The pop culture was shifting rapidly and everything began to change, especially the music.

It did, very much so.

Disco completely took over.

I'm fond of saying that in 1979, Loves the Answer came And I think After the Love is Gone, or maybe something by the Doobies, were the only songs that were in the top 10 that were not disco.

Everything else, it just stomped all over everything.

So again, you recognize, okay, I love to learn, and I watch, and I try to pick out how it's going to end up.

We had traveled with all of these groups, Carole King, Brad, sales and cross chicago three dog all of these things and the greatest lesson i got was out of three dog because when they split and we were still kind of opening up for them cory uh wells one of the singers got a deal on a and m he ended up opening up for dan and i that's the way it goes So it's a very ephemeral business.

John Ford Coley, you have also penned a book about your time in the industry called Backstage Pass, haven't you?

yeah because you were you were a 10 you were you know a 10 year in the works overnight sensation weren't you you'd been around since the mid 60s

yes and it takes about 10 years we played all those bands in texas uh played every club every dive every bar fraternities Just trying to get those skills going.

And I tell you, though, the one thing that made more of an impression on me than anything that I had ever experienced up to that time, I came, we would rehearse on Thursday nights.

I'm going to college.

I don't have a keyboard.

I'm not really able to play and practice at all.

I come in on that Thursday night, we've got gigs Friday, Saturday, and I'm being fired.

never gave

You just love coming back and seeing us.

Absolutely, got friends up there, I love going to the beach and eating seafood.

Man, you can't imagine how much I miss seafood.

No kidding.

Yeah, absolutely.

One time we were down in Louisiana and it was Ambrosia and the guys came in because they had heard there was a great seafood place, so they go there.

I said, hey, I'll go with you.

Yeah.

Well, you know, on the whole album of Nights of Forever, is there a song that is more personal to you than all the others?

I think the one that I remember the most of recording was Nights of Fervor Without You.

I had contracted strep throat.

First couple of days I'm there.

And so my hearing was messed up.

I'm trying to sing the harmony on that and Kyle stopped.

Because again, when I sing and I'm going to sing harmony, I want the voice I'm going to sing to, my voice and a guitar.

Well, as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of I'd Really Love to See You Tonight, what do you hope listeners will take away from revisiting the Nights of Forever album today? And what would you like for them to remember about the musical legacy you and Dan created together?

So my question, what was that experience like emotionally for you, knowing you were revisiting one of your big songs, your signature songs, and helping bring Dan's final recordings to the public?

Well, first of all, it was just a...

It, it was really a thrill.

I, and I, and I stress the word thrill, to be able to sing with Dan again.

Because again, we've not sung since 1980.

And, um, to have that opportunity, I mean, I, I joke about everything and so when I was doing the song, I told Kyle, our producer, who actually, uh, produced the first-... original song, and then he was doing this one as well because he was Dan's producer when he was in country.

I said, "Hey, you want me to, you want me to channel Dan while we're in the studio?" And he said, "Oh, okay." And I went, "Okay."

What do you think Dan would say if he could see the response from fans today and the incredible group of artists like you who are honoring his legacy?

And she pulled a prank on you that was the cruelest, meanest prank I think I've ever read.

Yeah, well, I tell you, she and I kind of became like brothers and sisters, you know? And I figured out from that there will never be world peace as long as they're siblings in the world.

She came in, and my whole deal is like, I'll even talk about this from stage, is that with actors, you get day players.

So they've got two days, three days.

They come in, they do this stuff, they're gone.

Musicians are out with three or four months, so the jokes are all gone within two days.

old-fashioned tips.

What happened there?