Huey Lewis visited ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Monday, March 18, to promote the upcoming Broadway jukebox musical The Heart of Rock and Roll, which begins previews on March 29.
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During the interview, host Jimmy Kimmel reminded the 73-year-old singer, who had a run of major pop-rock hits during the 1980s with his group Huey Lewis and the News, that Lewis had previously revealed to him that Bob Dylan had once given him one of his songs to record.
[Buy Tickets for The Heart of Rock and Roll Musical]
Lewis recalled that the folk-rock legend had reached out to him during the 1980s, when Huey Lewis and the News were at the height of their popularity, and the story had a surprising twist.
“He sent me a cassette and a lovely note saying he liked the last record, and here’s a song of mine,” Lewis explained. “And not only did I not cut it, I don’t actually know where the cassette is.”
[RELATED: New Musical Comedy Coming to Broadway Inspired by Huey Lewis and the News Hits]
Taken aback, Kimmel responded by asking Lewis, “You lost the cassette?”
Lewis answered by noting, “No, it’s part of my cassette collection when there’s thousands of cassettes there. So, I could probably find it eventually.”
Kimmel then asked the singer why he didn’t record the Dylan song.
“I have no idea,” Lewis said. “It was a big mistake. What can I say? I’m sorry.”
Kimmel also inquired whether Lewis had played it for the other members of his band.
“I think I probably played it for them,” he said. “I can’t remember, to be honest, but it was a mistake.”
Lewis added, jokingly, “Note to self: When Bob Dylan sends you a song, record it.”
Kimmel then quipped that if he could find the Dylan tune, they could tack it on to the end of the musical.
About The Heart of Rock and Roll Musical
The Heart of Rock and Roll was inspired by and features various Huey Lewis and the News hits, including “Do You Believe in Love,” “Hip to Be Square,” “If This Is It,” “The Power of Love,” and “Stuck with You.”
The stage production is described as a musical rom-com about a group of young adults who have their lives all figured out until they meet each other.
The musical officially opens at the James Earl Jones Theatre on April 22.
Tickets for The Heart of Rock and Roll are available now via various outlets, including StubHub.
Lewis on Recording His “We Are the World” Part
Lewis also crossed paths with Dylan when were both among the many stars who recorded the 1984 charity single “We Are the World.” Kimmel noted that, as seen in the new Netflix documentary about the making of the song, The Greatest Night in Pop, both Lewis and Dylan were extremely nervous about singing in front of so many legendary artists.
“I wasn’t just nervous, I was petrified. Let’s be honest,” Lewis told Kimmel. “It’s a pretty tough room, right? I mean, I have a solo line, and then [producer] Quincy [Jones] says, ‘Huey, why don’t you guys join.’ And now, Cyndi Lauper and Kim Carnes and I have to figure out a harmony part in front of the best singers in the world.”
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