You released your first album in 1980. What is the secret of your longevity? Your voice is still as wonderful and sounds almost the same as when you started! – Frank Jones
That’s very kind, Frank. I don’t know if I have a real secret to longevity. I think if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life. [Il réfléchit.] When I started out, for every door that closed, another one opened. Every time someone told me “no,” I found a way to turn it into a “yes.” I guess maybe that’s the secret: never take “no” for an answer.
What is your favorite song from your repertoire and, conversely, is there one that you regret having composed? – Véronique Dion
I don’t regret any of them. My favorite? It’s super hard to choose. I was very happy to So Happy It Hurtswhich came out on my last album, because it got a Grammy nomination. It was my favorite song last year. But my favorite songs are always my new songs. I think more about today and tomorrow than yesterday. The new material excites me more. But I also like my old stuff.
What has been your most important musical inspiration? – Josée Normandin
I think it’s the rock guitar flights [loud guitar rock]…You know, with lots of hair.
How do you feel when you’re on stage and the crowd is singing your hits at the top of their lungs? – Sara Cousineau
It’s the ultimate feeling for a songwriter! There’s nothing better than hearing people sing your songs. That’s why I love touring. For any artist, it’s the most rewarding thing.
Did you speak French before recording the English and French soundtracks for the animated film? Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarronin 2002? What is your level of French? – Evelyne Donni
[En français] I try to speak it a little bit every day because there is someone on my team who speaks French. My entire video team is from Quebec. I started speaking French at school. My teacher, when I was 14, was very nice and helped me speak it better. I also lived in France for six months. I met a teacher there with whom I practiced a little. That’s why I speak a little French.
[En anglais] If I have the chance to sing in French again, I would like to do so. With SpiritI told them: “If you plan to remake the songs in French, I want to do it.”
During your career, you have co-written songs with the band Kiss, including War Machine. What memory do you have of this collaboration? – François Dansereau
I was 21 or 22. I was a hungry songwriter. The opportunity came up. Their producer called me and said, “I like your songs. Would you be willing to collaborate with the members of Kiss?” I said I would. War Machine was a riff bass that Gene Simmons had written. I took that and wrote the rest of the song with Jim Vallance.
If you had not been a singer-songwriter, what job would you have liked to do? – Annie Dessureault
I didn’t have a plan B. I wanted to make a career in music. Anyway, every time I applied for a job, I wasn’t chosen. I had very long hair when I was a teenager. As soon as employers saw me, it was a no. I didn’t know if I would be successful as a singer, but I knew my career would be linked to music.
What does a perfect day in the life of Bryan Adams look like? – Eugene Beriau
The perfect day would be somewhere warm, for sure. I like living in a warmer climate, that’s why I lived in France for a while. I lived in Jamaica too. I like being warm. On my perfect day, there would be freshly picked vegetables from the garden. I would play with my children and family and go swimming.
Questions and answers have been abbreviated and condensed for clarity and conciseness.
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