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The R-word
Glenn Hughes was recently a guest on SiriusXM satellite radio show Trunk Nation. This is what he had to say when asked about his retirement:
The word retirement is something I don’t normally say. A good story for you there. In June, I went on a tour of Europe with Black Country Communion, and Joe and I were talking after two shows in that we were thinking before we started that tour that maybe this would be the end of BCC. Maybe we’ve done, and we’ve done and dusted what we started out to do. And funny enough, we felt on that tour of Europe that we were actually just getting started. You know, we made a live album, by the way, it’ll be coming out early next year. I think sometime early, early this year, I thought, you know, maybe I should slow it down. Maybe I should take it easy, you know, blah, blah, blah. But ever since I came home from the BCC tour, I’m reinvigorated. I’ve got new purpose. I’ve never felt so strong, and I’m really looking forward to doing more shows, both solo and with Black Country Communion.
You’ve heard me say this too many times over the last 15 years, but there’s more coming from BCC and maybe hasn’t happened, but we’re on a new beginning again with BCC in the summer saying to a lot of people. And the live album sounds damn good, and we are planning yet exclusively for you on doing album number six next year. So we are continuing our journey and as you well know if we could keep this thing together and tour more regularly, we are an arena band waiting to happen.
The show was on the air on August 12, 2025, and is available for replay on siriusxm.com for the subscribers of the service.
Thanks to BraveWords for the heads-up and quotes.
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I think it‘s a bit late in the game for BCC to still emerge as the great white hope of arena rock, but let‘s not be too disparaging about it, should Joe be willing to put more time aside for the band, then I‘m happy for Glenn.
The problem with Glenn is that he is an excited little puppy with whatever he‘s currently doing – his obsession with the ‘ere and now I guess -, but then reality bites and longevity goes once again down the drain, while Glenn is already eyeing the next fabulous project. Didn’t he in more recent interviews mention how he wanted to do more orchestra shows now that the violin bug has bitten him on that Rock Meets Classic tour in Germany?
As always, we’ll see. Glenn keeps us on our toes.
August 14th, 2025 at 03:12I wish I could share in Glenn’s confidence and positivity, but I am not holding my breath any longer for JoBo to fully committing to BCC in the long run – Joe’s solo career is where his heart is and probably always will be.
August 14th, 2025 at 03:48Well, if one’s health is up for it, luckily you decide for yourself when you wanna retire!
Personally I am thrilled that Purple hasn’t retired!
August 14th, 2025 at 05:55The argument about Joe being to successful on his own to focus on BCC is a common one, and I guess a valid one. But in the long run, I don’t see GH as one to settle down in one band for the rest of his career either. I think BCC can go on as they have done so far. An album and a tour every now and then, making their appearances somewhat exclusive instead of becoming an arena machine churning out albums and huge tours all the time.
Joe works a lot! So I think there is space for BCC too. He also frequently do collaborations and projects where he finds himself in different size venues so I don’t think that is a problem for him. He works with Beth Hart every now and then in sort of the same way as with BCC, an album Here, a short tour here. I don’t think we should attiribute to much of an eventual demise of BCC on Joe alone.
As a side note, I have a hard time understanding why so many DP fans have a problem with Joe being too bluesy? I’m not the biggest fan of Joe, I think he should kill some darlings and not release every note he ever comes up with. But for me, DP and family bands always had a blues base in their music. The improvisation and general grooviness. WS in the old days was of course the most blues of them all. When Joe leans more to his rock side, still keeping the blues clearly visible, as he does on BCC, I think he stands up well in the DP family of guitarists.
August 14th, 2025 at 06:17