After Duane's untimely death, Dickey didn't think the Allman Brothers Band would stay together, so he was planning another band of his own. After hanging out, jamming with him one weekend, I got the call to come back up to Macon to be in his band. That band was put on the back burner when ABB decided to do another album. So Dickey invited me to work on that project with them, which became the 'Brothers &Sisters" album.

Since we both grew up from the same area, as it turns out, Duane was influenced by some of the same folks I was influenced by. Ry Cooder being one. And yes, to some extent, I was also influenced by Duane's interpretations of the same folks we were both influenced by. Every great player I know has taken a piece of another great player and made it his own.

I co-wrote and played acoustic guitar on "Jessica", but was never given credit for co-writing it, nor paid any royalties. And I played lead guitar and helped arrange the guitar parts on "Ramblin" Man". I wasn't involved with anything else on the original release, but I am playing on "A Minor Jam" from the new 40th Anniversary "Brothers &Sisters" Allman Brothers Band release.

Yes, they added a jam that I played on titled "A Minor Jam". It took us about a week to arrange and record "Jessica". We wanted to record it live in the studio, so we recorded it every night until we finally got the one. One of those nights Dickey and Gregg went home early, so the rest of us, (Jaimoe, Butch, Chuck, Lamar &myself) decided to jam. It also gave Johnny Sandlin, (engineer/producer) the opportunity to tweak out the sounds. I guess he liked what he was hearing, because he recorded it on a long playing quarter inch tape machine. What they used for the anniversary release is good, but there were better parts of that jam they didn't use.

The only show I ever sat in on and played "Ramblin' Man" live with ABB was at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1974. I was actually playing with Boz Scaggs at the time.

I lived in Macon for a little over two years, I was only a part of the Brothers &Sisters project. It was a short association, but a very memorable one, since I played on their two biggest hits, "Ramblin' Man &"Jessica". Phil Walden (manager/CEO Capricorn Records) told me once that he was going to make me a star and put me in the Allman Brothers Band. I told him he might need to talk with Dickey about that. The vibe I got off Betts was that he wanted to be the only guitar player. So, I was never asked to be in the ABB, and I haven't heard from any of them.

Joe Dan asked me if I would like to be in a band he was creating, (Grinderswitch). I was still waiting to see if the Allman Brothers Band gig would happen, so I declined, but turned Joe Dan on to some old band mates I played with in Florida bands. Larry Howard and I were in two bands together (United Sounds &Blue Truth). Rick Burnette and I were in three bands together (United Sounds, Blue Truth &Power).

I was living in Macon when Marshall Tucker first came to town. I jammed with them many times and just before they did their first Capricorn record Toy asked me if I would like to be in Marshall Tucker. Again, I declined while waiting to see what would happen with the Allman Brothers Band.

I had my own band and was still working with Scaggs &Miller. Plus, I was offered a gig with a new band called Journey. I decided to sign with Columbia Records and start my solo career.

Columbia Records teamed me up with Scaggs and then with Botnick as my producers for my first three albums. I chose some of the players and Scaggs and Botnick also helped with more players. I had some control over artistic freedom with the first three, but fought for more freedom with my "Gypsy Ride" album, which I produced.

No not really. "Old Judge Jones" came to me when I was rehearsing my band to play a gig with the Doobie Brothers at Spartan Stadium in San Jose, CA 1976.

My song writing process is personal. Some songs come so fast I can't write it on the paper quick enough, and other songs take years to develop.

Yes. Money. Making music albums cost money to make. When you're under contract with the biggest record label in the world, it's easier to put out more records because you have a budget to work with. And, yes, I did two other records in that time period; the Dudek, Finnigan &Krueger (DFK) album and Cher's Black Rose album. Just a few years later I also did a movie with Cher and Sam Elliott called Mask.

Yes, maybe a few. Will they be released? Maybe someday. I never thought they would release the jam I did on the ABB Anniversary Brothers &Sisters album, but they did.

Yes. To some extent it does bother me for the reasons you mentioned. I had no say in the matter. But, at least by doing so, they're keeping my name alive. So I try to stay focused on the positive.

You just asked a question that requires a very long answer, but, I'll try to keep it brief. Basically, it was the "big idea" of the manager I had at the time. Finnigan and Krueger were under the same management and record company as me. So, our manager had the bright idea to put us all together in one super band to promote each of our three solo releases at the time, instead of letting us each promote our own solo records individually. DFK toured first and then released a DFK album later. Bad idea. It should have been in reverse and we spent entirely too much money on that project. DFK is bittersweet to me. It was probably the best band I was ever in, but it ruined my solo career with Columbia Records.

Trust me. You don't even want to know that answer. It's just too hard to explain. I'll say this; it was first released with a different company in 1994. Then I got all the rights back and re-released it in 2001 with my own company. I started recording "Deeper Shades Of Blues" in 1990. Money is why it took so long to get it released.

Boz Scaggs and I first discovered Jeff Porcaro together, while finding players for my first solo album. Jeff played drums on five of my albums. I miss him dearly. No one played drums like Jeff Porcaro. He was a good friend and it was a real learning experience working with him. Jeff was all about the pocket and interpreting each measure of a tune. What a cat! It came time for me to find a keyboard player, so I asked Jeff if he knew anyone. He said yes, his name is David Paich. I asked, " where can we find him?", and Jeff replied, "he's in the hallway waiting for you". That's how I met Paich, through Jeff. What can I say about Paich? Other than he's a monster, an incredible writer and player. Gerald Johnson I met through Steve Miller. Gerald and I had some great times playing together.

The last time I recorded with Jeff was in 1990 for my Deeper Shades Of Blues album at Schnee Studio, right next door to the old Davlen Sound Studio on Lankershim Blvd. near Universal Studios, Los Angeles, where we recorded my first album fifteen years before. I remember standing by the piano with Jeff reminiscing about the first project we did together just next door at Davlen. Little did I know, that would be the last time I saw and worked with him. Jeff played on every song except the title track of that album. The two tracks Porcaro played on my Freestyle album were from the Deeper Shades Of Blues sessions that I didn't finish until later. They were so good they ended up on my Freestyle CD. Sadly, Jeff never got to hear those two albums completed before he died.

I did three albums of what they call library music. They are, basically, two-minute instrumental songs I wrote to be used for background music in commercials, TV sitcoms, sports shows etc... And I've appeared here and there on some other projects, but not very often.

Any time I work with a real talent, what they contribute always influences me in some way.

Well I've known the Skynyrd boys for a long time. Leon was a dear friend. I miss him and I have a few great stories about being with them. I don't view Southern Rock as two camps like you do. Rather, as different flavors. The groups you're mentioning are all Southern Rock in my opinion, primarily because we're from the American South, and we all like to rock. It's just that simple.

I wanted to keep this album simple, that's why no keyboards. I had a Cajun second line groove tune titled "Take My Money" that was crying for a Frattoir part, so I had to have it. Plus, Joe Skinner has been a very dear friend that has helped me get things done with my previous two releases, who also plays drums and Frattoir. So out of respect, I wanted to have his name on one of my records as one of the players. Let me say this; there are many sounds of the American South that make up what the American South represents. You're trying too hard to put everything in a category.

Yes. I purposely wanted to keep the production on the "Delta Breeze" project very simple, basic, and in your face. I wanted this album to sound like a band playing right in front of you without all the fancy enhancements I hear on recordings these days. The advantage I like about today's technology is how you can edit and fix things quickly to save time and production costs. And, there is a secret to making digital recording sound as good as the old analog days, but I'm not going to tell you.

No, I've been playing my new material for a while now, but it was the first time I went to Japan. We enjoyed playing for the Japanese fans very much and I look forward to touring there again in the future. I still have Dan Walters on bass guitar from the new album, but it's very hard to use Gary Ferguson because he lives on the west coast. So, I have Greg Stewart, from Macon, Georgia, on drums now.

Yes and yes, I do. And it was a very nice tour indeed! I told the Japanese people, every show, that I was really enjoying my stay in Japan, even though I had no Godzilla sightings and I couldn't seem to find a sushi bar anywhere. They would say, "Oh Rez..." That's what they called me, Rez, because they can't pronounce Les, God bless them. "Rez made a funny. We got sushi bars on every corner, Pal!!! And Godzilla don't live here no more!"

Yes, I've played Europe before and I would love to play Europe more often. I played the second Knebworth Park Festival in the UK with the Steve Miller Band in 1975, the Bond Blues Fest in Bond Germany with my band, Mick Taylor &Ten Years After 1990, the Smukkeste Fest in Denmark with my band and a list of others, also 1990. And, I did guitar clinics for Rivera Research all the way down the French/Germany border and even the Moulin Rouge in Paris. I love Europe, my grandparents were from there.

I typically do a 90 minute show, but sometimes I do "an evening with" show that can be over two hours.

I decide the very same way you described. I do a few of my more popular songs from each of my albums, and I do a few hit songs I've played on from other artists. My fans seem to like it because they get a chance to hear me play my tunes live, and some of the other big hits I played on.

That all depends on how lazy my booking "anti-agent" is. If I had my way, I would lease a Star Coach Prevost and live out of it because I'm playing so much. We're now soliciting festivals for next year. How about it? Make some noise about it folks! Tell your concert promoters you want Les Dudek!

Just that if you like southern flavored rock music, you'll love my new CD, so please go to www.cdbaby.com/cd/lesdudek or Amazon.com or Itunes and buy or download my new CD, "Delta Breeze". You'll be glad you did! And by doing so, I'll still have a future creating more music for all of you. My goal is to keep on rocking, because that's what I do. If you, my fans, support me, I'll be coming around to a city near you...