TQR: The Traveling Wilburys seemed to be sort of a magical group. How involved were you with that group, and did you ever play with them?
I was not involved to a great extent, but I was around. There was one day, when they had just cut “Handle With Care,” and Tom called me down to the studio and they wanted to put a solo on it. So I went down there with a little Marshall amp and a Stratocaster, and Jeff (Lynne) and George (Harrison) were there. I knew them a little bit, but was pretty intimidated, coming down to play a solo with George Harrison sitting there, but I tried to put my blinders on and just do the job, so I went down there and got a sound. They played the track, and Jeff was real supportive when I played a few things, he said, “That’s the right direction,” and I played something that was a little like something Clapton might play. So I played a few things and I wasn’t really thinking that it was helping the song, and George was sitting there and I said, “Why don’t you play a slide on this, because I think if you played it would be really better than what I’m doing,” and he said (nonchalantly) “Well OK,” he picked up the guitar with the sound that I had, and he played that amazing, beautiful solo. I was really happy that the heat was off me (laughs). So that was about (the extent of) my involvement, I just got that one sound for them, and was just so glad that he played it and not me…
TQR: Around the time of “Full Moon Fever,” I remember you playing the solo on the video of “I Won’t Back Down” on what I thought was the George Harrison “Magical Mystery Tour” Stratocaster, which he called “Rocky.” Was that actually George’s guitar and do you own it?
It was… We flew over to England to do that video, and Ringo came down to play in the video, and George brought that guitar down and he said, “Here, you wanna play this?” and I was like , “Sure!” (laughs). It was a thrill to hold it and play it, but I don’t own that guitar. George was just like that though, he was very generous.
TQR: Obviously your relationship with George Harrison must have been a highlight to your career… What can you tell us about your conversations with George, maybe things you learned?
He was just one of the sweetest guys, he was always really nice to me and supportive, and told me that he thought I was good, and that meant a lot. In terms of things I’ve learned, I don’t know about musically, but as a person he affected me deeply. He was so generous and open with me. I didn’t hang out with him a lot, but a few times he would come over or we’d meet up, he would always bring gifts for the guys at the sessions. Like the time we did the video, he walked in and he had these little Beatles watches from the ’60s and he gave each guy one. One day, he came over to my house, and on the way over he stopped at a store and bought these hats, and he gave me a hat. And I thought, that’s just such a cool thing and that we can all be more giving to other people, and I hope I took some of that up from him.
