7 Questions with Colin Linden of Blackie and the Rodeo Kings

by Ryan Meehan

Blackie & the Rodeo Kings is Colin Linden (The Band, Bob Dylan, Bruce Cockburn), Stephen Fearing (multiple Juno award winner), and Tom Wilson (Junkhouse, Lee Harvey Osmond) — they’re all known to have successful careers of their own.  Colin has also been involved with the ABC show, Nashville since the inaugural season. His friends T Bone Burnett and Buddy Miller asked him to play a tune by Charles Esten, who plays Deacon Claybourne. (He played a version of the old Blind Lemon Jefferson song, “Matchbox Blues.”) His role evolved into “guitar coach” for a number of the young actors . . .all of whom by the way, sing and play their own parts. Eventually, Colin was asked to supervise the music shoots and he continues to appear in many episodes.  There are many reasons to rip open South and review it — AllMusic described the band as, “one of Canada’s leading roots rock acts…a collaboration between three well-respected blues, folk, and rock musicians.” South marks the band’s eighth studio album and follows their ambitious Kings & Queens, which was deemed “a truly great male-female duets album” by the Nashville Scene, and featured Lucinda WIlliams, Emmlou Harris, Roseane Cash, Amy Helm, Mary Margaret O’Hara and others.  We were fortunate enough to have Colin Linden is our guest today in 7 questions.