Bruce Hornsby

Bruce Hornsby

Author: Pushkin Industries May 5, 2026 Duration: 56:29

The magic of Bruce Hornsby isn't just that he's one of American music's great piano stylists — or that he wrote one of the most unlikely pop hits of the 1980s, a song about racism with two improvised solos that nobody at his label thought should be the single. It's how relentlessly he's kept moving, long after he had any commercial reason to.

Hornsby grew up in Williamsburg, Virginia, and got discovered playing a steak and ale joint across from the Hampton Coliseum by Mike McDonald. He scored his first big hit in 1986 with "The Way It Is. What followed was a long, restless second act: teaching himself two-handed independence by scheduling benefit concerts just to give himself a hard deadline, making jazz records with Jack DeJohnette and Christian McBride, bluegrass records with Ricky Skaggs, and going deep into Shostakovich fugues that now shape everything he writes.

On today’s episode Bruce Headlam sat down with Bruce Hornsby at the piano to talk about all of it. But they started somewhere unexpected: a steak and ale restaurant in Hampton, Virginia, in the fall of 1978.

You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite songs from Bruce Hornsby HERE.

Time-coded chapters:

(01:26) Discovering Musical Influences 

(09:24) Success of “The Way It Is”

(15:51) Crafting Unique Sounds and Styles

(20:30) Collaborations and Songwriting Process

(26:40) Exploring New Directions in Music

(33:20) The Challenge of Musical Growth

(39:10) Jazz and Bluegrass Fusion

(44:47) The Art of Improvisation and Composition

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.


Imagine a conversation where the only agenda is genuine curiosity about the creative process. That's the space Broken Record with Rick Rubin, Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam and Justin Richmond occupies. Hosted by these four distinct voices from the worlds of music production, writing, and journalism, this podcast strips away the standard interview format. Instead, it feels like you're overhearing an insightful, meandering talk between friends who happen to be some of the most fascinating artists alive. The discussions delve into the unglamorous realities of making art-the false starts, the moments of doubt, the sheer stubbornness required to push through. You'll hear legendary musicians and emerging talents alike discuss not just their hits, but the failures and personal stories that truly shaped their sound. It’s less about celebrity and more about the human experience behind the songs we love. Each episode is a deep, unstructured dive into why creators do what they do, offering a rare glimpse into the vulnerability and chaos that fuel great work. Produced by Pushkin Industries, this series connects the dots between music, culture, and the society that inspires it, making it feel like an essential listen for anyone interested in the stories behind the art.
Author: Language: en-us Episodes: 387

Broken Record with Rick Rubin, Malcolm Gladwell, Bruce Headlam and Justin Richmond
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