This interview, conducted by Bill Neill for the Music Weekend radio show, provides a great overview of Rita Coolidge’s long career. Besides touching upon her success as a solo artist, including her seminal Anytime…Anywhere album, she also discusses what it was like to work with the likes of Eric Clapton, Joe Cocker, Booker T. Jones, Bonnie Bramlett, and Jimmy Buffett. The two also talk about her former collaborator and husband, Kris Kristofferson, although Coolidge obviously prefers not to be musically pigeonholed by those years. Throughout the course of the interview, she comes across as soft-spoken, thoughtful, and sincere, making this a good start for new fans and a great refresher for old ones.

00:20 – Her role in Les Paul: He Changed the Music 01:11 – Staying busy through touring / working with Jimmy Buffett 02:17 – Working with symphonic accompaniment 03:34 – Her Baptist minister father; no problems from him with rock and roll 04:00 – Getting hooked up with Stax Records (career choice #2) 04:55 – First real job (Delaney & Bonnie & Friends) 05:09 – The Mad Dogs and Englishmen Tour with Joe Cocker 06:39 – Sticking to one project at a time 07:11 – Learning from different performers 07:54 – Careers as a back-up singer and as a solo performer 08:27 – How the Rita Coolidge solo album came about 08:59 – Thoughts on winning Grammy awards 10:12 – How she approached “(Your Love Has Lifted Me) Higher and Higher)” / working with Booker T. Jones 11:35 – The ability to cross over between country, pop, and rock 12:21 – Negative experiences with making movies 13:05 – Getting involved in a number of charitable causes 14:44 – Intro to Boz Scagg’s “We’re All Alone” 15:15 – What she listens to when she has the time to relax 15:59 – What she appreciates about Al Green and the Memphis sound 16:31 – Respect for Eric Clapton 18:11 – Intro to “Bring Back the Magic” (with Jimmy Buffett) 19:10 – Thoughts on Jimmy Buffett 19:42 – Her 14 year-old daughter, Casey 20:58 – Hopes and goals for her future / plans for a new album