Hasta La Ideas

It promises to be a memorable acceptance speech tonight at Michigan’s Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center. Gary Graff, a long time Detroit-based music journalist who has written for publications ranging from Billboard to The New York Times, is set to receive the BBAC’s 2016 Cultural Arts Award at a ceremony beginning at 6 p.m. ET.

Ahead of the honor, Jay Grossman, a reporter for USA Today’s hometownlife.com, shared a very entertaining Q&A. Graff ranks Bruce Springsteen and Bob Seger at the top of his favorite stars to interview, and also honestly answered when asked which were some if his least-favorite interviews:

“There was the two-minute exchange with Rickie Lee Jones, after which we mutually decided this was not going to work. And Brian Wilson remains a great frustration; A truly brilliant artist and national treasure, but someone who’s so damaged that there’s no hope of getting any real insight out of him.”

Graff just wrote again about Wilson. He also in the Q&A references, several times, a “drinking adventure” with Keith Richards. The Birmingham Bloomfield Art Center was founded in 1957 with a mission to support local visual arts.