A Conversation with Willie Nile (continued)

PM: Since it's part of the tapestry of life, I ask--you do work some kind of a day gig to keep the family afloat between records and tours, too. What's that about?

WN: Just copy editing.

PM: For what kind of a thing?

WN: It's for a TV network. And the people are great, they're very supportive. They know what I do, from the heads on down. And they're big fans, and support us.

PM: Oh, that's a great job.

WN: It's been really good, yeah. I mean, I'm so busy now, it's just--

PM: So you're literally editing stuff that's going to appear in print or that's going to appear in broadcast media?

WN: Print, mostly. Some broadcast--mostly print. It's easy. And the people are really nice.

PM: You're a word guy, so it's like nothing.

WN: Yeah, it's easy. And it's a very eclectic, interesting creative bunch of people I work with. It's been a blessing, because it's given me some security and steadied my ship, and made things easier to work, not worrying about, "Well, this record better do this and this. I need that." This way I'm just firing them out there. I mean, hopefully I won't need it in the near future so I can be free to do more recording and more writing and more concert tours. The thing is, the record is getting a really good reaction--

PM: Yeah, well I'm not surprised. You're a family guy, right?

WN: Uh-huh.

PM: And they live with you currently, in the Village?

WN: Two of mine. I got four kids. They're grown. Two live with me in the Village. It's temporary, but it's great. One's been there two or three years, and the other one came last summer. I love it. It's so dear.

PM: And you're still with the wife and all?

WN: No. I was divorced in '91. But we're all good friends, so it's been good, and lucky. I got a great family. Two daughters live up North--one in Buffalo, and one north of Buffalo, and two sons here in the City, real close. We're all really good friends.

PM: That's beautiful.

WN: It's a blessing, yeah.

PM: Do you get to read much in your lifestyle?

WN: Poetry.

PM: Poetry.

WN: Newspaper, magazines, books. There's a Beatle book I'm reading now.

PM: The new one?

WN: The new one I've got. I haven't started that. I'm finishing this one, Magical Mystery Tours. It's written by Tony--oh, who was the guy who grew up with them as kids? Tony Bramwell.

PM: Oh, yeah, right.

WN: It's really good. Rich--the Fab Faux are all Beatle freaks. And he said that's one of the best books. Frank, you'd love the Fab Faux.

PM: Oh, I got to see them, so doubt.

WN: To hear that--I mean, that sets the bar so high. You hear great tunes played really with spirit, and I mean, what a catalog. And every time they play, they'll do two or three-night stands, I'll go every time, every few months I'll do it. And I'll go once every time, because it's just so fun to hear that music.

PM: And when you can once in a while hear a great band like that who'll do the early and the later stuff, which is another world--

WN: Oh, they do the later stuff and the--it's disarming how beautiful it is. And what great songwriters they were. They have a great horn section. They'll do "Penny Lane," and you won't believe it.

PM: Wow...

WN: All the people end up cheering in the middle with that--I forget what kind of horn it was--what kind of trumpet it is, some peculiar one. And Lou Soloff plays it, a legendary player. And they have a cello and a fiddle. They can do "Eleanor Rigby." To hear that live--I mean, the greatest material.   continue

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