Musician Dave Stewart Beyond Eurythmics, Celebrity News Music
Beyond Eurythmics
Musician Dave Stewart on his eclectic life in pop rock
's partner in the hugely popular 1980s band — "," "" — , 63, is also a filmmaker and TV and music producer. He talked to us about his varied career and new memoir, Sweet Dreams Are Made of This: A Life in Music, which details his decades in the business. On writing his memoir
At first I was a bit overwhelmed because I'm one of those people that never really looks back — I'm always on to the next thing. Once I started I was like, "Oh, God, this is a mammoth task." What bits do you leave out? I was so young when I got signed by and then married at 18. So I said [to the publisher], "How about I end it describing when Annie and I are jumping up and down on the bed in a hotel after being told that 'Sweet Dreams' is number one in America?" I thought that was a good ending. But, then, it didn't really stop there, did it? To remember things, I talked to friends, who would send me little notes and trigger moments that I had completely forgotten. And then it was "bingo!" when I found all these old photographs — thousands and thousands of pictures I'd taken, many of which I included in the book, like one of Annie and me getting ready for the Grammys, where we freaked everybody out because she came on dressed as a man. I found a picture of the squat that Annie and I lived in for 8 pounds a week, and that opened up even more memories. Annie helped, too. On the TV show he s creating for NBC a songwriters competition similar to
I got a bit fed up with shows that were just about singers. If the song's no good, it doesn't matter how great the singer is, so I thought there should be a show about songwriters — where you put out a wide search and, you know, find that 68-year-old woman from Alabama who's written this amazing song nobody knows about. Where are the Neil Youngs? Because if he went on a singing show, they'd probably think he wasn't any good. On so often being known as that guy with Annie Lennox
Well, straight after Eurythmics, in 1990, I formed the and purposely didn't ever play a Eurythmics song. But I guess for some people, I am still "that guy." I'm cool with that. On being collaborative often in the role of ringmaster
I am a bit like the Pied Piper or a ringmaster. I've always tended to attract a circus around me, and I think it's probably because it's going on in my head, too. I suppose it's my whole childlike enthusiasm for stuff … aided and abetted by the fact that I'm usually followed by contortionists. AARP Members! On a few other projects he s working on through his company Dave Stewart Entertainment
We're in the middle of making a couple of documentaries, including one on the history of Trojan Records, the label that began in . And I'm managing about six acts. On his kids entering the music business
My daughter Kaya is signed to Warner Bros.; she's 15 and performing all over [and just came out with her first single, "In Love With a Boy"]. My son Django James is in a band called Nightmare and the Cat and just finished making a solo album. And my other son, Sam, is an amazing songwriter and guitarist and is in about three bands at once. They all fight to play me their new song. I come home after a day of usually nine hours of music, and it all starts again. Christina Ianzito is a senior writer/editor for AARP Media. Featured AARP Member Benefits See more Entertainment offers > See more Entertainment offers > See more Entertainment offers > See more Entertainment offers > Cancel You are leaving AARP.org and going to the website of our trusted provider. The provider’s terms, conditions and policies apply. Please return to AARP.org to learn more about other benefits. Your email address is now confirmed. You'll start receiving the latest news, benefits, events, and programs related to AARP's mission to empower people to choose how they live as they age. You can also by updating your account at anytime. You will be asked to register or log in. Cancel Offer Details Disclosures
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