If you're someone who plays music or just loves music, you probably know that in the music business, talent, and success are different things.

There are artists who hit that special alchemy of creating a new sound and achieving global stardom.

And then there are the artists who are around them in the same artistic stew, the same scenes,

but didn't catch the same waves of commercial success.

Like the band Fishbone.

Fishbone started in the black teenagers jamming in

in keyboardist Chris Dowd's living room

in South Central L.A., riffing on a mix

of musical influences.

Reggae, R&B, punk, gospel, new wave, rock.

Fishbone came up alongside the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Jane's Addiction as metal and punk were

mashing together into the sound that would become known as alternative rock.

But they were also playing shows with hip-hop acts like Run DMC while paying homage to the funk

bands that had come before them. Fishbone was hard to pin down, but they were tight, inventive,

and fun.

This week on the show, I talk with Fishbone member Chris Dowd about getting signed to Columbia Records right out of high school, the constant touring that followed.

The still legendary S&L performance they did.

If you've never seen it, pause this and watch it now if you can.

There's a link in our show notes. And Chris and I talk about being in a band that never quite

broke through commercially, while so many bands and artists around them did. Like Jeff Buckley,

the late musician, who was Chris's best friend for many years

and crashed in Chris's apartment when Jeff was still building the confidence to make his own music.

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