John Schneider

All photos: Alan Mercer    Lighting: Eric Venturo

John Schneider is best known for his portrayal of Bo Duke in the 1980s television series 'The Dukes of Hazzard,' along with Tom Wopat, and as Jonathan Kent on 'Smallville.' Along with his acting career, John performed as a country music singer in the 1980s, releasing twelve studio albums and a greatest hits package, as well as eighteen singles, all of which reached the top of the Billboard country singles charts.

John Schneider can be seen on several episodes of the FX Network show 'Nip/Tuck' as Ram Peters, the CEO of a company. He has appeared in many films and TV series, including his recurring role on 'Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman' and he's guest-starred on such shows as 'Diagnosis Murder,' 'Touched by an Angel,' 'JAG' and 'Walker, Texas Ranger.' John has directed episodes of 'Smallville,' and some episodes contain references to his work in 'The Dukes of Hazzard.'

John Schneider has been mentioned in the 'South Park' episode 'Terrance and Phillip: Behind the Blow,' in which an episode of 'Terrance and Phillip' was aired in place of the popular fictitious show 'The John Schneider Variety Hour,' causing outrage. In 2008, John portrayed a villain, a rarity for him on the series 'CSI: Miami,' in the episode 'Tunnel Vision.' John also appeared briefly in an episode of 'Curb Your Enthusiasm.' In 2008, he performed as Billy Flynn in the Musical 'Chicago' on Broadway.

I have always liked John Schneider for his acting, singing and the good work he does for others. Eric Venturo and I met up with John at the Woodland Hills Country Club after his golf game for some quick and casual shots and a little conversation.

AM: How long have you been playing golf?

JS: Since half way through 'Smallville."

AM: So you're kind of new at it.

JS: Yeah, but it's like being new to heroin! (laughter) The addiction hits you right away. It doesn't feel new. It's the most addictive thing in the world!

AM: I hear that all the time.

JS: It's all you can think of.

AM: So this is your newest addiction?

JS: Well yeah! Sex and cars were my oldest addictions and golf is the newest one. I guess I've been playing golf for seven years now.

AM: You're one of the handful of actors that has had two hit shows.

JS: You could argue I've had more than that because I've been on 'Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman' too. Great show.

AM: Oh I forgot about that! So you've had three hit shows!

JS: Yes me and Bill Bixby! I haven't been in control of any of them and that's my goal. Being a hired hand on a show is great because it's great to have a job. But ownership is important.

AM: Have you produced before?

JS: Yes I did a pilot for Spike TV but they didn't pick it up. It did great. There's no rhyme or reason to it. What is that all about? Back when I was on 'Dukes' I produced some TV Specials. I pitch shows all the time.

AM: So you're very interested in staying on TV?

JS: Yes but I want to have some ownership in the show. I've been trying for ownership since 1979.

AM: This reminds me of when the producers of 'Dukes Of Hazzard' brought in different actors to replace you and Tom Wopat. How long did that last?

JS: Eighteen episodes so almost the whole year.

AM: They learned there lesson didn't they!?! (laughter)

JS: They were saying the car was the star!

AM: But that wasn't true.

JS: No it wasn't, the ratings really fell.

AM: That must have felt good for you.

JS: It felt good in a way but we had a dispute over a legitimate contractual issue. It was not a financial dispute it was about merchandising and it didn't turn out well.

EV: I had the lunch box.

JS: You had the lunch box. Good for you. I see those a lot, they're great.

AM: I'm sure they are worth some money now.

JS: Yes they are. We had a lot of experts around us who's advice we took and I think we played it incorrectly.

AM: If you could go back in time you'd handle it differently now?

JS: Absolutely I'd do it in a different way.

AM: Did you handle your contracts differently with 'Dr. Quinn' and 'Smallville?'

JS: As much as you can, yes. You handle negotiations with whatever power you currently have. It increases sometimes. It's the old ebb and flow. When you have the ability to negotiate that's when you should do it. Often times people will try to hardball negotiate when they don't have the power. That's a bad mistake. I haven't had that power again but I believe I will. I believe my best days are ahead of me.

AM: Why not, you're still young and look great!

JS: (laughing) Yes I'm very young! And you need corrective eye surgery!

AM: You are young and you got into the business so young.

JS: True!

AM: You started singing right away also didn't you?

JS: As far as people knew yes. I really started singing ten years before 'Dukes.' I recorded my first album in 1979. It came out in 1980, but I recorded it in 79. I still have the highest charting 'Elvis Cover' with 'It's Now Or Never.' Still to this day. I got to number four on both Billboard and R&R.

AM: It's a great rendition of that song. You've had a pretty good run of hits in Country Music in the 80's. Are you still interested in recording?

JS: Oh yeah. Phil Redrow writes these songs and I sing a lot of his stuff. I've got a song out right now on i-tunes called 'The Promise.'

AM: I LOVE IT! I was going to ask you about that. It's an amazing song! I can feel your passion coming through in your performance.

JS: Thank you. Phil writes great songs. We want to do 'The Job Fair Tour.' We want to attack the problem of unemployment in this country. People still need work to be done but nobody's hiring anybody.

AM: Are you working on any other music?

JS: I actually just recorded the 'Theme from The Dukes of Hazzard.'

AM: How did it feel to cover Waylon Jennings?

JS: Great! Waylon came out and sang with me on a song I did called 'A Better Class Of Losers.' It was Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and me.

AM: You were friends with Johnny Cash weren't you?

JS: I lived with Johnny Cash and I knew Waylon from 'Dukes' so I probably met Waylon in 1979. I honestly feel that if Waylon were still around that I'm the one he would want to have covered that song. Even more perfect would have been Tom and I, but Tom's doing Broadway. It's available on i-tunes right now. I play the guitar on it and do a lot of Waylon like stuff. I'm very excited by that.

AM: I have to get it and hear it.

JS: The music business is entirely different now. It's kind of gone....and yet it's there bigger than it ever was before. I think the music industry is actually bigger than it ever was but you have to understand it. The communication industry is bigger than it ever was before, just not for Bell South. We just have to figure out what the new animal is.

AM: What about re-releasing some of your older music again?

JS: I do some of that through my eBay store. They are called my favorite hits not my greatest hits. They are songs that I think would have been number one or top ten had they seen the light of day.

AM: I'm sure you could do something with all that material.

JS: I'm pitching a show to CMT that Phil and I developed together called 'The Job Fair Tour.' Basically it would be going around to little towns in the United States, the heart and soul of the country that has been hit the most by what's going on with the economy. We want to identify a need and do a benefit concert for that need in the area and then move on to the next town. Shane with a guitar, righting the wrongs of an evil society. If that were to work then there would be a desire to hear my older music. I'm a realist. Not a day goes by where I don't sing somewhere and somebody comes up to me and says, "Hey I didn't know you sang?" I should have done the fourteenth album I guess because thirteen just wasn't enough! (laughter) I should have had more number one songs. It's a weird thing that I don't understand.

AM: I think it's because your acting career is so big that it eclipses the singing.

JS: I'll go with that. OK I'm so versatile people don't realize it's me. How about that?

AM: If you weren't such a big talented star more people would probably know you sang.

JS: Maybe so, sometimes people don't like you to do two things, let alone four or five things. I really love the music and when I'm on stage with it I just love it. You can tell I love it right?

AM: Yes you were amazing the other night. Anyone can tell you love it. You're full of passion and you are just GOOD!

JS: That's what Phil and I want to do with him as the other guitar player for CMT because it just works.

AM: I'd like to see a concert DVD.

JS: If the CMT show goes and there's a belief in the general populations mind that I actually do sing then I think that could work great.

AM: Don't they show the reruns of 'Dukes?'

JS: They just started a little over a month ago.

AM: What did you think about the movie they made a couple of years ago?

JS: Awful! They missed all the heart and soul of the show.

AM: This is my Thanksgiving blog.

JS: I'll be on 'Desperate Housewives' by then.

AM: See you are a big TV Star! You're on all the hit shows!

To learn more about John Schneider visit his web site http://www.johnschneideronline.com/bio.html