RICK NIELSEN DOESN’T always take himself too seriously. Music, however, is another story. He vividly recalls working at his father’s music store in Rockford, Illinois, as a kid and being surrounded by interesting characters. It was hard work, but it was educational.
“I started working when I was 8,” he says. “I goofed off a lot, though I still do… [Laughs] [I remember] the different people I’d meet and the different music I was around — all the Top 40 records and the guitars.
I started out as a drummer, so I was most interested in drums, but then I got addicted to guitars. They were easier to carry around. I enjoyed meeting all the different people. I rented Sam Kinison a PA because he was an evangelist in those days!”
Nielsen’s love for music has remained steadfast, and he’s been a cornerstone of Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Cheap Trick — which also features singer/rhythm guitarist Robin Zander and bassist Tom Petersson — since they started out in 1973. It’s resulted in an impressive string of hits, including “If You Want My Love,” “Dream Police,” “Surrender,” “I Want You to Want Me” and “The Flame,” not to mention that aforementioned Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, which took place in 2016.
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