Bush’s Busy Front Man

Wed., Dec. 18, 1996

David Bauder Associated Press

As he prepares for a “Saturday Night Live” appearance, rock singer Gavin Rossdale is being pulled in every direction.

There are autographs to scribble, pictures to pose for, grumpy technicians to satisfy.

When his band, Bush, practices the song, “Swallowed,” female staff members from all over NBC magically find the time to drop by the studio.

Rossdale, 29, politely deals with all of the demands. He has reason to be happy: Billboard has proclaimed that Bush’s new album has debuted at No. 1 on the album charts.

1. What’s your favorite record of all time?

Rossdale: I only have one? That’s a really, really hard one. I have different areas I like. I’d say Slint, “Spiderland.” And something by Bob Marley, because that’s really soothing. That’s another side of me. I love reggae, I grew up in a totally black neighborhood.

2. What’s the silliest thing about being a celebrity?

Rossdale: There’s a lot of silliness. The silliest is the self-importance that I see in my contemporaries. People in bands you see around, they walk around with these airs.

3. What was the hardest song for you to write?

Rossdale: The hardest emotionally was “Personal Holloway.” That’s a woman’s prison in England. It was dealing with someone who had an overdose. It was a hard thing to do. The hardest one to write? All of them.

4. Who is one person that you would like to meet and talk to that you haven’t?

Rossdale: Hmmm… It would be Bob Marley.

5. What is the stupidest thing that you’ve ever read about yourself?

Rossdale: That this has been an easy ride. It just gets inferred. It’s the one thing I take the most objection to. It’s just arrogance to assume because you’ve just heard of someone that you know they’ve just been created.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.