In a Local Spins interview, Elton’s bassist and Detroit-area native Matt Bissonette opens up about his career, his love of the Lions and the ‘crazy’ fun on stage with a rock icon. Elton’s tour stops in GR next week.
Heading Back to GR: Elton John, with bassist Matt Bissonette, at left, will play Van Andel Arena on Tuesday. (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
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When rock legend Elton John brings his “farewell” tour to Grand Rapids’ Van Andel Arena on Tuesday, his accomplished band will boast a noteworthy Michigan connection.
Bassist and producer Matt Bissonette, who’s played with Elton John the past 10 years, grew up in the Detroit area, playing at weddings, parties and clubs in his father’s band from the tender age of 13.
He even performed regularly at Detroit Lions games with the Johnny Trudell Band, then joined jazz icon Maynard Ferguson for extensive touring with the trumpeter starting in 1981 before moving to California.
Touring the Globe: Bissonette has played more than 300 concerts with Elton. (Courtesy Photo)
Since then, Bissonette has played or recorded with the likes of Gino Vanelli, Jeff Lorber, Brian Wilson, Christopher Cross, Steve Perry, Sheena Easton, David Lee Roth, Joe Satriani, Ringo Starr, Don Henley and many more.
Over the past decade, he’s toured the world with Elton John, playing more than 300 concerts with a supremely talented band led by guitarist and music director Davey Johnstone.
“I started playing with Elton John in 2012 when my friend, Bob Birch, who was the bass player with Elton, tragically passed away,” Bissonette told Local Spins in a recent interview.
“I knew a bunch of guys in the band already and Davey Johnstone called me and asked me if I wanted to take Bob’s place. It’s been a great experience.”
Indeed, Bissonette revels in the nightly excitement of performing alongside a rock/pop piano great with a cavalcade of enduring, fan-pleasing hits.
“It’s always fun playing with artists that you grew up listening to, especially the first night – kind of like a ‘what am I doing here’ moment. It’s always fun with Elton because he never plays a song the same way twice, so it’s always interesting and fun,” Bissonette said.
From 2018 in GR: Elton John (Photo/Anthony Norkus)
“There’s a lot of inside humor on stage and Elton is always on fire doing something crazy. I like the unpredictable part because it keeps everybody on their toes.”
Bissonette, 60, hailed Johnstone as “a great musical director” who “lets everybody do what they’re good at. Nobody really tells you what to do; they figure they’re paying you well, so you have to be responsible and do your job.”
Johnstone, who’s worked with Elton as a full-time member of the band since 1972, knows Elton “better than anybody,” Bissonette added.
“He’s a great guitarist and a really good friend, and it’s fun playing on stage with him, because like Elton, he’s a product of the late ’60s and ’70s, and likes to experiment with his performance every night. So it’s always different and cool.”
A PASSION FOR WRITING, RECORDING AND ‘MY HEART STILL BELONGS TO DETROIT’
Bissonette also has great respect for Elton’s original bassist, Dee Murray, who passed away in 1992. He called Murray “one of the most underrated bassists of all time” with “an amazing bass tone” and great backing vocals.
“Those old tracks (by Elton) combine a lot of charm and precision that lives on forever,” he noted. “I know back then they would go in and record quickly, so it only shows how ahead of the curve he was back then … the complete package.”
Postponed for nearly two years by the COVID pandemic, Elton John’s ambitious, multi-year, global tour crisscrosses the United States through April, then heads overseas to Europe, before returning to North America later this summer. The “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” tour won’t wrap up until July 2023 in Sweden.
‘Uncharted Territory’: Touring after a COVID shutdown. (Courtesy Photo)
Some tickets — $190 and up — are still available for Tuesday’s Van Andel Arena show, available online here.
Bissonette conceded it’s been “an interesting ride” due to the pandemic and all of the health protocols and contact restrictions involved.
“It will be interesting to see how this all pans out,” he said. “It’s all uncharted territory.”
What is known is that Bissonette will continue his work as a songwriter, producer and recording engineer in Los Angeles. He recently wrapped up recording sessions with up-and-coming Lansing teenager, Kanin Elizabeth, a singer Bissonette described as “confident and strong” with “maturity and natural talent.”
Bissonette himself has published more than 1,300 songs of his own.
“I love writing and producing and singing,” he said, before revealing yet another bit of fascinating trivia about his career.
“My brother and I would play drums and bass on the TV show, ‘Friends,’ for about eight seasons – all the music in between the scenes. That was a great gig that still pays well to this day because they keep playing that show to death,” he quipped.
“We struck gold on that and we are very blessed. But, yeah, the writing and recording is what really floats my boat.”
Bissonette also remains proud of his Michigan heritage, recalling a favorite moment on stage when “the crowd went nuts” at a Detroit show because he donned a Red Wings jersey for the encore.
“My heart still belongs to Detroit in many ways,” he conceded. “I still root for all the sports teams there. This season was tough for the Lions, but I’m glad they finished strong in the last game. Hopefully, they will turn that around.
“I grew up in Warren and had a lot of great experiences playing with great musicians growing up. I had many great teachers in junior high school and high school and privately, that if I hadn’t known, my life would be in a different place.”
VIDEO: Elton John, ‘The Final Tour Announcement’ (3/29/22)
VIDEO: Elton John Band at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit (2/9/22)
VIDEO: Elton John Band at Madison Square Garden in New York (2/22/22)
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