James Alexander of The Bar-Kays Part 2
The Questlove Show
iHeartPodcasts
4.6 • 2K Ratings
🗓️ 16 February 2026
⏱️ 61 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
James Alexander returns to The Questlove Show for a revealing deep dive into the rebirth and evolution of The Bar-Kays after tragedy, sharing how he rebuilt the group with vocalist Larry Dodson and crafted a louder, more aggressive funk-rock sound that pushed them into a new era. He reflects on becoming a go-to rhythm section for Stax Records and beyond, playing on classics for Rufus Thomas, The Staple Singers, and others, and revisits the making and lasting impact of “Holy Ghost,” their showstopping performance at Wattstax, the wild realities of 1970s touring and stagecraft, and the band’s constant reinvention through the 1980s. The Bar-Kays remain active today, and Alexander’s spirited storytelling makes clear why their legacy endures.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is an I-Heart podcast. |
| 0:02.5 | Guaranteed Human. |
| 0:04.6 | The Questlove show is a production of I-Heart Radio. |
| 0:13.4 | Yo, yo, what's up, y'all? |
| 0:15.1 | Welcome back to part two of the Questlove show. |
| 0:18.3 | I'm Questlove, in case you're lost. |
| 0:22.5 | And right now we're talking to the legendary James Alexander of the legendary barcades. And James flew in from Memphis, |
| 0:30.6 | specifically to sit down with us at IHeart Studios. And if you haven't started with part one, |
| 0:36.9 | make sure you do in that episode. |
| 0:38.9 | We cover all the early days of Memphis, the birth of Soulfinger, and playing behind |
| 0:44.2 | Otis Redding, and surviving one of the most tragic moments in music history. |
| 0:51.8 | There's a lot of music history here, so let's get started. |
| 0:54.8 | This is James Alexander of the Barcais, celebrating Black History Month, American History |
| 1:00.4 | Month. |
| 1:01.3 | Make sure you honor this living legend of black music by listening to Part 2, |
| 1:06.1 | and make sure you like and subscribe us also. |
| 1:08.4 | All right? |
| 1:09.0 | Thank you. |
| 1:21.1 | For starters, when did you even start with the idea of, okay, let's rebuild a new band? |
| 1:26.4 | Like, how long did you take off before you just like, okay, let's get to it? |
| 1:37.0 | Okay, this happened in December, 1967, by April of 68, had already reformed a new band. |
| 1:38.9 | How did you find these guys? |
... |
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