Bryan Adams has revealed how lockdown was a ‘lifesaver’ for him and his family, and shared his experience of having half his songs rejected for the musical Pretty Woman. The revelations came in a new podcast from the charity where he’s an ambassador, Help Musicians where he also revealed the incredible story behind one of his most famous lyrics.
The Canadian music legend, who still holds the record for the longest unbroken run at the top of the UK chart with ‘(Everything I do) I do it for you’, which held the spot for 16 weeks, also shared the incredible story of being reunited with his first ever guitar. Adams’ semi-autobiographical song ‘Summer of 69’ famously begins with the line ‘I got my first real six-string / bought it at the Five and Dime’. However, the truth is a little closer to home for Brits.
Rather than a mid-century American thrift store, he reveals his first real six-string was actually purchased in a music shop in Reading, UK when he was 12. And instead of the Summer of 69, it was bought in 1970. In conversation with host Chris Difford a founding member of the band Squeeze and Help Musicians ambassador for the first episode in a new, fifth series of the podcast I Never Thought It Would Happen, Adams tells the remarkable story of being reunited with the ‘imitation Stratocaster’ many years later.
Adams shared that his family frequently relocated during his childhood due to his father’s employment with the Canadian embassy. After a stint in Reading, they moved to Israel. It was in the UK that he left his guitar with a neighbour. Decades later, he received an email from someone claiming to have his ‘first guitar’.
Despite responding, he never heard back. However, more than 10 years later, a stranger approached him in a Berlin club and declared, ‘I’ve got your first guitar’. The man explained that he was a friend of the person who had emailed Adams, who had died in a plane crash. The guitar had been bequeathed to him, and knowing his late friend’s wish to return it to Bryan, he had sought him out.
Bryan has kept the guitar ever since. In addition to his illustrious music career, Adams also composed the music for the West End musical Pretty Woman, working alongside his writing partner Jim Vallance. He described the process as “That is songwriting by committee…there’s the director, the writer, the producer. Every time we’d come up with a song, we’d have a committee meeting. Sometimes we’d get it and sometimes we wouldn’t…there’s 20 songs on there, but probably 40 were written.”
Adams opened up about his pandemic experience, stating “It was the best time for us as a family because I couldn’t go anywhere. It was great…a lifesaver”. However, he expressed concerns for his career: “I had convinced myself I was not going to work again, that the pandemic has kiboshed things for all musicians…we’re done. But then we did a show in Portugal, everyone was wearing masks. It was the strangest thing, because the sound [from the crowd] isn’t the same. It is muted.” He also suggested that if another pandemic were to occur, he doesn’t believe people would be as ‘compliant’ with lockdown measures.
The insightful podcast series from Help Musicians is hosted by one of the charity’s ambassadors, Chris Difford, and has previously welcomed a host of big names, including legendary artists such as Andrew Lloyd Webber, Sting, James Blunt and Robbie Williams, as well as contemporary stars like Olivia Dean and Yungblud. The fifth series promises more exciting guests, including Spandau Ballet’s Gary Kemp.
Chris Difford, the ambassador for Help Musicians and a seminal figure from the band Squeeze, expressed excitement about his podcast role, stating: “Recording this podcast has become an annual highlight for me. It’s so much fun to uncover these untold stories from across music, and we’ve started with a cracker, talking to the legendary Bryan Adams and uncovering the real story behind his first guitar. Both Bryan and I are ambassadors of Help Musicians, a charity doing such good work to support musicians throughout their lives and careers, so it was a special start to the fifth season. We’ve got another brilliant series lined up so I hope listeners will tune in to hear more new stories from their favourite artists.”
Sarah Woods, Help Musicians Chief Executive, also chimed in with enthusiasm: “We’re so pleased to bring together two of our brilliant ambassadors to share their experiences of life in music for the fifth season of I Never Thought It Would Happen. Being a musician is a truly rewarding career, but it also comes with challenges and barriers that can be difficult to navigate. In 2024 alone, Help Musicians delivered over 17,000 interventions to support musicians across the UK. It’s only through the generosity of our ambassadors, funders and supporters that we can continue to be a vital safety net that helps keep the music playing.”
Help Musicians, a charity that supports musicians across the UK during times of crisis and opportunity, understands the precarious nature of the profession. With fluctuating income and common physical and mental health concerns, opportunities can be hard to come by while challenges are frequent. The charity offers a wide range of support to music creators, ensuring they can reach their creative potential and maintain a career in music.
For more information about Help Musicians’ services or to make a donation to support its work, visit www.helpmusicians.org.uk
The complete podcast episode is now available on all major podcast providers, with new episodes released weekly. https://audioboom.com/