Episode 26 with Audley Freed (Cry of Love, Black Crowes, Sheryl Crow, etc...)

My guest today is Mr. Audley Freed. As with most of my guests on Riff Raff it kinda goes without saying that Audley is a badass player and his credits most certainly back this up but if there was an also award for “most humble guitar player” Audley would most certainly win it hands down. Never one to brag or name drop, he is instead constantly downplaying his achievements but not in a false way at all, rather a genuinely modest way. You get the feeling that coming from a small town in North Carolina, Audley is grateful for the opportunities that he has had and never even thought he’d have the amazing career that he’s enjoyed but deserved. 

Hailing from humble roots in North Carolina and forming the band Cry of Love (which still has legions of faithful fans) to joining the Black Crowes (and recording the legendary Live at the Greek with Jimmy Page), to his current gig with Sheryl Crow, Audley has done just about every cool gig you can imagine- Peter Frampton, Joe Perry,  Dixie Chicks, Jakob Dylan, songwriting with Train, recording the debut record with Gavin DeGraw, jamming with the Allman Bros., and performing with other artists like Lucinda Williams, Bob Weir, and many others. 

I had the opportunity to play for a short time in a band called Blue Floyd with Audley and that’s where we really hit it off. If you know Audley like I know him you get the idea that he prefers to not too do many interviews or podcasts but he graciously agreed to sit with me and shoot the bull for a while. 

On a cold Feb day in Nashville I head over to Audley’s house and after he making us a couple of strong cups of coffee and looking through his killer vinyl collection we get down to business. In this interview you’ll hear about Audley’s beginnings, his guitar “mentor” (Ernie Johnson) that really opened his mind up to being a professional musician, the early years of Cry of Love and how he wrote the song "Peace Pipe" at a guitar shop in N.C. one day, how to play "Highway Jones", to auditioning and joining the Black Crowes, some amazing Jimmy Page stories, his current amp choices, advice for backing up singers, his influences and so much more. 

Recorded at Audley’s house, Nashville, TN.,  Feb. 2018