Rick James’ Guitarist Reveals The Truth About Stone City Band | Tom McDermott

Rick James’ founding guitarist Tom McDermott joins Musicians Reveal with Joe Kelley for a rare deep dive into the wild world of Rick James & The Stone City Band. From recording classics like “Super Freak” and Street Songs to touring at the height of Rick James’ fame, Tom shares firsthand stories from inside one of funk’s most explosive eras. In this interview, Tom discusses: Recording Street Songs and Fire It Up The making of “Super Freak” Soul Train appearances and touring stories Rick James’ creative process in the studio Rick James vs. Prince tour memories Life inside The Stone City Band Touring and performing today 0:00 Tom Mcdermott Introduces Himself (Stone City Band Guitarist) 0:45 Joining Rick James & The Stone City Band 2:15 Life on the Road with Rick James 3:05 Early Guitar Influences and Learning by Ear 4:20 Concerts That Shaped Tom McDermott as a Musician 6:00 Auditioning for Rick James and Getting the Gig 8:00 Recording Fire It Up and Street Songs 9:45 How Super Freak Came Together 11:30 Rick James vs Prince Tour Stories 13:20 Touring at the Height of Rick James’ Fame 15:00 Stone City Band Recording Their Own Albums 16:45 Rick James in the Studio – Creative Process 18:30 Soul Train, TV Appearances & Live Performances 20:00 Guitar Gear, Endorsements & Stage Sound 21:45 Touring Today with the Stone City Band 23:30 Leaving the Band and Joining New Edition 26:00 Rick James’ Energy as a Live Performer 28:30 Stone City Band Reuniting Years Later 30:00 Funk Audiences Then vs Now 32:15 Hearing Loss, Tinnitus & Music Longevity 34:00 Rick James and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 35:45 Final Thoughts on Funk, Touring & Legacy On air since 1982 — long before podcasts existed — Musicians Reveal with Joe Kelley has featured legendary artists from the worlds of funk, soul, R&B, and Prince’s musical universe. Prince personally spotlighted the show on his website in 2004 and gifted the program the One Nite Alone box set in 2002 before any other media outlet. Previously known as Upper Room with Joe Kelley, Musicians Reveal continues its decades-long tradition of documenting music history through the voices of the artists themselves. #RickJames #StoneCityBand #TomMcDermott #FunkMusic #MusiciansReveal