The Highwire with Del Bigtree - MUSIC ICON AND ‘KIMMEL LIVE’ ANNOUNCER SPEAKS OUT

Episode Date: February 26, 2022

Mighty Mighty Bosstones front man, Dicky Barrett, joins Del in-studio in the wake of departing his nearly two decade gig as resident announcer for Jimmy Kimmel Live over his vaccination status. Hear his brave stance against the Hollywood propaganda machine and the direction his career is taking.#JimmyKimmel #DickyBarrett #MightyMightyBosstones #MightyMightyBraveOnesBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-highwire-with-del-bigtree--3620606/support.

Today I'm happy to celebrate a true hero that is stepping up to discuss the fact that he stood in defiance, refused to get that vaccine, and has now been fired. Well, you know him maybe as a rock star, maybe as a movie star, or maybe an entity on one of the most famous talk shows. There is Jimmy Kimmel. This is Dickie Barrett. Ladies and gentlemen, the mighty, mighty, mighty, mighty, the mighty, mighty, mighty, mighty, mighty, mighty, mighty, Boston. Boston! Bostow! Bostow!

Sticky Barrett of the Mighty Wighton. You guys are like the king of the summer, the summer festival tour. Like you've done Lollapalooza, a Horde, Warp Tour. 95% of the things that come out of my mouth are complete nonsense, but when I tell you I like you or I like the place that's heartfelt. Teen Idol Vandenna? No, I don't think so. I think that teen idols is too much fluff involved.

I think we actually have something to say. I think that we don't know the answers, but we ask all the right questions and maybe. the right questions and maybe if teenagers are listening they might have the answers to not and be able to make the world a better place in the future and my name is dickie barrett i'm in the mighty mighty boston's i also announce on the television show jimmy kimal from boston fans here at the show dicky is one of them this is dicky barrett here at south by southwest jimmy kimalive what's it from north massachusetts norwood oh that's where dicky's from norm would not do people know dicky barrett the mighty mighty bostones or they talk of

about them and remember them fondly. Yeah, big time. I just rarely see you do on-camera interviews. I just, I haven't seen you unless you're on your buddy Jimmy Kimmel's show. Well, I think this interview will make it obvious why I don't. My TV show last week, Jimmy Kimmel Live. Yeah, yeah. And get a song for a magic of you.

Jimmy was playing clarinet with you guys. There's nothing with us. It's crazy. I'm stunned and I'm happy and I'm very, very appreciative for what we have, but I feel like we always have been. Thank you very much. Yeah. His name is Dickie Barrett.

He is the frontman for the Mighty Mighty Boss Tones, the announcer for the Jimmy Kimmel Show, and is my honor to be joined by Dickie right now in person. What an honor. Please. The honor is mine. So before we get into just all this happening with the career, Hollywood's gone absolutely crazy, find yourself, you know, in sort of the pressure cooker around COVID. But let's just very quickly, for those that don't know you, you know,

Was music something? I'm sure there's plenty of those. There's plenty of those. Yes. Music, mighty, mighty boss tones. Where does music start for you? Little kid, always played music, piano. What's your thing?

At a very early age, I fell in love with Aerosmith and rock and roll from Boston and had to be a part of it. And then when I discovered punk rock, I realized I possibly could be a part of it. It seemed like some, I knew I could. Now why is it? Just because punk rock, you didn't have to be an opera singer or something? Yeah, it seemed like it was sort of anti-everything that was going on before it. You go Prague rock or bands like Rush, Sticks, Journey, and those big bands of the 70s into, you know, the sex pistols, the clash, the dam, you know, Generation X. It seemed very doable, seemed very gritty and very, you know, you didn't have to have operatic voices. or you just needed to know four chords.

And that seemed right up my alley. And I love the passion. I love the politics. I love the energy. I loved, you know, everything that it was about. It hit me. I was the right age at the right time and just had to be a part of it.

And so I got myself, 50 cents, got on a bus and went into Boston from my hometown of Norwood, Massachusetts. Every chance I got. And, you know, from 17 on. It was all about rock and roll, punk rock, and I have a huge passion for ska music, too. So you formed the Mighty Mighty Boss Tones in late 80s? We were friends hanging out in these venues and sort of working for different bands,

and there was plenty to do and plenty to see. This is long before video games or even the internet or cell phones. you just went somewhere and you enjoyed something and it was very interactive and I'm I'm lucky that I was there and I'm lucky to be a part of it and it was helped shape me who I am so yeah so we were there we met each other and said hey I understand if we are in a band and we get up there they'll give you free beer oh so we were that's it so we did so you're out there I remember for me, like Clueless is where I think you became like this visual, the built Clueless. Yeah.

You know, how did that happen? Like, were you already? Was that your like first break into being sort of nationally? In that case, internationally visible? A stream, it's, we were, it was an honor that Amy Heckerling knew anything about us. And she did. And she needed to cast a band for this to play this party in this movie she was making about. And Amy is correct.

director of Amy Heckley did Fast Times at Ridgemont High, so that connected with us. We love that. Okay. All right. And she said, would you guys do this movie? And we said, sure. At the time, we were having

a strange story that our manager of that time hadn't paid taxes for so many years. And so we needed to pay these taxes. And it came around at that time and we said, okay, we'd do it. And as I have explained somebody

times before. Bob's got to pay his taxes. Yeah, we'll take the film about Beverly Hills. We're like, we're a punk band. We got to pay taxes? So yeah, so she asked us to do the movie. And this was a time when everything was about selling out. If you were in a band or a band like we were, it was like, don't sell it. You can't sign to a major lately. You can't do this. If you do this, if you have a popular song, if you're on the radio, you sold out. And so I was so afraid of that. I was like, I don't, you know, I don't want, we have this fan base, we have these people that love us,

and I don't want to sell out. I'm not clueless. I mean, a poster that's pretty much all in pink and furry and little, you know what I'm right? Irish Catholic kid from Boston. But did it happen? Did it end up acting as a sellout or did you grow the audience? I did it. Reluctantly, we filmed it

and then as it came into the theaters and people started to love it and it was like it didn't, was no real reflection on who we were as a band. So, yeah. So in hindsight, now it's an iconic film and that, you know, sometime way down the line I might even let my daughters watch.

I guess it would have to be way down the line. All right, Jimmy Kimmel, which is where most of us know you now announced for the Jimmy Kimmel Live show. How did you meet Jimmy Kimmel? He was in radio. He was a radio journeyman. He was, that's all he wanted to do

as a kid was, I think ultimately he wanted to have a late night talk show and that was his big dream. But I think he had a huge passion for radio too for broadcasting. So he was in different markets around the country. And being in a touring rock and roll band, I would do morning shows in different markets. Go into town and you know, you're in Cleveland and, you know, how can I sell tickets tonight? Got to get the word out. Yeah. And so, and I actually enjoyed doing that.

I didn't mind getting up and getting off the bus and heading over to whatever station. And I met a lot of different people. I still have friends like Jimmy who I met because they were on the air in some market. So he was around the country, different places. And then he was all of a sudden offered a late night television show. And then he offered me the job of being the announcer. So this is 2003 or 2004. Wow.

Yeah. And what did you think when you were being offered that job? I mean, you're a musician. I thought it would last about 10 minutes. Yeah. I thought they would throw me off the show. And then it was a time when there was a revolving door of late night television hosts, different people trying and with limited success.

I think one of the Wayans brothers had a show, Magic Johnson had a show, Chevy Chase had a show, but they lasted about four minutes. Like that. Yeah. Yeah. Came and went. Not Jimmy, though. No.

Yeah. No. And against, you know, all odds. And, you know, it's a testament to his fortitude. Like, he put his head down and said, I'm going to make this work. So obviously, you know, the reason we're here, the high wire, a lot of what we cover, you know, I've been my nonprofit has been investigating pharmaceutical companies, pesticide company, you know, all these different chemicals and things are involved in our lives. And Jimmy Kimmel comes up once in a while. It comes up for us because he's been fairly vocal against those people who question vaccines.

He's been very vocal about it really quickly. Before COVID, before any of that, I think the video that really was the first time we addressed this on the high wire was look what Jimmy Kimmel just did. Let's take a look. This is a video that he put out on the Jimmy Kimmel live show. I've been hearing a lot of talk lately. And I don't know if this is more prevalent in L.A. than other places. I feel like it probably is, but there's a small but still sizable group of people who are choosing not to vaccinate their children. Here in L.A., there are schools in which 20% of the students aren't vaccinated

because parents here are more scared of gluten than they are of smallpox. I don't know if you're one of these anti-vaccine people, you probably aren't good to take medical advice from a talk show host, and I don't expect you to. I wouldn't either. But I would expect you to take medical advice from almost every doctor in the world. I am a doctor. I'm a doctor. I'm a doctor.

And I believe in vaccinations. And I believe in vaccinations. If you don't vaccinate your kids, it can endanger their lives. The potential downsides of vaccinations are almost non-existent. The cumulative scientific and medical communities are in absolute full agreement. That there is basically no reason not to vaccinate. kids. No reason. Which is why I cannot believe we have to make this PSA. I thought we settled this in the 50s.

Hey, remember that time you got polio? No, you don't because your parents got you vaccinated. I did four years of undergrad, four years of medical school, and three years of pediatric residency. I had to go to school for eight years. I'm pretty sure I know what I'm talking about. But you people still won't listen. Now I have to use my only day off to talk to you idiots about vaccines. I want to finish watching Breaking Bad. I'm only halfway through the second season,

but instead, I've got to come here. Because you listened to some moron who read a forwarded email. Perfect. All these people had to set up cameras, lights, sound equipment, so that I could tell you to do something we've been doing for a century. Look at all these people. This is stupid. Get your kids vaccinated.

Get your kids vaccinated. Get your kids vaccinated. Get your kids vaccinated or lose my number. Get your kids vaccinated. Where these doctors may never find out that Walt dies at the end of Breaking Bad. Are you kidding me, dude? Pay for by professionals who know what the hell they're talking about.

All right. Well, you know, when you're watching that, I imagine you don't see the pieces to be made coming out on the show. You're sitting on the stage. I didn't see. I'm standing on stage. And I'll preface this by saying that me and Jimmy have very, very different views on this. And we had different views at that time.

How I've come to my own stance and my own beliefs was before COVID. And it's when my children... This is back in 2015 this video comes out. Yeah, so I'm standing on stage at that time and I'm thinking, oh, I don't agree with any of this. And to be quite honest, for the most part, the politics of the show, We didn't, you know, I mean, we didn't, I didn't have any love for George W. Bush. I didn't, I wasn't a Trump guy. I'm not so. Right.

And if I wasn't, I'd have been gone. But that came up and I stood there and I go, and I was crushed. And I go, this is, you know, the antithesis. But also I hadn't shared with Jimmy that I'm, I don't, you know, because I thought it was private and personal how I'm raising my children. So this caught you by surprise a little bit. Caught me by surprise and I didn't know how I was going to get through it and I'm standing there. And yeah, very, very. So at that point, I realized we're polar opposites on this and that it's even an issue that people even, you know, cared about what choices people were making with their own children.

All right. So now that we realize you're watching this, you're shocked. Why are you shocked? What's your background with vaccinations? How many kids do you have? I have two children, two beautiful children that I had later in life. And but having said that I can't imagine the world, my world, minus these children. I mean, you know, my family is absolutely everything to me.

And so when they were born, you know, I think that I was like, okay, what do I do? What do I go? What are we going to feed them? You know, how are we going to raise them? but sort of, you know, and how are we going to medically, you know, take care of them. And so we started doing research, we started looking into it. And we just, you know, being born in 1964 and having had, you know, according to my mother, and she can't even really remember, she said, you know, you had two shots.

And then they laid out a schedule that said, your children by the time they were 18 years old, will have 65 shots. And I think it's 65. If you have anybody here that could check that number. 6572 somewhere in there, just depending on where you live. It's 54 injections usually. Where are you getting this? Multiple doses a little bit.

But right, so this is this huge list when you look at it, right? And I just couldn't, and I'm sort of trying to break it down, and I'm not very good at math, and I'm trying to go, that's this many shots. To me, it seemed like trauma, just at the very least, let alone what's in them and what just, there were red flags like crazy, and, you know, we were both landing on the moon,

which is what happens when you have children. Yeah. Into the Great Unknown. And, you know, and so many things, like, you know, we were already, you know, food, you know, there was no longer food, you know. You can talk about Mont Santos and you can talk about, you know, so we're like, okay, we're not,

we're definitely not going to feed them that. And when we say that, It's like we're definitely not going to feed them what my parents fed me. Right. Because it just isn't food. So once you go there, then it just starts to unravel. Now, not a conversation you'd ever had with Jimmy about vaccines or how to raise your children or anything like that. No, I wanted to do.

I mean, do you consider you guys, are you guys friends? I mean, would you say that you're friends? I think we've been really good friends for a long time. Yes. He's been great to me. Okay. So that's the heart of what I want to get to in this conversation is because this thing has torn friendships apart, families apart.

You know, I think the media has a huge part of it. But Hollywood is the media. You're living in media. You're in the media capital of the world. You are a show that is an iconic show that's not only represents Hollywood, but you have Hollywood moving through there. The biggest guest, the biggest spokespeople for the Hollywood Lifestyle Academy Award winners musicians all moving through.

So let's fast forward. COVID hits. What happens in the Jimmy Kimmel show? What's your experience of the energy around Hollywood? I certainly didn't like the feeling and who did. But I sort of knew where it was going and felt like this is going to end up where I'm going to have to take some sort of a shot that I don't want to take and that I, you know, and I don't want to introduce to my family. So I knew it was heading that way. But very early on, it was, you know, when it was head home and, you know, we're all going to flatten the curve and we'll see you in two weeks.

Yeah. You know, that went on for two years. And to a point where I ended up, you know, and my, you know, with everything that entailed. And if you watch the show, then you know what was going on. So I... So it all kind of went from, like, Zoom in, like, the live feeling of the show, everybody coming into the studio. He started doing it at his house, and I was announcing from my garage. So now I'm sort of detached from the show altogether, with a few exceptions.

And so I'm wondering, when am I going back to my job? But at some point, I'm like, you know, the kids are out of school. We're homeschooling. There's not a lot of children to play with here. and so I just finished making this Mighty Mighty Ballstone's album that I'm very proud of and then I hope to get the chance to shuck

here on your show. Yeah, absolutely. And that album, I mean, I guess this idea, you usually want to go out with the album, you want a tour, you want to hit the radio, you want to get out there, and that's... That wasn't going to go on. That wasn't going to happen.

So we had some relatives that lived here, lived in Arizona, near Sedona, Arizona, And we said, let's move there. And then I imagined that the show would say, okay, well, we're going to need a guy in L.A. I called Jimmy and said, I'm going to move to Arizona. And then it was a long pause. And then he said, I like it.

And he said, you know, we're not going to be back for a while anyway. And who knows when we're doing it from your garage in Pasadena, why not, you know, might as well. So at some point, though, as things continued to escalate and, you know, ramp up, he found out that I made a decision that I was not going to get a COVID vaccine. How did you find out? Do you remember? I can't, I think, you know, I wasn't hiding it or I wasn't, you know, we've got mutual friends and stuff, but he was mad at me. and he called me and he said

what is this ridiculous stance you're taking and then I kind of just said look we haven't been on the same side of this for a long time and he listened to me and he heard what I had to say and I said That was the first time you ever told your family story

your research where you had come out on it yeah and you and you know as far as he was concerned he had done his research and you know who he stalked to and it got to a point where where he was like, you know, there's nothing I can say that's going to, I can feel it from you. There's nothing I can say that's going to change your mind.

And then he got concerned for me, which seemed legitimate to me and said, you know, I don't want you to die. And then I said, well, I'm not afraid of that and I don't believe I will. I don't, you know, I'm rarely sick, despite what you see. I'm not rarely sick. And I had COVID. Yeah. And that piqued his interest. And then he did some research.

And then he said, you should get an antibodies test. Because I heard that sometimes if you have COVID, if you have the antibodies, it's just as good. And me, knowing what I knew, I went like this. Right. But I didn't tell him, I think it's better. And he, and I did. And while I was doing that, as that was taking place, an ordinance came down from Disney,

who owns the network, who owns the TV show, and said, all Disney employees must be vaccinated. So then I knew, you know, no matter what. But then I got that, and I had the antibodies. I called Jimmy, and he said, said, you know, that would work for me. I wish that, you know, but he said, but, you know, they're not having it. They won't have that.

They won't accept that. So at that point, my days were numbered. And, you know, the 20 years I put in there and all the time I put in there and, and I enjoyed it. I loved being it. I loved working there. It was fun. But that was over. like that. So many people across this country have faced this over the last, you know, year and a half, two years, you know, being forced by the job. Some acquiesce, get the vaccination. Others, you know, stand their ground and find themselves. I'm so proud of those people. For you, I mean, it didn't just affect Jimmy Kimmel. I mean, your band, too, this really deeply profoundly affected. Your band.

It, it, to greater and lesser degrees, it pulled us apart. Some, some more than others in the band and my activism and my beliefs and all of it made people uncomfortable. But it was also going down at a time where there's limited opportunities and venues weren't letting people play. And so, you know, the story there and it was really domino effect. You know, once I was no longer the announcer on Jimmy Kimmel, people started going, well, where is he going? You know, put two and two together. And like I said, if anybody asked me, I would say, well, I didn't get the vaccine, so, you know, Disney doesn't want me to be there. Right. And, you know, people started figuring that out. And that made

members of my band uncomfortable. So after 30 years of your band being together, invest in your time, your energy, you know, to just have this issue, have this vaccine be what sort of tears everything apart. It's a tremendous question. It broke my heart because I think we, as a band, we spent so much time what, you know, government said, what, you know, big anything said, you know, we were against that. That was not. And I thought, a punk rock band.

Yes. We were, you know, we were fighting the power. We were raging against. We were questioning everything. We were, you know, it was like, and we came from a time where it was like, are you going to believe the government or are you going to believe Joe Strummer? And it was no question. And I thought I would be afforded that courtesy.

I'd be like, well, you know, Big Pharma and our government is saying this. But Dickie's saying this. It was like, and people were this. So that was confusing and baffling to me because I thought I earned the right to at least be listened to. Right. Or heard, but it was, you know, it's just, you know, I know you explore this every week,

but these are strange times. They are. We haven't really explored the personal side of this. And I think that for a lot of people that are watching right now, we've all been through some form of this, feeling like, you know, you're the odd man out. like really a minority of you know have you had any sense of that any feeling like i mean Hollywood especially i mean i talked to friends who were like we it was like you know you're in a

restaurant you have to whisper if you are going to question the vaccine all if you're heard by somebody you know i've produced her friends like if you get heard talking about this and you're on the right side you're going to get it's going to spread out you get fired i mean is that was that what it was like the climate in in hollywood as you were deciding to move out of there in hollywood i for the most part and for the longest time and I don't ever feel like I was although I was there

I don't feel like ever felt like I was a part of it I always had my band to go to and we would you know we had the bubble of our touring machine our tour boss or you know would be going to different places so and no one was you know you're the announcer on Jimmy Kimmel Live no one was going you know

huge stars and celebrities weren't coming through like I got to meet your announcer right you know so there wasn't wasn't a lot of that going on, but the odd man out sort of thing, when that started to, you know, like just having, going to places and going, oh, I'm not, back, I won't have that card, I won't have this and that. Yeah, that was a strange feeling that I was anxious to get away from, away from by moving out of Hollywood and out of California.

So that was the truth. But within the band, yeah, I didn't like the feeling. Here's the thing about my band, though, and I don't expect you to know this, but early on in my life, I grew up in, like I said, in Boston. That's obvious. But at a time when there was a lot of racial turmoil in the city, and it had to do with bussing. And it was a huge thing. That made adults in my eyes act out of control and just crazy. And then when you thought of it, like, of what was really going down, you said, what was the issue, busing different, from different communities?

Yeah, they were forcing people from this neighborhood to buss into this neighborhood and trying to make things equal that way. And whatever. Trying to get to different races to actually, to actually, you know, it's a very neighborhoody place. And that's what I'm not. And then, of course, you know, well, I grew up here, but now I have to go across town to do this. And there was, however you feel on that, to me, it was. it was everything, all the fallout from it that as kids, we were like, well, we just wanna be kids, you know.

Right. You know, so at, you know, at that time I said, you know, anything I do is gonna include everybody. And I'm not going to pick and choose anybody to be my ally based on anything. You know, sexual preference, you color your skin, your religious beliefs, it's I don't, you know, my people are going to be everybody.

And that was sort of my mission, was unity and bringing people together. And that's what we did as a band. And that's what we did when we were tour. We would say it didn't matter what kind of music you played. If we liked it or you want to, you know, you can play with us and come one, come all, it wasn't, you like punk, you like heavy metal,

you like disco, you like this, it was. Just everybody. And that's sort of, and that's what I did. So this sort of division that we're experiencing in this country is unprecedented. Yeah. It's, we are being split apart in a way that I never imagined. So going back to this relationship with you and Jimmy Kimmel, I think that, so I showed you the video that before COVID was ever here, he has a recent video that came out sort of the middle of COVID, this piece with Barbie dolls. Just take a look at that really quick.

There's a new doll in town and the fun is contagious. It's Antivax Barbie. She's strong. She's independent. She doesn't trust science. Bill Gates is the Antichrist. Vaccines have Satan's blood! Barbie comes with a computer so she can do her own research.

Says here, Madonna turns your teeth Jewish! Take your Barbies everywhere. Shopping. I'm sorry, you can't come in here without a mass. I have a medical convent. I'm recording bitch and you're going to jail. To the stables. Thank you for sharing your medicine dancer.

And on the plane. And the only mandate this Barbie cares about is with her proud boyfriend Ken. Hi Ken. Want to go throw eggs at nurses? Sorry, babe. Can't hear you. Alex Jones is talking about monoblobal antiboters. Antivax Barbie. Barbie exclusively available in Florida and Kentucky Barbie dream ventilator sold

separately available at Waldrane I think what I find interesting about this particular video is just a month ago so at that point you've already you know parted ways parted ways but when we try to understand Jimmy you know him better than I do this seems incredibly insensitive yet the story you're telling me is he sounds like a fairly sensitive guy trying to figure out how to understand you saying okay, if you're not going to do this, let me see if I can figure out a way through antibodies. So how do you explain this type of, I mean, he's taking this on more than almost any other talk show out there. He's decided to really champion this pro-vaccine stance, making fun of people that are

making a different choice, a huge and growing population in the country. When you think about, when you watch this video, you think about him and what you know, what's driving him? I can't speak on, I can't explain that. It was as strange to me as anything. I don't, I don't know why and I don't, the discussions and the conversations we had versus, you know, hey, Dicky, did you see this?

Because by that point, I wasn't on the show. And that's what he believes. That's what he thinks. I think that he's, you know, 100% wholeheartedly into that for whatever reasons he may have as I am on the opposite side. So I don't, you know, I don't, I can't figure out the psychology of that, you know. Speaking about the opposite side, one of his good friends, I don't know, Adam Carolla, you know, who's been fairly outspoken on this issue too.

He is, seems to be more in your camp. He is, you know, saying this force vaccine is ridiculous. He's big on rights, but he and Jimmy are still tight as far as I know. You're absolutely right. I think they're still best friends. They're very, very close. And I'm still close with Adam as well. I talk to Adam quite a bit.

And, yeah, again, you know, you figure that out. I don't know. I don't know. And maybe that's, maybe there's hope if, you know, Adam and Jimmy can still be friends. Maybe, you know, the lunacy could end and people could go get back to just being how did it finally end the final moment with Jimmy

you know there's sort of this lingering moment what's going to happen he pushed it as long as he could and you know I appreciated that because I wanted to you know see if there was some way to figure it out and then

they found someone else to do the job and, you know, I don't, and I was dismissed. Are you mad? Are you upset? Is there frustration? I'm not mad because I don't think I could, I was doing the job remotely and that's the way, but I don't think I could stand on the stage and watch anti-vax Barbie. Yeah. You know, I don't, that was, you know, I had trouble, before COVID, there was one,

every year maybe something would come up, you know. involving vaccines and that was unpleasant for me but you know relentless you know pitching the the agenda and the and the uh you don't think I could so I'd rather just as far as you know just have the the memories and the good times and what so you know I'm not mad at that situation but I'm overall I'm mad yes the whole thing Yes. It's taken two, you know, really strong relationship, relationship with your band. There's a relationship with Jimmy Kimmel.

These things were all, I mean, your life has been as affected as most out there by COVID, I would say. I'm not, you know, whether or not you're, you know, but just, you know, the two things you're known for, this one pandemic has blown that apart. true yes and personally sure agreed but on a scale of one to how it's affected people there's some some real sad stories that you know you know the numbers of suicide rates are way up yeah there's there's you know people that were in a for years are now drinking again and and the small business is lost that list goes on and on so You know, the announcer on Jimmy Kimball doesn't get to announce anymore. Sure, you know, there's...

But, you know, personally, yeah, I would say it sucks, though, but... But I have trouble complaining when so many people... You know, I think of a, you know, family of six somewhere in a neighborhood, and dad lost his job and... Yeah. And, you know... When you look at the arts, when you look at music, when you look at film, when you look at television. Do you have a concern over what this is done to what we, you mean, art is the

ultimate expression of freedom and free speech, I think, and yet it's, you know, artists are, you know, coming out against Joe Rogan, you know, Mr. Keep on Rockin in the Free World, Neil Young is trying to censor speech. Are you afraid we are sort of seeing a death here of art as we know it? I think that, yeah, and I think that that was part of the plan just to say, you know, there can't be a concert or there won't be music for this period of time or no more live gatherings and, you know, so yeah, and I think that to take that away and, you know, on many levels, not even just live applications, like you can't even get together in a studio and, you know, create music or so, yeah, it felt to me like, you know,

like it was part of the plan. And to see so many people and so many people that I grew up admiring Neil Young, you know, to say, I'm not gonna be on this service if this guy is. And I never imagined any artist would say that, whether I liked their art or not. I thought the freedom to create was, you know. Are you worried about?

how this affects, you know, when you think about your children now, looking forward, how is that, how is all this affecting you as a father? That's, that's all I think about is my children. That's what their future is and what kind of world we're going to give to those children is, is, that's all I think about. And minus those children, I would probably sit back like this and go, all right. But it's, you know, because I'm not a kid. Yeah. But they are. And so what kind of future they're going to have is extremely important to me. You've gotten directly involved in some of that. I think that's probably why.

I mean, I know we were speaking. I met you in San Diego. It was a speaking event there. Robert Kennedy Jr. was there? You had produced a song. Was I annoying? No, you weren't. No, it was cool.

But, you know, I saw you use your art to try and get involved. Tell me just a little bit about the song. Did Robert Kennedy Jr. come to you? Like, sort of how did this thing come about? One time at Jimmy Kimmel Live, Bobby Kennedy, years ago, Bobby Kennedy Jr. was there with his wife, Cheryl Hines. And, you know, people come through there all the time. But I was enamored and said, you know, asked him me, would it be okay if I met him?

Sure, sure, sure, I'll introduce you. And he introduced me in a... And I met him then, but... Let me ask you something right there. So would you say at that moment, Jimmy Kimmel was a fan of Bobby Kennedy Jr.? Lots of people were. Because he was saving the planet, you know?

So he was hosting some events and stuff for Bobby Kennedy back then and was happy to like, oh, yeah, you're a Kennedy lover. And he knew that, you know, I loved Bobby's father, and Bobby's uncle, and he was happy. Once again, Irish Catholic from Boston. It was, you know, there was pictures of JFK, the Pope, and Larry Bird. And everybody, all, everybody's house.

That's what we had. So what did this whole COVID thing hit? So this vaccine thing, and you're finally discussing it with Jimmy. Did it come up? Does he have a perspective of, I mean, Bobby's. He said one time to me. He said one time to him, I follow, you know, Bobby Kennedy. And then he said, oh, that guy.

And then I said, you introduce me to him. And he goes, yeah, but he's done some good stuff. And then, you know, we had a discussion that sort of led to him going, yeah, yeah, he's done some good stuff. And I go, well, you know, I don't really cherry pick. I, you know, I see it all as good. So for someone like Jimmy, he meets Bobby. Bobby's just flown the coop in his mind. He doesn't stay with him.

Like, I trusted you then. You saved rivers. I cared about them. This is what blows me away about Hollywood, so many of our friends. I mean, I don't understand how environmentalists, you know. That's the guy I would go to, the guy that did, you know, the guy that's saving the country's rivers. If he starts saying, I got a problem with this other thing.

I mean, I don't care if it's like the car, you know, if it's a product, I mean, my favorite car in the world, be like, wait a minute, Bobby Cain's got a problem with the car I'm driving, like, let me listen to what he's got to say. Yeah. I make my own decision, but I hear that out because he's, he's, time tested and he's proven himself. So, you know, and that doesn't seem to happen. But for me, it did. Yeah. You know, and so, and, and it aligned with my own sort of philosophy. So we're having some conversations, me and Bobby Kennedy, and, and I like the guy. Yeah. A lot. I think he's

a really good guy. And he asked me, he called me up and said, could you, I want to do a version of Graham Nash's song Chicago. It's a classic protest song. And always he wrote it to protest the war and he actually wrote it to protest the convention in Chicago you know, but all things that were going on at that time.

My parents marched in Chicago. So that's what the song was for and he goes, I want, you know, I'm going to change some of the lyrics and could you create a version of it? And so I got some of my friends to create this version of this song. And it was coming out good. And I just thought it was sort of a weird assignment.

Yeah. But I liked it. And I was now out of work. So I really poured my heart into it. And it came up good. And then I found a singer. His name's Grant Elman. And he was tremendous.

And he was already on board with the cause. He was like-minded, which was, I would have taken him if he wasn't. Right. And so just sing it. But he was and thrilled to do it. And he did an exceptional job.

And then I sent it to Bobby. And he loved it. And then a close friend of mine made a video for it. And off it went. So as you look forward now, you know, you're getting involved in music. Yes. Part of the movement. You know, what is your hope?

What jazz is you now as you look into your future? True. Two different things. My hope is that in about an hour I wake up and all of this was a dream. I'm back in Boston, tending bar. None of this happens. Start all over. Except for their children. I want them somehow still being in my life. And my hope is that we come to our senses and that we look at the things that are more important and we get back together. And we've been and you know, I think that you put it best when, uh, when you said we're winning, you know, in to me directly, you said, dude, we're winning. Yeah. You saw today. You saw what was going on. This is in San Diego. And, um, and it's little by little, inch by inch, but we're, but I think we are. I think that, you know, this COVID shot hasn't been as advertised. Right. It's, you know, quite the opposite. And I think people are starting to go, no.

And I think they're talking about it's going to be annually. And I think no one's going to have that. Yeah. Especially with everything that's going on. So, you know, do I want that to speed up? Yes. Yeah. Do I want to get back to a time where, you know,

the Boston's are playing music and we're talking about love and unity? Yes. So you're all about unity. You're that album. How do we get a hold of the Mighty Boston's album that? Mighty, Mighty Boston's album. Wherever you get your music. That's where it's available.

It's on Hellcat Records. What's the name of the... When God was great. And you know, you've spent, you know, a little time, we've been talking, why now? Why did you finally decide you wanted to sort of tell your story? I think it's, I think in my world, and you know, which is punk rock and ska and music and I think it's important for people to hear it, you know, and as many tentacles as you can have, and if I could provide one for you, I would like to be that.

and say, hey, sky people, wake the fuck up. And so I want to be that guy. Okay. Sorry I said that. That's all right. I'm glad you're here. I'm glad you're stepping out. I'm glad you're a part of this movement.

I'm glad you stood your ground. I think you're real here. There's so many people out there in Hollywood that we're talking all the time. You're talking to them. They're all afraid to step out and have this conversation. Are you worried about the backlash now that, you know, you're telling this story, media is going to decide to, you know, perhaps celebrate Jimmy Kimmel for

making the courageous and bold move of firing you. What are those headlines going to mean to you if that's the way this goes? Well, I think it's important to know it's Disney. Okay. That did that. But let's not quibble. Right, right. Am I afraid of it? No. Right. I'm not. I think I think it's too important an issue. You said you're not fully in Hollywood and I get that as a punk rocker. It's not necessarily you're seen completely

but do you feel like there's a lot of people that aren't speaking out that are living in California living in Hollywood or probably visible people that are afraid to discuss the fact that they don't vaccinate their children or live like that? There's got to be and you got to think of you know

what I you know walked away from money wise was a lot. You know, so then, and I'm just the announcer on Jimmy Kimmel Live. So just imagine if you're the big star or what, you know, so yes. I think there's plenty of people in the shadows as I like to refer to them. And that's in, you know, punk rock and rock and roll too. Well, I want to say, I think this conversation is important as much as we have the scientists on this show.

Yeah, they're way more important. Well, I mean, yes, but I just want to say that those scientists started out. was just sort of there were some friends scientists but slowly but surely yeah more and more started recognizing this was the only place they could come and tell the truth you're one of the first sort of celebrity side of this that I think unfortunately unfortunately in some ways drives so much of how people think if Kim Kardashian is sitting in this seat and saying you know hey I don't believe this vaccine millions of people will move with that so I I hope that by your you know having this conversation with me that we're starting

that conversation and that other, you know. If only more, you can't go A, probably not B, if only more E-list celebrities would come out. We'll start with the E-Lead. Sit in these comfortable leather chairs. Maybe this thing would be over. I think we need the A's that have made so much money in the end. Maybe they're ready to retire.

In the world of ska punk, though, I'm probably an A. All right. Thank you. That's fair to say? That's right. I think that's exactly right. Thank you. The A of Scott Punk.

Yes. Well, Dickie, awesome, having you in. It's good to have you. Standing, shoulder, shoulder with people like you. I've had a great time talking. I look forward to. I think there's a lot more that we can do. I want to see art, you know, back alive.

It's where I come from, too. So it's a huge part of it. But speaking of that, that song that you produced and put together with Bobby Kennedy, the lyrics, Graham Nash song, Change the World. How about we sting out with that? This has Change the World.