From the Bulletboys, The Black Molly's, to Enuff Z'nuff, Tory Stoffregen steps into the Doghouse

---

By "Big Dog" Benny Henderson Jr., Doghouse Boxing (March 26, 2015)

Follow @DoghouseBoxing


Tory Stoffregen

Tweets by @DoghouseBoxing

From the Bulletboys, The Black Molly's, to Enuff Z'nuff, Tory Stoffregen has been around the world and pretty much has seen it all in the music business. Now fronting the hard rocking country band, The New Black 7, the Iowa born music man has dug back into his country roots and rocking out the honkey tonks with their brand of country. Which has been described as Waylon Jennings meets Van Halen. Their latest album,God willin' and the Creek don't Rise, is another helping of quality country music that has that edge of rock to keep the fans on their feet. Tory, who is a graduate of Musicians Institute in Hollywood has been writing, recording, and touring since he was sixteen years old. And in this exclusive interview, we get the thoughts from Tory, on music making, touring, the ups and downs of the life of a musician, the brand new album and more, enjoy.

Benny Henderson Jr. First off I have to say, thank you for taking the time out to conduct this interview. I have to say, the first time I was introduced to TNB7 music was from the Hangovers and Heartbreak's album. I became an instant fan. The music, or at least in my opinion, it is pure, it is honest, and it kicks ass. With all that being said, give the readers a bit of your background in the music business.

Tory Stoffregen Oh man, Like Dewey Cox, it has been a long hard ride. I started playing in bands when I was sixteen. I moved to Hollywood when I was eighteen to make it big. I went back to Iowa a couple of years later and started a band that toured the USA for a bunch of years. Rinse and repeat for five or six times, moving around and switching bands, touring for the next twenty years.

BH I have to ask this Tory, I know that you played with the eighties hair band Enuff Z'nuff. Totally different from the TNB7 style of music. Have you always been a country boy at heart? It is quite a jump.

TS I grew up on country music, and I have always loved it. I have pretty much loved every style of music. I have always been a huge Beatles fan, and when I had the chance to play in a band so obviously influenced by The Beatles, I was thrilled. I toured the world with the band, and had a blast. I always played Dwight Yoakam songs at sound check.

BH Does the song writing work for you guys. Do you do the majority of the writing, or is it a group effort? I guess run us through the materialization of a TNB7 song. And even further, an entire album.

TS I wrote all the songs for the first CD before any of us got together. And it evolved into more of a group effort the last CD.

BH When it comes to music, name three of your most influential people in your life.

TS That is a hard question, musically, it would be Johnny Cash, Dwight Yoakam and Eddie Van Halen.

BH Most people/fans see all the greatness and glory in the life a traveling musician. I have interviewed a lot of musicians, and although it is a life most would not trade for the 9 to 5 life, it is often a struggle to stay on top. If you do not mind, can you touch on the hardships you have been through to get your music out to the masses.

TS The usual, if you choose music as your first love, you are going to struggle. Your bus, van, or car is going to break down in the mountains of Colorado during hunting season. You will sleep in that vehicle why it is being fixed because all of the hotels are sold out, and you are going to sleep on hotel room floors and airport floors. You are going to drive fifteen hours overnight to make it to the next gig that will only pay one-hundred dollars. You get ripped off; you get lied to, talked about behind your back. Why do I do this? I cannot imagine what it is like to be on top. We are struggling to get to the middle of the bottom. If fans are not pissing on your head, you might be doing alright.

BH I know months back you had a life altering event where you had to have heart surgery. I have to ask, how has that changed your life, I remember reading a post of yours on Facebook about a new lease on life or something like that.

TS Yep, six months ago I had a heart attack and emergency surgery to open up ninety percent of blockage. The first thing the doctor told me when I was up was that I was a lucky man, a very lucky man. You try to use that to realize what the important things are in life, and what really matters. But, those things are still easy to lose sight of. I did go on the eat right or die diet and lost almost thirty pounds so far. I have been trying to do that all my life.

BH If you could share the stage with any musician, past or present, who would that be?

TS So many people I would pick, I was a huge Elvis fan growing up. I guess we could dig him up. I am still a huge Kenny Rogers fan, he is still fresh, and he seems like a nice fellow, so Iâll pick him.

BH Three essential things that you have to have with you while on tour? Besides your guitar.

TS Wet wipes, Frebreze and sunglasses.

BH What advice would you give to a young aspiring musician?

TS If you don't love it, I mean really love playing music, like it is your life and you would sacrifice anything for it, then do something else. Because it is going to suck. You are going to lose wives, jobs; it is going to be hard. In the end you better want that couple of hours a night you actually get to play music to count, or you are going to be one miserable S.O.B. The music better be worth it all those hours of misery you go through to actually make it happen on that stage.

BH Is there anything you would like to add to or say in closing of this interview?

TS Thanks for taking the time, and for supporting The New Black 7. Go check out our website, www.thenewblack7.com, Youtube, give the Facebook page a like, www.facebook.com/thenewblack7 And try to be cool to each other out there, life is hard, so get a helmet.

Email Benny at: bigdogmedia7@aol.com
Check out Facebook: www.facebook.com/benny hendersonjr
And Twitter: www.twitter.com/bennyhenderson

Thank you for using DoghouseBoxing.com