ZEBRA's RANDY JACKSON: 'Musicians Our Age, A Lot Of Times People Don't Even Care What You Sound Like'

In a new interview with Viking Stew of the Hammer Away podcast, ZEBRA guitarist/vocalist Randy Jackson addressed criticism from some fans about classic rock bands not sounding like they did in their heyday, with many aging singers struggling to reproduce their biggest hits live. The 71-year-old Randy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "First of all, I think anybody who wants to go out and tour should be out there doing it, regardless of what people are saying. I mean, at our age, musicians our age, a lot of times people, they don't even care what you sound like. They're just there for the experience. They're there for the nostalgia. And they'd like you to sound great, but if you're not the greatest thing, if you're not like they remember, I think they still enjoy the experience. On the other hand, if you're out there still performing and singing still the same as you did previous, that's where you have the hope of getting some new fans, some new blood into the situation. But I think we all enjoy the music. I mean, the musicians and the audience enjoy the times, and there's a little nostalgia there for everybody.

Jackson continued: "People love to trash people… Yeah, it's tough, but it can be funny too, 'cause I remember somebody was complaining about [Jon] Bon Jovi's voice a couple of years ago, and one of the comments was from a girl who said, 'Who the hell cares? You think we care what he sounds like?' [Laughs] And so that's a very, very valid point. And that's why they call it rock and roll. Get out there and just keep doing it.

"If you don't wanna go, if you wanna see some really great musicians, go to the symphony," Randy added. "If you wanna rock and roll, then go see a rock band, no matter how good or bad they are."

Randy also talked about the recent passing of legendary rock producer Jack Douglas, who helmed ZEBRA's 1983 self-titled debut and 1984 sophomore effort, "No Tellin' Lies". He said: "Well, certainly I learned a lot from Jack. But I don't know if you know this, but he produced five songs for the new record that's coming out. We just worked together last year. And it was great getting back together with him. And he was not a person that looked ill at all. [He looked] healthy as a horse. And I was shocked when I found out he was sick. And I still can't believe it. It's horrible. I mean, besides being a great musician, he was fun to hang out with. He had a great sense of humor. And [he was] a real giving person. If you had a question, he'd tell you — he'd tell you exactly how it was. And he was really into teaching — very, very generous."

Jackson continued: "Jack did a lot, a lot of stuff, both as an engineer and a producer. And, yeah, under the radar is what you could really say, because he's, like, one of the top producers ever. And people need to know that. But he was always humble. That's what was cool about him. He was probably the same Jack that took the freighter over to England in 1964 to try to make it as a musician over there."

ZEBRA is the legendary power trio consisting of Jackson, bassist/keyboardist Felix Hanemann and drummer Guy Gelso.

ZEBRA has been performing several new songs during its recent shows, including "All Your Love", "Walk With You", "Direction" and "Love Sex".

ZEBRA will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year with the release of its long-awaited new studio album, which was recorded at Jackson and Gelso's home studios. This will be the band's first release of new material since "Zebra IV" in 2003.

ZEBRA is the longest-running American band still touring with all its original members. Formed in New Orleans in 1975, Jackson, Hanemann and Gelso have performed together every year for the last 50 years.

In December 2024, Jackson told Newsday about ZEBRA's upcoming LP: "The record will feature a variety of songs. We got some stuff from 1977 we never recorded, songs I penned with other people and a bunch of tunes that I wrote recently. It's evolving as we're doing it."

In 2023, ZEBRA celebrated the 40th anniversary of its debut album by playing the entire album in order and continued doing some more of these special shows in new cities during its 2024 tour.

ZEBRA has also been working on a new documentary that will feature new interviews and performance clips from the recent tour "plus a lot more" about the band's history. The documentary, tentatively titled "Tell Me What You Want: 50 Years Of Zebra", will feature never-before-seen footage from the band's birth in Louisiana, to spreading new roots and reaching legendary status in Long Island, New York.

ZEBRA galloped out of New Orleans in early 1975. The trio concocted their moniker from a 1926 Vogue magazine cover and soon won over the South and East Coast.

ZEBRA's self-titled debut album, released on March 21, 1983, went gold, and at that time was the fastest-selling debut album in Atlantic Records history, thanks to the radio and MTV airplay of "Tell Me What You Want" and "Who's Behind The Door?"

In 2010 ZEBRA was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame and is acknowledged as Louisiana's No. 1 rock and roll band by the Louisiana Music Commission. On October 18, 2012 ZEBRA was inducted into the Long Island Music Hall Of Fame.

Image and video credit: Smash Machine!