DROPPING BANGERS | JOEL CORRY

We're always looking for the right vibes for music that will let us navigate our day from commuting, workflow, and nights out! This month, our cover is 5X platinum UK records, 5X BRIT Awards nominee, Joel Corry who has residencies at Ibiza Rocks, TAO Group Hospitality (Hakkasan, Marquee) and who has performed in an array of festivals from Creamfields, Ultra, Tomorrowland, EDC Las Vegas, and Lollapalooza to name a few. His remixes have been part of our playlists and have included collaborations with Saweetie, Charlie XCX, David Guetta, and Bryson Tiller as just a few of the highlights. His remixes have transformed tracks by Megan Thee Stallion, Ed Sheeran, Elton John, and Nina Simone. When it's about good vibes with beats that make you want to stay on the dance floor banger after banger, Joel always has something up his sleeve!

We caught up with him hours before the release of his latest single, Drinkin' with MK and Rita Ora which already has been on repeat for the past few days! This single as well as yet to be released and some of his epic records will be on the upcoming album, Another Friday Night which drips on Oct 6th. We wanted to know more about Joel from his passion for music, how raving in London grew to him collaborarting with artists and creating his music, and what he has coming up as he continues to make his mark.

We also wanted to know more about his approach to creating his music, working with his favorite artists, and more. We also wanted to find out about his time as a professional body builder, winning a number of competitions, and how he navigates his life while he's constantly on the go going from one city to the next.

ATHLEISURE MAG: When did you first fall in love with music?

JOEL CORRY: When I was a young boy that was 12 or 13, that’s when I got my first pair of turntables. My older brother was a DJ actually, he’s 3 years older than me so when I was growing up, the music that everyone was playing was garage music back in London. It was all part of the DJing and MCing scene so my brother, he was like an MC and his mates would come over and do DJing and I was like, I just wanted to be cool like my older brother basically. So I said, “mom, get me some decks, I want to do some garage music. I want to be a DJ as well!”

That’s how I started and then I got my decks and I would go into the record shop every weekend and find vinyls. It just became a hobby growing up and then eventually, I started DJing people’s parties and it developed from there!

AM: So, when did you realize that you wanted to do it professionally?

JC: So it was kind of like a slow progress over the years. So I was DJing in my bedroom, and then I started DJing at people’s birthday parties, weddings, and like even DJing at my mom’s friend’s, birthday parties – just wherever! I was sort of the DJ at school and then when I was 17/18, I started playing the nightclubs. You know, at one point in my early 20’s, I was doing 5 residencies a week around London so I was really busy around the circuit and then it was like, “right, I’m doing that thing that I love to do, I’m making money from it, how can I take it to the next level?” That’s what I started to focus on music production and started to release my own music and that’s how eventually – I mean it took awhile so fast forward another 10 years when I got my first hit record, that’s when it really took off to another level.

AM: How do you define your sound?

JC: My sound has changed over the years to be honest with you. It’s kind of been like a progression as I have been through the journey of my love of dance music. But I would say that the sound that people know me from for my productions from my first hit records would be commercial piano house, feel good vibes – you know, my records, I think that they have really defined my career so far, tracks like Head & Heart, BED, Lonely, Sorry – they’re all kind of piano house. Just really uplifting, feel good vibe records that have sort of connected with people, tracks that you want to hear on the dance floor and also tracks that sort of hit you in the feels as well. It’s that nice balance that are records that you want to dance to and also those that you want to put in your car when you’re driving alone and to have an emotional connection with.

AM: I love listening to it when I’m spinning.

JC: A lot of people actually use my records and my tracks for gym playlists. I get that all the time, but I love that, because I’m really into my gym stuff as well! So I’m glad that my tunes are helping people like get those extra reps or cycle those extra miles.

AM: What is your process in terms of when you’re creating music? Are there certain things that you focus on first?

JC: I’d say that there are 2 different ways that the creative process works. The 1st way would be that I’m in my studio and we have a songwriter or an artist come in for the day, we’ll just start with some basic chords going, some loops going, and I’ll just be vibing with the artists or the songwriter and a kind of an idea will come out of nothing. You’re kind of really starting from scratch and I love working that way, it’s so much fun!

Another way things happen is that I get sent a lot of music, so I get sent acappellas or song ideas or demos and if there is something that I hear in it that I really like, then I will take that and develop it myself. So then, I already have a starting point there. So there are 2 different ways really – and I love being in the studio though and sort of being there from the birth of an idea which is always great!

AM: Where do you get your inspiration from?

JC: I feel like I get my inspiration from the dance floor because I’m DJing so much. I’m always on tour and I’m always playing in front of crowds and I guess, taking crowds from a journey, trying to create those moments on a dance floor. So when it comes to my own music, I’m trying to make those records that people are going to dance to and have a great time to, you know? Being a DJ, it’s kind of staying ahead of the game of the trends that are going to work on the dance floor and kind of being on the pulse of those sort of things.

AM: Well, your remixes have included a number of amazing people from Tïesto, Charlie XCX, Elton John, Saweetie – how do you work on that when you’re working with material that already exists that you have the opportunity to present it in another way?

JC: As a DJ, I guess I have been remixing things since I was a teenager. I just use to make edits and mash ups and stuff like that. Crazy mad edits for my sets and remixing and creating my own versions of records is just an important part of DJing and it’s something that I have always done. It’s a way of me putting my own spin on something. So when I play it in my own sets, it’s right for my sound and how I envision that record and I love remixing! So, when I get asked to do a big remix with a big artist like Ed Sheeran, Tïesto – you know it’s such a pleasure to do those things. I’ll listen to the original record and I’ll just think, “what can I add to this to make it different and also to make it fit in with my sound?” Yeah, it just kind of naturally happens when I just hear something, I just kind of get that vision for it straight away and I go from there!

AM: Do you have artists on your bucket list that you would like to work with or do their remixes that you have yet to do?

JC: Well I just mentioned 2 and every time I get asked this question, I always say Ed Sheeran would be my dream collaboration because I am a huge fan of his. He did Bad Habits last year, which is kind of a dance record which I remixed, but I still don’t think that Ed has done a full on dance banger yet. I would love to do that with him! Ed Sheeran would definitely be someone that I would love to work with in the future as a dream! He’s the biggest pop star in the world! You just mentioned Tïesto, I have remixed with Tïesto, but I haven’t collaborated with him yet. But we’re really good friends and I actually played with him in Ibiza last week and I supported him in Ushuaïa and we have already talked about doing a record together so it’s just the timing that needs to be right and the record needs to be right. But I'm sure that that will happen in the future. He's a great guy and a great inspiration to me!

AM: I love his music and remember the first time I saw him was back in 2007 here in NY at the Limelight – he was amazing!

JC: Of yeah, he’s a G man!

AM: Absolutely!

You have your debut album coming out Another Friday Night, dropping Oct 6th. I love OUT OUT, 0800 Heaven, Head & Heart. Tell us about this album and what are you excited about it?

JC: The album is literally what I have been building towards for the last 4 or 5 years of my life. The album is going to have all of the records that you just mentioned on there, all of the hits from over the years, plus my new music like 0800 Heaven that you mentioned and my new single that comes out in a few hours (Aug 25th), Drinkin’ with Rita Ora and MK. It’s also got another 3 new tracks that are on there as well that will come out when the album comes out. So yeah, it’s going to have all the hits that people love, plus my new music, and I’m just really proud of this body of work that’s kind of been my life for the last 5 years. Coming together in one playlist of bangers!

AM: It’s amazing. Like you said, Drinkin’ is out in a few hours with you, Rita Ora and also MK, how did this come about? You performed it live last week in Ibiza at Ibiza Rocks. It’s such a fun song, I’ve played it at least 20 times today!

“I feel like I get my inspiration from the dance floor because I’m DJing so much. I’m always on tour and I’m always playing in front of crowds and I guess taking crowds from a journey, trying to create those moments on a dance floor. So when it comes to my own music, I’m trying to make those records that people are going to dance to and have a great time to, you know? Being a DJ, it’s king of staying ahead of the game of the trends that are going to work on the dance floor and kind of being on the pulse of those sort of things.”

— Joel Corry

JC: Aww thank you, thank you! Drinkin’ actually samples a Chance the Rapper record called All Night which is a banger! I started on this record about a year ago. When I flipped the sample and put that chorus over a house beat, it just sounded so sick for the pianos behind it and I was like, “oh my God, this just really works!”

At that point, it was very much a demo and we wrote like the verses and the pre chorus for it and kind of made this really cool sounding demo.

Me and MK had been chatting about doing a record together for ages and I’m a big fan of MK of course you know, he’s a legend in the game. I was like, “this tune sounds like an MK track.” So I sent it to him and I was like, "bro, what do you think of this?" He hit me back he said he loved it! He loved the sample, he loved the vibe of it, and I sent him my parts that I had done so far and then he did his work on it and then sent it back to me. What he added to it was sick and I was like, “yeah, this is kind of what I envisioned!” Then I was like, “right, now I need to get a vocalist on it.”

When I listened to the track, it just felt like a Rita Ora banger and me and Rita have been chatting for years actually. We had been mates and had worked together on other bits that didn’t quite materialize, but we both really wanted to do a track together. So I texted her and I said, “Rita, I think that I’ve got the one!” I sent it to her and straight away she said, “that’s me, I love it – let’s do it!” At the time, I remember when I texted her, I think that she was in India and then she had to fly to NY and she was like, “I’m going to fit in a day to get this recorded.” Then she ended up flying to London and she got into the studio Sun day afternoon and got the whole thing done. You know what? Fair play to Rita - I respect her so much. Her when you mentioned that we performed in Ibiza Rocks last week, she was on holiday and she took the whole day out of her holiday to do that with me. I love her for that and I’m so excited to be doing this record with her and MK. It’s a great feeling!

AM: That’s amazing!

Clearly, you’ve had a busy summer! All of your performances – you were just here in NY headlining at the Brooklyn Mirage which is awesome. What are some of your favorite cities to do your performances in?

JC: NY is definitely up there! I love NY, NY has always been a great spot for me over the last 3 years. I remember that my first headline show in Webster Hall sold out, then I did the Great Hall last year, I did Brooklyn Mirage this year. So every year, I have sort of stepped it up. The NY crowd always comes out for me. I absolutely love it.

I love Miami, Miami is such a good vibe. I feel that if I lived in America, that’s where I would choose to live. It’s just a bit of me. I love the outdoors, the sort of gym lifestyle as well, the good weather, and the clubs and the vibe. Dance music is just thriving in Miami.

Of course, I have to shout out Ibiza, where I am right now! This is like my second home, it’s a magical island and this place is just different man. It’s just something is special in the air here and I pray that I have a residency here in Ibiza when I’m past 80 years old!

So yeah, Ibiza, Miami, and NY. I love Australia – Australia is always a good time when I go out there on tour in Sydney and Melbourne. Last year, I did Japan for NYE in Tokyo which was a really good experience. So there’s a few good spots that I love.

AM: Next month you’re headlining at London’s iconic Ministry of Sound. How excited are you for this show?

JC: Yeah I’m so excited! I mean, obviously, I’m from London – that’s my home city. I haven’t had a headline show in London in over 2 years. The last one was Printworks back in 2021. It’s a big deal for me! Headlining a show in my own city and then in an iconic club like Ministry of Sound – this is a legendary club. I used to go there as a raver when I was 18 and I remember going to the Defected Records Raves there. So going back there and headlining my own show is so special. It’s also the week before my album comes out so a lot of friends are going to come, family, a lot of people from my label, and people from my label, and people that have worked on my projects over the last few years. I have invited everybody so it’s not just a headline show, I feel like it’s a celebration as well so I’m really excited!

AM: Do you have a set of routines that you do before you perform? Things that you just have to do to get into that mindset?

JC: What I like to do is like, in the hours building up to the show, I always like to have a bit of peace with my laptop, look over my set, listen to music that I am going to be playing in the set and to have a think about what the crowd might be like, how I think that the set is going to go and to just get into that mindset of mental preparation for the set. To get that clarity in my head, I need to be on my own for that and just with my music. When I feel like I’m prepared and I have my USBs loaded up, I get fresh – have a shower, do my hair, put on a twin set -

AM: King Twin Set!

JC: Haha you know that already! They call me the Twin Set King! I get to the show and maybe have a little bit of tequila and then I’m ready to go!

AM: Once the show is over, do you do anything to come down from all of that energy?

JC: I always like having a bubble bath watching some YouTube and maybe a bit of Gordon Ramsay or something – ha! It’s a bit weird I know! But I just feel like, after a show when you need to be able to go to bed, it’s kind of hard to switch off sometimes so you have to do just really normal things. Whether that's having a bath or putting something on on YouTube to just try to separate your mind from all of the madness that just happened and to get back to a normal level again!

AM: Absolutely!

Once again, you have so much going on that is so amazing to see. From the residencies in Ibiza, Tao Hospitality, what are some big upcoming projects besides the album coming out and obviously the Ministry of Sound that we should keep an eye out for?

JC: I guess aside from that, it would just be my touring. I’m back in America quite a lot between now and the end of the year. I’m also about to announce a big tour in Australia. I haven’t been to Australia since the start of 2021. So it’s going to be great to go back down under and also I have some more Asia dates coming up. I mean, I played in Tokyo for NYE, but that’s the only day that I have ever done in Asia so I’m going back to Tokyo and adding a few more in there as well. So between now and the end of the year, it’s like non-stop touring, we have the album coming out, it’s just going to be go go go go go and then I think in Jan, I might have a little week off – ha!

AM: Obviously at Athleisure Mag, we love fitness and you’re like a fitness king as well as you were a body builder before. How did you get into that and why did you want to do that?

JC: So going back to when I was a teenager, I was telling you about when I got my decks and I was DJing in my bedroom, I was also going to the gym a lot. They were my 2 hobbies. If I wasn’t on my decks tearing the house down with my mom screaming to turn the music off, I was down at the gym on the bench press lifting weights trying to get a 6-pack.

I just think that the gym became a hobby and I used to play football a lot. But then I started going to the gym and that became how my sort of love for fitness grew! It just slowly became more and more and more, when I started to see the results from training and I was becoming 18/19 years old, I really started seeing the results coming through, I just got hooked on it. I kind of I guess got obsessed with it as well. But I took it to another level. I wondered how I could take this thing that I loved and go a step further and it was like, I want to go on stage and compete. It was just something inside me saying that this was a box that I wanted to be able to tick off. I wanted to see how far I could push this thing that I loved doing. So in my early 20’s I was competing in male physique competitions. I did that for about 3 years and I did really well in them. I won quite a few of them. I won the Miami Pro, I won the Pure Elite Competition, I got a Pro Card in WBFF so I was really doing it seriously and getting into crazy condition for those shows. It got to a point where I was like, the music is going to be my career so I kind of had to put that competing on the back burner to really focus on the music. Because the thing with the body building and the competitions is that you have to be 100% all in and it’s so much commitment, dedication, and focus to do those competitions, that I didn’t have the capacity to then focus as much on the music. I had to make a decision where I said, “the music is my future, that’s my dream, that’s what I really want to do. I love to do the fitness thing, but I need to reign it in a bit,” and to enjoy it as a hobby and to focus on the music. I also felt like that I had completed what I wanted to do in fitness. I had won the competitions, I had done the cover of Muscle & Fitness Magazine, and I just thought that this is it now. I had done that and now let's focus back on music. But, it still remains a big part of my life. I still go to the gym everyday and it's more so the mental benefit now and the physical just helps me keep on point and keeps me feeling good while I’m touring.

“[After a show] “I always like having a bubble bath watching some YouTube and maybe a bit of Gordon Ramsay or something - ha! It’s a bit weird I know! But I just feel like, after a show when you need to be able to go to bed, it’s kind of hard to switch off...”

— Joel Corry

AM: What are 3 workouts for your abs that we should think about putting into our routines?

JC: So my favorite ab exercise is the hanging leg raise where you kind of hang up on a bar and you just lift your legs up and down. It’s the hardest one, but it’s definitely the best one. You can also kind of add a variation there by twisting your legs and really sort of hitting the obliques. So that has always been my favorite ab exercise. Also doing – you know when you have a bench and you lie down flat on it and then you put the dumbbell between your legs and you raise your legs up and down? I find that that one really hits your sort of lower abs because that’s always the hardest bit to get that bottom bit! That definitely targets that! What else do I do for my abs that I think is really good? Obviously, you’ve got your sit-ups and sort of decline crunches that you can mix that up by using a ball so you can come up further and then to be able to come down. So those are probably my top 3 ab workouts.

But you know what I would say is that definitely, to sort of get your abs to really start popping, it’s true what they say about abs being made in the kitchen – because they are! You can do all of the exercises that you want, but you have to get the diet on lock if you want to get the 6-pack.

AM: We mentioned before that you’re the Twin Set King, where does that come from that you love twin sets?

JC: I know, it’s an addiction – a twin set addiction! I love them! It’s easy! I mean, for boys, we sometimes don’t know what to wear! So if you get a twin set, you’ve got the bottom bit and the top bit! It matches and then it’s job done and you put a pair of trainers on and you know, when I’m touring around in the summer, it’s so hot a lot of the places that I go to. You can’t really wear trousers because it’s so hot so you need to wear a pair of shorts and if you have the top that matches, it's easy! It's become my thing as well isn't it?

AM: Oh yeah, when I was scrolling through your IG, I thought, “this man loves some twin sets.”

You do travel so much, what are 3 things that you always travel with?

JC: My Dyson hair dryer, so good!

AM: Love it!

JC: Obviously my headphones and my USB sticks – very, very important as a DJ and one other thing that I travel around with is a neck pillow! It’s an essential for the flights! Especially the sort of short flights where you’re sitting kind of like this for 3 hours – this is needed!

AM: How do you take time for yourself? Being so busy, how do you make sure that you get the reset that you need?

JC: Do you know what? That’s probably something that I need to work more on. There’s not really a lot of time to myself, but I think that with what I do, I’m kind of 100% all in on it. It’s my hobby, it’s my passion, and there’s not any work separation where it’s like, ok work is over for the day, I’m going to over and chill out. It never stops, it's around the clock, there's always something to do and I just feel like that in this industry, with what I want to do and where I want to get to, I really believe that what I put into it is what I am going to get out of it. I’ve learned that over the years. I’m always scared of taking my foot up off of the gas. I just feel like everyday that I need to be as productive as possible and keep going. I actually feel guilty inside if I have time off. I always feel like I should be working to try to get to that next step. So that’s probably something that I need to work on. My mom is always like, “Joel, you need to take holiday, you need to take a day off.” But I find that hard. I think that when you find something that you love to do, it’s not work, it’s just life! I enjoy it!

“I know, it’s an addiction - a twin set addiction! I love them! It’s easy! I mean, for boys, we sometimes don’t know what to wear! So if you get a twin set, you’ve got the bottom bit and the top bit! It matches and then it’s job done and you put a pair of trainers on ... It’s become my thing as well isn’t it?”

— Joel Corry

AM: What do you want your legacy to be in this industry?

JC: Oh, that’s a big question man! I guess I want to be able to look back and to be honest, I have already been able to achieve my dreams of having hit records, touring the world, and I just want to be able to keep it going and to take it as far as I can and I guess when I look back over the years, I want to be able to have these big moments with these big records records that really connected with people and made a difference in people’s lives.

There are certain records that I have released over the years and I get messages still to this day, like, this record meant so much to me, it came out at a time when I needed it, and I connected with it. When I read these messages, forget about chart positions or like statistics, to know that like the music that I worked on is connected to people and brought happiness to them means so much to me. I want to keep doing that for years and years and years! Then I can look back on all of these records that had special moments. I want to tour the world and I already am, but there are certain places that I have never been. I’ve never been to South America before, there’s so many places as well just starting to really being able to go into Asia, there’s still places in America that I haven’t been able to be in and states that I haven’t played in. I guess I want to be able to look back and be like, I toured the world, played at some of the biggest festivals, had these huge moments in front of massive crowds, played all of these records that I put my heart and soul into working on – I guess that kind of is the legacy isn’t it? It’s having that big career! When I think of some of my idols like Calvin Harris, David Guetta, and Tïesto – like we mentioned, when you look at their careers, it’s just years and years and years of doing it and big records and big moments and that’s just what I want!

“Oh that’s a big question man! I guess I want to be able to look back and to be honest, I have already been able to achieve my dreams of having hit records, touring the world, and I just want to be able to keep it going and to take it as far as I can ... have these big moments with these big records that really connected with people and make a difference in people’s lives.

I want to be able to look back and be like, I toured the world, played at some of the biggest festivals, had these huge moments in front of massive crowds, played all of these records that I put my heart and soul into working on ... it’s just years and years and years of doing it and big records and big moments and that’s just what I want!”

— Joel Corry

IG @joelcorry

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Front Cover, Back Cover, PG 36, 39 + PG 42 63MIX ROUTIN3S Courtesy of Joel Corry | PG 16, 20 - 35, 40, 63MIX ROUTIN3S PG42 + 9PLAYLIST PG 122 Ibiza Rocks/Gabriel Vazquez | PG 19 USHUAÏA IBIZA |

Read the AUG ISSUE #92 of Athleisure Mag and see DROPPING BANGERS | Joel Corry in mag.

OUR MUSIC OUR CULTURE | GREG HARRIS + ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME

Music has immense value, from enjoying the song, melody and instruments used, to the artists, performances and remixes there is a much larger scope in terms of what it means to the social fiber and how in many ways it serves as a mirror of who we are, where we want to be and how we are held accountable. It creates a series of feelings and memories that are enlightened and intertwined.

We had the pleasure of talking with the President and CEO of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Greg Harris. In addition to their noted Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony which honors a class of musicians across rock & roll, they are known for the museum which is headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio.

We wanted to know more about the museum, how they connect with music enthusiasts around the world and how artists can become eligible for the honor. Greg also shares how he came to this role and how he continues to drive the importance of impact in music.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Before we delve into your work and role at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, I’d love to know about your background because I know you were the owner, partner and operator of the Philadelphia Record Exchange. When did you fall in love with music and what was your focus behind opening this retail store?

GREG HARRIS: You know, I grew up, per your readers loving both sports and music! I was fortunate to be raised to play various sports depending on the season with two brothers. On the music side, it just always spoke to me. We always had music in the house and in Philadelphia, the area where I grew up, new music and old music mixed together. So oldies and FM radio were all the same. I got involved a little bit with one of the local public radio stations when I was in high school. Then we had a club near us called City Gardens and it had every live band and we went there as soon as we were old enough to get in! We were there all the time! Then, I went to college in Philadelphia, I went to Temple University and one of my off-campus jobs to help pay for school was the record department of a used bookstore. That’s where the idea came from that the other clerk and I were friends and we realized that the store owner was making a lot more money than we were as the hourly employees!

So we quit and rented out a storefront about a half a block away and we opened our own store. That business has been a great success! I was involved for a couple of years and sold my half to some other people, but my original partner still has it. The Philadelphia Record Exchange has been around for 30 years and it’s an iconic place in the city. Every musician knows it, everybody that is into music when they are in Philly, they find their way to the store and that includes current artists like Kurt Vile and other folks back in the day, like Ahmir Khalib Thompson – Questlove.

I think an important thing to note in terms of looking at my career is that I found out pretty early on that I couldn’t play very well. I could play some guitar, but I was never that great. But I was always better at helping other people market and grow. So the store became that place. We would put concerts on, we’d shut the streets down and do block parties and promotions with artists and other musicians. We just loved helping them succeed and helping our customers find excitement and joy.

AM: It’s so funny, I grew up my dad was a huge record collector and he would slap my hands every time I would try to go to the stereo to play with the records and at my campus at Indiana University, we had 3 record shops near my campus, Tracks was my favorite one. There is something about a record, I love them and when you hear the sound that comes out and the needle hitting the vinyl – it’s an experience. When I read that about you, I thought that’s really cool!

GH: Those stores back then, that was kind of the social network. It's where you met like-minded people that loved the same music or liked similar music. It’s where you learned! You couldn’t Google everything so sometimes the customers taught you and you taught them!

AM: Especially if you were able to come up with crazy imports. I think there’s something about that social fiber when you don’t have that independent local record store. The guy that I would get my music from knew so many things about various artists and had stories to tell and I appreciated it. I don’t remember if they had block parties but it would have been amazing!

GH: I really want to celebrate my original partner, who still has it Jacy Webster and he has given such a gift to Philadelphia music lovers for the last 30+ years, it’s an amazing place!

AM: Another part of your background that’s interesting is I love your focus on curation. To know that you were at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum at Cooperstown where you focused on curation was really interesting. Can you tell us about what your role was there, what you did, and why curation was so important?

GH: My first significant museum position was at the National Baseball Hall of Fame. I was originally hired to be there Broadcast Media Archivist. My job was to curate the broadcast collection and that was recordings of All-Star games, World Series games, home movies, radio pieces – all the things where that exciting history of baseball is. In museums, they have to take their collections and tell stories with them. You want to tell the stories where you have impact to your visitors and to make those connections and that’s what we did in Cooperstown. You know, it’s an amazing museum. I started in that area, I was fortunate to be able to curate some exhibits and much like the record store, I got involved in business development and fundraising and things like sponsorship and inductee relations. It really helped to grow the business and as I advanced from the collections side of the house, I got more involved in business development and the growth of the enterprise. I spent 14 terrific years there and it was really hard to leave. It’s a wonderful museum. Anyone that has ever played catch in the backyard or Little League, should go to Cooperstown to experience it.

AM: What do you think is the connective tissue between baseball and music and how were you able to move onto the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame where you’re the President and CEO currently?

GH: They’re 2 great places and they’re both so much part of our culture. People have a deep love for both subjects. They make these pilgrimages to Cooperstown or the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. These music and sports evolve and they are the history of our culture – all the good and all the bad comes through and you can tell these stories. On some fronts, you can talk about exclusion and people not being included and you can tell about opportunity opening up. Sometimes it opens up in sport before it opens up to the wider society. These are really important pieces for all of us to learn from to think about and to grow from. Then on the other part from the business side, these museums operate in a very similar way. They each get hundreds of thousands of visitors a year.

We have inductees that are the best of the best individuals, we have broadcast properties, we have important digital engagement with our visitors, we have retail operations and we are places that kind of mean a lot to a lot of people. So they’re very similar from a business sense and it’s just the subject that’s a little bit different. But they are magical places where people learn about their history, themselves and it helps them to better understand the present.

AM: Well can you tell us about the history of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in terms of who founded it and what it’s mission is? I know a lot of people think about it in terms of the amazing induction ceremony, but there are a lot of things that it does.

GH: The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame started close to 40 years ago by a group of music industry professionals – the head of Atlantic Records, Ahmet Ertegun and the head of Rolling Stone Magazine, Jann Wenner and others. They conceived it as a special evening celebration for their industries’ best of the best. After doing that for a short period of time, the idea came up to want to build a museum. A bunch of cities looked at it New York, San Francisco, my hometown of Philadelphia – all made a play for it, but Cleveland really stepped up. Cleveland had a great story about rock & roll being important to the city and being an important place for artists who broke in – including David Bowie’s whose first shows in the US were in Cleveland, Jimi Hendrix when he came back from England – his first shows were there, Rush’s first shows were there. Also a DJ named Alan Freed was playing music in the early 50’s and inspiring young people – so they had this great story! But, they showed up and had a business plan. They said this is how we’re going to build it and how we’re going to fund it and this is what it is going to mean to the region. Long and short, 27 years ago we opened up in this I.M. Pei building on the shores of Lake Eerie in Ohio. Since opening our doors, over 13 million people have visited the museum and we’re at the height of our summer season now. We'll get thousands of people through everyday all summer long. Every one of those people who comes through the front door has a lifetime of memory connected to the subjects inside our museum. When they see it, they hear it or hear it through a band that plays on our stage, it inspires them and makes them think of the people they were with and the places that they were at, the greatest week of college, the time their heart was broken, the greatest road trip that they took and they might even hear a song that reminds them of their mom, dad or siblings.

AM: So when you say rock & roll, what genres comprise this very broad title?

GH: It’s a big title and quite frankly, our definition is a very big tent. Rock & roll is more about attitude and spirit then it is about a specific sound. We embrace in the 50’s Doo-Wop, Street Corner Harmony and RockabIlly; in the 60’s there’s Psychedelic, Soul music, Folk music; in the 70’s there’s Heavy Metal, Hip-Hop, Dance Music, Disco, Punk Rock – it’s all under the umbrella of rock & roll. Synth Pop and Industrial – we embrace it all! So for us, it’s all about attitude and spirit! There’s an attitude about Johnny Cash that he had to the music industry and when Ice Cube was inducted, a couple of years ago, In his induction speech, he said, “rock & roll is a spirit, rock & roll is an attitude.” You can find his full quote online. (Editor’s Note: When Ice Cube was inducted, he talked about whether a rap group was considered to be rock & roll. He said, “Now the question is, are we rock & roll? And I say you goddam right we rock & roll. Rock & roll is not an instrument, rock & roll is not even a style of music. Rock & roll is a spirit. It’s a spirit. It’s been going since the blues, jazz, bebop, soul R&B, rock & roll, heavy metal, punk rock and yes, hip-hop. And what connects us all is that spirit. That’s what connects us all, that spirit. Rock & roll is not conforming to the people who came before you, but creating your own path in music and in life. That is rock & roll, and that is us. So rock & roll is not conforming. Rock & roll is outside the box. And rock & roll is N.W.A. I want to thank everybody who helped induct us into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and I just want to tell the world – Damn, that shit was dope.”) That is what we embrace. It’s the voice of change, it’s always been the sound of young America and it continues to evolve and as a museum, we continue to evolve with it.

AM: So as music continues to evolve, you will always look for new forms and elements to add to what rock & roll is.

GH: We will and that’s kind of the wave right now. That’s why we have been inducting great Hip-Hop artists right alongside great Heavy Metal artists. In the last induction, it was LL Cool J, and it was Carole King, it was the Foo Fighters, Jay-Z and Tina Turner that were all inducted! To us, it’s a broad tent and everybody’s welcome!

AM: What are your 3 favorite rock genres that you love listening to?

GH: I look for stuff that’s a little harsher, a little stronger. I love old Blues, I love 60’s Soul like Memphis and I love Punk Rock! I like for it to have a little punch and a little attitude.

AM: I can see that!

GH: Yeah, that’s what I prefer.

AM: What is your day-to-day like in your role and what are the key projects that you’re focused on?

GH: My day-to-day role is 1 – to make sure that we have the greatest museum in the world, that every single visitor that comes through our doors leaves being transformed and impacted and that we have a great team that makes that happen. It’s about keeping our staff inspired and changing. We don’t believe in maintenance mode, we always want to be growing and reaching. To that end, we're working on an amazing expansion project at the museum. We’ll be breaking ground later on this year. We will be increasing the museum by about 50,000 sqft. It’s a great project and we’re very excited to be doing it. For that project, one of my biggest responsibilities is to work with a team and to raise the funds to be able to do that. We talked about how there have been 13 million visitors that have been through the museum for the past 27 years. We need to build something for the next 13 million visitors!

AM: What can guests expect when they do come to visit and then for those that aren't available to come in person, is there an online version where people can connect that way?

GH: Yeah, so I’ll back up a little bit to your question of what do we do. So, we have this great museum and then in addition to this great museum, we have this great digital outreach. So anybody in the world can connect with us and they can experience the Hall of Fame, but also if there are teachers out there, we have ready teaching materials that they can use for free. Pre COVID, we averaged 50 teachers a day using it, during COVID it was about 500 to 1,000 a day and we have reached over 1 million students last year with our online education programs. We would love it if teachers would use it and help spread the word! We’re not teaching kids how to play instruments or to write songs, we’re teaching them math, science, social justice all through the lens of rock & roll.

AM: That’s really cool! It’s a large job!

GH: Oh yeah. We have a really great team and we’re cranking through!

When someone walks onsite at the museum, the experience starts when you’re in the building. You’re going to hear music blasting from speakers, it might be a live band on stage outdoors or it might just be coming out of our PA speakers. In the museum, you can see the whole history of rock & roll – from Blues, gospel and country through the Beatles, Stones, Supremes, James Brown, Motown and all of that. On our 2nd floor, you can play on instruments and jam with your friends. If bands visit us and they want to jam with visitors – they can do that. On our 3rd floor, you can walk through our Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and see the greats of music where they are immortalized forever in our Hall of Fame and experience our immersive theater that has an amazing show that was edited with the great Jonathan Demme and it’s really the greatest moments from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductions. So really, that’s some of the things you do and throughout it all, you’re reminded of times in your life that you listened to certain music, the greatest road trip, your Freshman year in college, who you hung out with and we bring all of those memories back and that’s the real power of our place.

AM: Going back to the expansion, what will that involve?

GH: We are keeping the whole I.M. Pei pyramid as is and that’s 128,000 sqft and we’re going to add another 50,000 sqft. You know the Pei Pyramid, the only other pyramid that he has done was at the Louvre which is truly the center of Europe’s great art as it’s the home of Mona Lisa. His only other pyramid is here in America at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and we’re the home of America’s great art rock and roll.

AM: That expansion is going to be huge as that’s 175,000 sqft!

GH: Pretty close give or take!

AM: That’s a lot of space.

GH: Well it’s a big subject!

AM: What are 3 of your favorite exhibits that are at the museum?

GH: I love the Garage Exhibit where visitors can come in and jam with each other it’s amazing.

We finished an exhibit that I liked a lot that I think is particularly interesting to your readers. That was an exhibit that we did about the greatest Halftime Show Performances in Super Bowl history. We had it at the museum when we hosted the NFL Draft in Cleveland. Then we worked with the NFL and we took it out to the Super Bowl in LA this year and we’re working with them again to take out to Phoenix for the next Super Bowl.

It shows performances and great moments by Prince when he did Purple Rain in the rain, Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Stevie Wonder, Beyoncé – it’s just these iconic moments in American cultural history that happened at the Super Bowl Halftime performance it’s just a really great exhibit.

We have an exhibit which really is the legends of rock and each band has a focus area. That focus area could be David Bowie, Elton John, Michael Jackson – they all have an area that highlights their career. And that’s an exciting area to walk through and to be reminded of these individuals and their wider impact on our culture.

AM: What’s the process for acquiring items for the museum?

GH: We work directly with the inductees and pretty much everything we have at the museum has been donated by an inductee, a family member or the artist directly. We make sure to partner with them. They donate to us and occasionally it’s a loaned item if they still need it! We’ve had artifacts that are on exhibit that an artist needs back because they're touring so a guitar goes out to them and a label says, “currently on tour.”

AM: For those that are in town, how many live shows do you have a year?

GH: We have live music probably about 100 shows a year at the museum. This summer, every Thurs and Fri, we’ll have live music and some of the bands that are still coming this summer – Guided By Voices, Adrian Belew is playing and people can go to RockHall.com to check out what we have going on. There’s all different genres and one of the things that’s important to us is that we just don’t put up a party band that plays cover songs. We want original artists playing original music and we want to mix it up between the different genres whether it’s bands that are heavy metal, classic rock sounding or if they’re Hip-Hop. We love having all of them at the museum and they will be playing outdoors on our plaza.

AM: Like many, I am a fan of music. My great uncle was Joe Henderson a tenor saxophonist, I love various genres of music and here at Athleisure Mag as well as outside projects I have styled a number of known artists or have interviewed them. I know that our readers would love to know more about what goes into the induction of artists for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. What are the eligibility requirements?

GH: Artists have had to have made a record 25 years ago to make them eligible for consideration. And then, it’s really impact and influence. You look at did they take the art form in a new direction, did they push the envelope and that’s what they’re recognized for more than chart placement and sales. The process is, there is a ballot made for all those that were nominated. It then goes out to our voters and the largest voting body is all the other inductees. This year, Jay-Z is going to get a ballot, Bono gets a ballot, Smokey Robinson gets a ballot, Madonna gets a ballot, Bruce Springsteen and members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers – they all get ballots. So they vote and the top 5 vote getters are elected to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

AM: I like that the public is also allowed to join in the fun – why was this an element that has been added to the process?

GH: So the fan vote is interesting. During the year, we let fans in the museum voice who should be nominated. It’s always fun to hear that and to understand that. Then when the voting is underway with all of the inductees, we also do a public fan vote and part of it is engagement so that they can engage with us online and let us know who their favorites are. Then we take all the fan votes online and we aggregate them and they count as a composite ballot into the bigger vote. So what it is important for is to see who people are interested in and to understand what they are thinking about. Because the induction into the Hall of Fame is not a popularity contest, those that are in the industry and have made their living off of rock & roll, their votes are really what counts the most because they can judge the merits of their peers. If that wasn’t the case, whoever has the most social media followers would be elected and that doesn’t necessarily mean they they are the most impactful, it just means that they have great music and great followers. We need that impact.

AM: When the nominees are announced, I am sure there are a number of logistics to figure out from who will accept an award for the artist/group if they have passed away and who will perform if there are other artists that will do a tribute versus those that opt to play themselves. Can you tell us more about that?

GH: The show producers are amazing! It’s our Foundation President, Joel Peresman and our Foundation Chairman, John Sykes and they do an amazing job working to create a show that is dynamic and exciting and also appropriate for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. They have done a super job working with the show, the production design team and sometimes at its greatest when it’s an artist from yesterday that is being honored by an artists of today and when they perform together – when you have Stevie Wonder inducting Bill Withers and then they sing together and then John Legend comes out and performs with them – it’s amazing! When LL Cool J was inducted, LL was joined by Eminem and by JLo. Just an incredible combination. It’s a desire to allow some artists to pay tribute to those that have influenced them and it’s a chance for other artists to combine that they have meant a lot to. So it’s kind of a neat looking back and looking forward and making something that is even better for that moment in time at that event.

AM: As we’re based in NY, it’s always fun when the ceremony is in our backyard, but for the upcoming 2022 induction ceremony, it will be in LA this fall. Why is it being held there and what is behind the decision of the city that you opt to do it in?

GH: Well there are rock & roll fans everywhere and let’s face it, NY is a big center for music and LA is the home of much of the industry. So those 2 cities make a ton of sense and we also do it in Cleveland which is the home of the museum and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. We’re working on a sequence where it goes on between those cities and we’re really excited and honored that Cleveland is in that cadence and we’re looking at how that pans out in future years. We’re really excited and thrilled to be going to LA as it hasn’t been there since 2013!

AM: Looking at this year’s inductees, I was excited about all the names but especially pleased to see that Pat Benatar, Duran Duran, Eminem, Lionel Richie and Dolly Parton are in this year’s group – what are you looking forward to this year?

GH: You know, they’re all terrific and they’re all deserving! I’m looking forward to just being surprised. Every year there are super highlights and it’s amazing as this honor isn't about haing 1 hit record or having a great soundtrack song or something like that. This is a lifetime award that is emblematic of excellence and forever they will be celebrated and enshrined at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. This is a really powerful moment for those artists and I can’t wait to hear their speeches and then to see them light up the room with their performances.

AM: I know we talked about the educational elements that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is involved in throughout the year. Are there other community programs that takes place throughout the year?

GH: We have a program called Toddler Rock where kids from First Start Programs come to the museum twice a week and we teach them for 15 weeks on rhyming, alliteration, and social skills with trained music therapists. It’s amazing. We have another program where anyone who lives in the city of Cleveland can come in for free admission all year long, everyday – whenever – just come on in! It’s a great community outreach for us and we love partnering with our conventions and business bureaus and other entities around town. When the city is bidding on and trying to attract the NBA All Star Game or the MLB All Star Game, we are in the mix. We are part of the hosting committee and we pledge to be a great partner and frequently they theme the event rock & roll because it is Cleveland. We love doing that and we think that if our reach can do well, then everyone can do well and we want to make that happen.

AM: In terms of the remainder of this year and looking forward to next year, what are you looking to do in terms of outreach and education on the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame?

GH: One, we need to execute on an amazing summer season which is what we are doing. We want to keep going with all of our educational initiatives. We have a traveling exhibitions program where certain exhibits once they are in Cleveland will go out to cities around the country. We're actively working on this building expansion project which is a significant endeavor for the museum and we’re very excited. We have been ramping up our digital presence and we have been adding a lot of Spanish language to what we are doing in our digital outreach. There is a massive group of people that love rock & roll that don’t speak English and we’re very excited to reach out to those audiences as well who do speak English.

IG @rockhall

PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame

Read the JUL ISSUE #79 of Athleisure Mag and see OUR MUSIC OUR CULTURE | Greg Harris + Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in mag.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LENS | A CONVERSATION WITH ED CARAEFF

When you think of some of rock and roll's iconic imagery from festivals, album covers and concerts, you may have seen some of the work of photographer Ed Caraeff who was there for some of music's major moments! With the release of his work in Burning Desire: The Jimi Hendrix Experience and Iggy & The Stooges: One Night at the Whisky 1970, we took a moment to find out more about this photographer, how he got into the industry and where he is now.

ATHLEISURE MAG: Tell us about your background and how you became a photographer.

ED CARAEFF: I was fifteen years old, in high school and taking a photography course. My school was two miles from Los Angeles International Airport. During lunch hour, I went to the airport and took photos of a band called The Seeds returning from tour. A smartly dressed woman tapped me on the shoulder, handed me her business card and asked to see the
photographs when developed. That was the beginning of a career I never knew existed!

AM: We know that in addition to photography, you are noted for doing a number of album cover art for iconic artists. What albums that you created have been some of your favorites?

EC: After years of being hired to photograph artists for album cover art, I started to first Art Direct the entire album packaging. Soon after, I learned how to do all the Graphic Design work as well - size the photos with stats, spec the type, paste-ups, etc. Since I also did my own
darkroom work, developing b & w and color film, making prints, I was one-stop shopping.
Never had an agent, portfolio, business card or a listed phone number.

I did hundreds of covers, too many to mention. I like most all of them ... never hung any on my wall.

AM: Tell us about Iggy Stooges: One Night at the Whisky 1970 - how did you get to be involved in this and what made the Whisky such a key place?

EC: I was hired by their NYC record company. Whisky was THE place, World Famous.

AM: It seems like your career can be credited with being a great photographer as well as being at the right place at the right time! How did you get the iconic shot of Jimi Hendrix?

EC: Exactly, thanks for mentioning that. I'm a very good photographer, same today with my iPhone. It comes very naturally, fast, smooth, kinda like Jimi playing his guitar, or anyone doing
something effortlessly.

The burning guitar shot was taken while standing on a chair I had snagged in photographer's pit and then jammed it up against the elevated stage. I had just turned 17 and had an authorized photography pass issued by the Monterey Pop Festival.

AM: Why was the Monterey Festival such a pivotal moment in music history?

EC: With the 50 Year Anniversary next month there's many expert opinions, I do believe. For me, it was the furthest I'd ever been from home without my parents. The Summer of Love in Southern California. Lots of great images to capture and I had use of my family's friends high end German camera.

AM: Of the people who you have had the opportunity to shoot, which ones crossed over from a professional relationship to one of friendship?

EC: Members of Three Dog Night, Cheech & Chong, Sergio Mendes, Elton John.

AM: What can you tell us about Jimi Hendrix as we love that your imagery showcases him on stage as well as just hanging out - what is it about this artist that drew so many people to him?

EC: Jimi had the style, the swag, the coolness, and backed it up with the genius talent. One of a kind.

AM: Besides shooting one of Jimi's most iconic moments, do you have a story/experience that you shared with him that you can share with us?

EC: Picking him up at his two story motel on the Sunset Strip, smoking a joint and driving to John and Michelle Phillip's Bel Air mansion to party was a memorable evening.

AM: Beyond working with some of rock's biggest artists, you also worked with artists such as Marvin Gaye - what was that like?

EC: Marvin was one of a very few I photographed that I was in awe of meeting. I was a big fan. He was not in a good mood, going thru a divorce, obligated to release an album by his father in law's (Berry Gordy) record company. Motown hired me to "replicate a place in Jamaica that
Marvin had just returned from." The photographs were never published. The cover used on "Here, My Dear," is a funky b & w illustration.

AM: Do you still have artists that you have yet to work with, but they are on your bucket list?

EC: No. I left working with artists to working with food while a single parent with two sons living in NYC in 1985.

I was a photographer, art director, graphic designer for 14 years and then answered an ad in The Sunday New York Times to become a chef. I got the job on east 48th near 2nd Ave and started a career as hands on chef, restauranteur for 27 years.

When I thought to do my bucket list, only one thing popped up and it was instantaneous. I started working so young, still in school, and worked continually. I missed out on spending time after graduating and wandering and sleeping in my vehicle. Low stress, Zen, lifestyle.

AM: How do you view the photography industry now in terms of the use of digital and even being able to break into the industry to work with notable artists?

EC: I love digital, apps, social media. I like not having to worry if I have enough or the right kinda film! You just remember to have battery life.

For me, great way to express myself. In terms of breaking into that industry - I shudder to think.

AM: We hear that you're on a bucket list journey. What made you want to do that?
 

EC: I had a health wake-up call in 2012. Also, I attended funerals for two long time friends in the same week. Learned I would become a grandfather, twice, by both my children within a five month period. My Cardiologist said of my bucket list trip, "If not now, when?"

Then it took me a year and half to make sure I really wanted to do it. Followed by another year and half to find loving homes for my pets, got rid of ALL my possessions, sell my home and even sell my photography archive. Because that too is "work," though I love my work.

June 15 will be two years I've lived 24/7 in a vintage VW Westfalia Van named "Moonbeam."

AM: Can we expect additional books of your photography to be released, and if so, what artists will it be?

EC: Yes. Next month, my Jimi Hendrix photographs, "Burning Desire" will be available. I'm grateful for the books I have and the future is uncertain.

Stay in touch with Ed Caraeff's bucket list trip on Instagram via @thebucketlisttrip

All photos are courtesy of Ed Caraeff