THE ROCK SHOTS INTERVIEW: WHY JACK WAGNER IS A PRISONER OF HIS OWN IMAGE!

THE ROCK SHOTS INTERVIEW: WHY JACK WAGNER IS A PRISONER OF HIS OWN IMAGE!

Jackie Kallen

Is he “Frisco Jones” of General Hospital or is he a legitimate musician in his own right?

Despite his commercial success as both an actor and a musician, Jack Wagner continues to be plagued by critics who won’t accept a TV crossover—much like Rick Springfield before him.

After the massive success of ‘‘All I Need,” Wagner was thrust into the rock spotlight in a big way. His schedule at the time was so busy, though, that he was unable to tourhighlighting the dilemma of the actor/musician.

Here, Jack candidly talks about why the critics don’t bother him—why he does it all for his fans. He also takes a look at where he’s been and where he’s going...and why Jack Wagner, musician, plans to be around for a long time.

You’re just as popular a singer as you are an actor. Is it exciting for you to have all these hit records?

Oh, definitely. Because you never know what’s going to happen in the record business. You never know which songs are going to be hits.

I always liked “Too Young.’’ Why wasn’t there a video for it when it came out?

Well, for one thing, we didn’t know at the time which song was going to be the single. For another thing, there was a time element involved and finally, it’s a ballad and it’s awfully tough to get ballads played on MTV. So there was no sense in wasting $50,000 on a video that probably wouldn’t even get aired.

Who decides which songs on the album get released as singles?

Basically, the record label chooses. I might want to go with an uptempo songl and they’ll decide to go with a balladl They test a song in certain markets anil if it tests well—they release it. I trustthei judgement.

How much of your material do you! write? Do you plan to write more future projects?

Absolutely. I just don’t always havetli time. Between touring and the TV shot it’s hard. But I definitely want to get ini it more than I have before becauseil understand writing more now and if become more a part of me.

Do you feel that you’re given respect yet that you deserve fro critics and reviewers? Do you everli that they take you lightly as a musica because of your role on Genet Hospital?

Oh, definitely. The critics love to their teeth in me and there’s nothing I can do about it. I just go out and do my thing, do my show, and hope people like it. Audiences and critics quite often go into my show with a pre-conceived notion about Jack Wagner and his music because my fans may be mostly teenaged girls and people screaming. Sometimes they wind up reviewing the audience and things they have pre-conceived, as opposed to reviewing me as a musical artist. That’s real tough for me sometimes, but if that's the game they play, there's nothing I can do about it.

But it must be reassuring to know that your fans are behind you all the way and they’re the ones who buy the records—not the critics.

It’s not even a matter of buying the records. They’re the people who are there for me and that’s what matters to me. If I put too much emphasis on the critics and things like that, I’m going to loser mind. So I have to keep reminding mw who really matters. As soon as I walk a onto the stage, it’s all over anyway] because my reminder is right there] front of me. That’s what it’s all aboulfj me. Those people who come to seel and hear my music—that’s where ir$J “All I Need’’ was your big break, was! it?

Absolutely. It reached the top oft| charts and it definitely let people knot was a singer as well as an actor, awhile for people to put the two togettl and realize that the Jack Wagnerf General Hospital was the same, Wagner who sang “All I Need. Butittj certainly my first big break in the ret business.

So it must be a very special song] you?

Oh, yes it is. Even when I hear it tod because it still gets a lot of airplay, theij a certain spot in my heart for it.

Do you remember the first time I heard yourself on the radic ?

You know, it felt almost like it wd even happening. It was such a great!] ing that I didn't even know how tor] to it.

I understand that “Let’s Start AIIC,i is one of your favorite songs. We] written for someone?

Well, it wasn’t exactly written for si one in particular, but it talks about asi tion where a man is somewhat in a] situation. He knows he was in the wrl and it’s more or less his plea to staf over again. It’s showing his vulnerab He’s saying, “I know I’m the one) blew it and I’m willing to risk my feei in case you say ‘No.’ ” That’s whatl| trying to get across in the lyrics. Your audiences are preiomintl female. Do you ever wish there >\ more men in your audienc e and rj men buying your records?

Sure, I’d like more of a male audiel but my type of music doesn't a] please all types of guys. It’s interesT though, because there are a lot more] showing up all the time now. Is they’re coming with their girlfriends] groups of guys are coming. Thatdeff gives the whole show a different feel it. Nothing really changes that mucrj there to perform for whoever is theij I can honestly say that I’d rather pi a lot of women than a lot of men I Where do you think Jack i/Vagn»[ be five years from now?

You know, I go one day at a time] want to be working. I came from* tables and working in a clothing stm working in a bar. I used to hold] three jobs at once. So now I real! it one step at a time. It’s an unpredf business all the way around, soil be doing what I’m doing now and! happy as I am—then that’s really a] ask for.