Home Featured TED NUGENT On Attempting To Converse With DAVID LEE ROTH: ‘The Guy Was Out Of His Mind’

TED NUGENT On Attempting To Converse With DAVID LEE ROTH: ‘The Guy Was Out Of His Mind’

ted nugent david lee roth, TED NUGENT On Attempting To Converse With DAVID LEE ROTH: ‘The Guy Was Out Of His Mind’

Ted Nugent recently sat down for a recent interview with the “Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz” podcast, and was asked if ever had any interactions with VAN HALEN frontman David Lee Roth.

Nugent responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I did — a few times. And I admire and praise his entertainment gifts; he’s a monster. Tell me that all that David Lee Roth music with VAN HALEN isn’t a smile eruption in our life. I mean, what a fun, cocky, soulfy guy. He really does evoke, emulate and deliver touches of James Brown and Wilson Pickett and some Motown melodious grunt, and certainly the blues and the gospel and the rhythm and blues masters — you can hear that in David Lee Roth. I don’t think he’s ever been given credit for those talents and those musical capabilities that I just mentioned. So I’m glad I just mentioned them, because they should be attributed to him, ’cause he did deliver them with aplomb.”

Ted continued: “I’ve always been militantly against substance abuse, and it’s an absolute crime — literally and figuratively — and David’s a perfect example. Again, I love him — I hope he’s happy, I hope he’s healthy. He seems to know what happiness and health is; God bless him. Thank you, David, for enriching our lives with your incredible music. God bless you. But tragically — and this goes to Eddie [Van Halen] too, and my encounters with Jimi Hendrix and so many people — you couldn’t have a meaningful dialogue. It was all stoned disconnect, whereas when I sat down with B.B. King and when I sit down with Joe Perry and Steven Tyler, even though there were moments when it was hopeless — there were moments… And Sammy Hagar’s a perfect example. We have a meaningful, man-to-man, human-to-human, fun, deep bullshit session, because he’s in tune with himself — and he’s real good at getting out of tune with himself. But my point is, I think it’s important to note that the incredible amount of hours that I’ve been honored and humbled to spend with some of the most powerful music authorities in the world, there was nothing to be shared because they were drunk or stoned. All those moments reinforce my anger and hate for people who leave the world to drop out comfortably numb. They don’t make anybody happy [when they do that]. They don’t owe me happiness, but wouldn’t it have been great for a smartass like David Lee Roth and a smartass like Ted Nugent to discuss the art of smartass? I would have loved to have had that conversation, but there was no chance for it — the guy was out of his mind.”

Check out the full interview at this location.