookshire: You can never go back and change what happened,
you can only try to do better today.

RTJ : When, Rides Again, was issued, Doc Holliday was seen as one of the best Southern Rock bands, just like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Molly Hatchet, 38 Special, etc, Did you realize that at this moment in the United States ?

Bruce Brookshire: We always thought we were much better than Molly Hatchet.
We still do.

RTJ : What are, for you, the best moments of Doc Holliday's career ?
And what are for you the best and worst moments of the bands life ?

Bruce Brookshire: There have been so many good moments. After so long the bad times just fade away. Each moment now is a gift from God. It always has been, but maybe we didn't realize that so much before. We do now.

RTJ : About Southern Rock words, we talked about it with many musicians and they told us what was really for them the real Southern Rock ; the answers have been different for all the musicians. Can you tell us what do these words mean for you ?
Are they always important and are they a kind of label for the music ?

Bruce Brookshire: So many songs about beer drinking and hell-raising are boring.
Life in the South is the same as anywhere else, it is complex and unique.
It is more of a challenge to write songs about real life.

RTJ : In the same spirit : what do you think about the rebel flag ?
Sometimes people don't enjoy seeing it on stage. What are your feelings about it ?

Bruce Brookshire: I am against anything that inspires hatred. If someone sees it similar to a Nazi flag, then we shouldn't use it. It's not important.
It's only colored fabric. I'm not a big fan of any flags, really.

RTJ : Doc Holliday's career was not at his best for a long time.
Is it hard for you to earn your living now in the United States ?

Bruce Brookshire: No, I play music and I am also Pastor of Grace Fellowship Church.
I am blessed to be able to make a living doing what I know I am called to do.
We play good music in our church too!

RTJ : What do you do everyday in your life ? I've read that you often play in churches.
Will you soon do another Christian album ? Rick Cua played this style of music, just like
Kerry Livgren. It seems that it is very important in the United States.
Can you explain us how is it possible to express and to mix religion and Rock'n'Roll ?

Bruce Brookshire: Everyone, including musicians, can benefit from living a Christian life.
I will be working on some new Praise Music tracks very soon.

RTJ : You just made a wonderful cover album, Rebel Souls. How did you choose the
songs ? I was surprised you choose some Lennon/McCartney tittles. Are you Beatles
or more Rolling Stones ?

Bruce Brookshire: MUCH more Beatles....The songs were chosen to pay tribute to some of the artists that influenced our sound.

RTJ : I really enjoyed the Marshall Tucker Band: Heard it in a Love Song, cover.
Could you play this song sometimes on stage ?

Bruce Brookshire: We will be playing it on tour this summer!

RTJ : The title of the album is: Rebel Souls. Do you still have a rebel soul yourself ?

Bruce Brookshire: Yes. I am a follower of Jesus, who was very much a rebel in His time on Earth. Now I rebel against racism, intolerance, poverty, suffering, loneliness, war, anything that hurts any human being.

RTJ : Can you explain us what do we have to understand with the words, Respect, Love, Influence, Admire, Inspire, etc.. written on the album cover. Are, for you, these words
still important nowadays in Rock'n'Roll life ?

Bruce Brookshire: These words were written on the cover to say how we feel about the artists that came before us, the ones who helped to make us what we are now. Our art designer Don Lee
gave us lots of suggestions and he worked closely with us to make the words and the music
come together.

RTJ : You album is available at Phoenix Records in Germany.
Are you going to come on tour soon to promote this album ?

Bruce Brookshire: In July we will tour Belgium and Germany!

RTJ : Will you come in Europe this year, and if you do it, are you going to come
and play in France ?

Bruce Brookshire: No one in France has made us an offer to play. It's not too late if someone wants to.

RTJ : When you played in Germany some times ago, I've heard that maybe some shows
have been recorded and filmed and we could finally get a Doc Holliday's live on stage DVD. Unfortunately, this DVD has never been issued. Could it be possible one day to watch
a Doc Holliday DVD ?

Bruce Brookshire: Yes ! We will be completing the filming for the DVD on this tour.
We hope to release it by the end of the year.

RTJ : We have seen some wonderful new young bands since the beginning of the 21st century, such as Eat a Peach, Rebel Storm, etc, but unfortunately they didn't go on playing Southern Rock. What do you think about Southern Rock in 2006, and in the future ?

Bruce Brookshire: Good music will always go on. My two favourite bands in Europe are Lizard and W.I.N.D. Southern Rock fans should know that my brother Georg Bayer and I will record a CD together this year. He is writing songs now and that will make me write some as well.

RTJ : One of the last questions for the die-hard fans : can we hope to hear one day the never recorded songs (ex : Gangbusters) you played on stage in 1983, and to get them
on a record ?

Bruce Brookshire: Anything is possible....

RTJ : It is possible that we have forgotten some important questions for you,
so just tell what you want to say to the fans now?

Bruce Brookshire: We could not have a 25th Anniversary without the fans.
God Bless You All. I hope every fan will continue to go out and support live music everywhere.
No DJ or synthesiser can feel what your favourite musicians feel!

RTJ : Last traditional question on Road to Jacksonville : if you have to choose the five main albums in Southern Rock history, what should be you favourite and your chosen ones ?

The Allman Brothers Band-First LP
Grinderswitch-Pullin' Together
Lynyrd Skynyrd-Pronounced
The Charlie Daniels Band-Nightrider
Doc Holliday-Rides Again

MANY THANKS RTJ !

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
John 1:1