YNGWIE MALMSTEEN: 'I've Never Compromised And I've Done Everything From The Heart'

Brian Rademacher of Rock Eyez recently conducted an interview with legendary Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen. An excerpt from the chat follows below.

Rock Eyez: You have Christmas coming up. What is one of the things you might want as a gift?

Yngwie Malmsteen: I just bought myself a new Ferrari; it's my fourth one, I'm collecting them now. The best thing I could say; I would like everything to stay the way they are everything is going very well right now. Everything is great. I love what I do, I love my family and if everything could stay this way. I'm happy.

Rock Eyez: Did you ever think as a kid your life would end up this way?

Yngwie Malmsteen: No way, not even a little. Dude, I came to America with as a teenager with a toothbrush and a guitar and my dream was that I wouldn't have to flip burgers on the side. (laughs) If I didn't have to do that, I would be happy if I could make enough money to live day by day making music — that would be it — but things turned out a little differently. Twenty nine years later I could have never imagined in my life things would go so well and things stayed going on so well for so long. I'm extremely pleased; I kiss the pillow every night.

Rock Eyez: What do you feel your biggest accomplishment in music is?

Yngwie Malmsteen: The most rewarding thing is I've never compromised and I've done everything from the heart. I wanted to play honest music and a result of that I've influenced a lot of people. Growing up in Sweden as a kid, they said I wouldn't make it because I was playing off the beaten path, so do speak, I was playing too crazy and too loud and too fucking fast. My music would never be commercial and I said, "This is what I do — take it or leave it." I did everything blood, sweat and tears from the heart and didn't do things to get on the radio. And, yeah, back in the Eighties I wrote a couple more slick tunes; I guess that was a small compromise. I am also happy with the longevity, I'm very happy and blessed with that.

Rock Eyez: How do you feel when a young kid guitarist comes up to you and asks for your autograph?

Yngwie Malmsteen: It's great and awesome. It's happens so much these days I think 'cause of the YouTube thing. I remember people coming up to me and saying, "Hey, man, what band are you in?" and really didn't know me but knew I was in a band. Now they know exactly who I am. I drive down the street and people are holding signs saying, "Hey, fucking Yngwie." I was a little skeptical with the whole YouTube thing and Guitar Hero, but it all ended up being a good thing to me.

Read the entire interview from Rock Eyez.