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From the series “The best of 30 years of ROLLING STONE: a conversation with Kiefer Sutherland from May 30, 2019.
As Jack Bauer, he was a terrorist hunter in the series “24” and in “Designated Survivor” he can be seen as US President Tom Kirkman. Kiefer Sutherland apparently knows what’s best for America – now also on stage: With “Open Road” he releases his second country album.
The 52-year-old came to music late; his debut, “Down In A Hole,” was released three years ago. Since then, he has performed whenever breaks in filming allow.
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How were you influenced by your idols Johnny Cash and Merle Haggard?
They were the pioneers of “outlaw country” in the 1970s and went their way without the Grand Ole Opry, the radio show that broadcast concerts from Nashville – without them, nothing worked in country. Cash had drinking problems and the Grand Ole Opry kicked him out. He sang about the harder aspects of life, about forgotten people, especially those in prison, he gave them back their dignity. He inspired prisoners to want to become better people.
And Haggard?
He sang “Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down,” anything but flattering to himself. (Sings:) “Each night I leave the bar room when it’s over, not feeling any pain at closing time” – that’s what alcoholics sing. The song was about him, you just knew that. These honest songs give you the confidence to admit your weaknesses. I love this guy for sharing his secret with me.
On stage you also talk about your own prison experiences.
I was in custody, not in prison. I was there waiting for a trial. My longest time was three to three and a half months. In fact, it is probably more pleasant in prison than in custody. At least there are courtyards there! (Laughs) There are no prisons in the district, so you stay in your cell.
They were arrested in 2007. How did you spend your time in the cell?
I read a lot. I had forgotten how wonderful it can be to pick up a book. During my “24” period, which lasted almost ten years, I just read script after script.
How were you influenced musically as a child?
My brother, who was seven years older than me, had a gigantic record collection. I liked everything he liked too. Luckily he had great taste: Beatles, Elton John, Boston, Aerosmith. So I became a Led Zeppelin fan when I was five. People of the same age still listened to the Osmonds. At 18, he saw The Police in a bar in Toronto, just before their breakthrough. Seven weeks later, “Roxanne” hit the radio and the band was filling stadiums.
How did you get into country music, of all things?
I love rock and roll and R&B. But I wanted to tell stories, and country specifically has a beginning, a middle and an end in its songs. Country and film are very similar.
As Agent Bauer and President Kirkman you play heroes on TV, and as a country singer you also name concerns and problems. How do you see the political situation in the USA?
Of course I have a political opinion, but I keep it to myself. There is a reason why blind voting booths exist: because voting is a private process. I support that. But I raise my voice against injustice, as anyone else can. I played fictional characters in “24”, “Young Guns” and “The Lost Boys”, but in the songs I talk about what moved me as a person. That was the hardest transition I’ve ever made: After 25 years in the film business, during which I did everything to protect my private life, I had to give up my self-protection mechanism as a musician.
What do you think about Trump’s plans to build a wall on the border with Mexico?
This is a terrible idea, unrealistic as a plan – and based on a lie. The USA could not survive without migrant workers. There’s a reason I can buy the prettiest head of lettuce at the grocery store for less than three dollars. This is because of the thousands of people who come from Central America and Mexico and do the unhealthy work that no American wants to do. Picking strawberries is one of the most grueling jobs imaginable. I had a farm in California. Beforehand, you had no idea where the bowl full of strawberries came from or the jam you were enjoying.
What do you mean?
There is no “migration problem”. The number of illegal border crossings has fallen over the last decade to levels that threaten our agriculture – we are lacking workers. Mexico, on the other hand, is doing better economically again. Just look at where our president got his votes and won the election: in non-border states!