The Caribou Ranch Recording Studio is to be induced into the Colorado Hall of Fame this year. It’s also the subject of a new movie.
Kenny Passarelli, an erstwhile member of Elton’s group, is involved with both projects, and spoke exclusively with this Web site’s Chief Editor about his work.
EJW: What’s your role in the Colorado Music Hall of Fame ceremony?
KP: Joe Walsh and Barnstorm are being inducted, so as a founding member, so will I. In addition, I’m one of the organisers of the event.
EJW: Will you be taking the stage?
KP: Yes, I’ll be one of those performing for Dan Fogelberg, another honoree. The concert is to be recorded and raise funds to fight cancer {the disease which took Dan’s life in 2007}.
EJW: How are you involved with the film about the Caribou recording studio?
KP: I’m one of the writers. It was going to be a biography, but now appears as if it’ll be more like Almost Famous.
EJW: What do you consider to be highlights of your career?
KP: A few years ago, I played on the Stephen Stills: Live at Shepherd’s Bush DVD and on Cat Stevens‘ {not known as ‘Yusuf Islam’} last recording. Paul McCartney and Dolly Parton also appeared on Roadsinger.
As a producer, I’ve worked with blues artists like Otis Taylor and Eddie Turner.
And for a couple of years in the seventies, I was in Elton’s band and got to perform with Roger Pope, one of the best drummers of all time.
We never had to look at each other onstage when we played with Elton–we always knew where we were going.
