As their 2023 North American tour continues with a performance in California, Outlaws‘ frontman Henry Paul found a moment to have a chat with Rock History Music. During the interview, the singer talked about artist-fan relationships and touched upon the difference between James Taylor‘s and Don Henley‘s attitudes toward their fans.
Talking about people’s views on famous rockers, Paul first explained what he preferred in his relationship with the audience as follows:
“It’s a lot of perception. I mean, we’re just people like everyone else. We just make records. We write songs and record them. We go out on stage, and we talk to people. Honestly, you tell people if you’re me; if you’re standing up there, you tell people what it is that I wanna hear, not what I think they wanna hear. It’s what I wanna hear. I wanna hear someone talk to me the way that I wanna be talked.”
Then, the Outlaws vocalist painted a picture of the kind of connection he wished to create by giving Taylor’s and Henley’s onstage talks as examples. He also revealed what gave the ‘You’ve Got A Friend’ singer an advantage on this matter, saying:
“So, I don’t wanna – You know, there’s so much pandering and so much, so busy horses– goes into the report. You listen to James Taylor on stage. It’s like the high altar of complete phenomenal relationship with fans. James Taylor is it for me. He’s wonderful that way. Don Henley is a little preachy here and there, maybe, or a little bit, you know, distant. Man, does he have something to say! I don’t know. I just kinda go for the best that I can find and try and emulate them and learn from them. And just try and be in that community.”
The distance Paul sensed from the Eagles drummer’s onstage presence is actually a part of his day-to-day interactions with his fans, as he has some boundaries when it comes to artist-fan relationships. However, according to a 2015 interview with The Guardian, his reserved nature is the reason behind his approach to fan meetings.
Here’s what the drummer said in 2015:
“I don’t mind signing things if people approach me in a respectful manner, but if they come rushing up and start jumping and screaming and making a scene… […] Adults do it. Grown women – and men. And I hate that. [Because I’m] shy, reserved.”
You can watch Henry Paul’s interview in the video below.
