Music & Art Interviews has posted Dan Roth's new interview with metal guitarist Bill Hudson (Cellador/Circle II Circle/Savatage/TSO). They discuss Hudson's musical journey, from taking lessons from Angra/Megadeth guitarist Kiko Loureiro to becoming an in-demand musician-for-hire, to his recent involvement with Circle II Circle, Jon Oliva and Trans-Siberian Orchestra, to his forthcoming solo album. They also discuss his rock star-like story that culminated with Hudson playing guitar for his boyhood musical heroes, Savatage.

Q: In 2014, you were announced as the new guitarist for Jon Oliva's Pain for their performance at the ProgPower festival. Did you get that gig through knowing Zak (Stevens / Circle II Circle)? Or did Jon remember you from that 2008 tour?

Hudson: "I saw that Jerry Outlaw had left Jon's band and I sent his drummer, Chris Kinder, a message letting him know that I was interested in playing if Jon was going to tour at all. Chris asked me to send in videos of me playing a couple of the songs from Streets.  I decided to record videos of me playing all of the songs from that album."

Q:  Being such a Savatage fan, were you already familiar with that album?

Hudson: "I already knew most of the songs, yes. But, there were a few that I had never played, although I had listened to them obsessively as a kid. So I learned the whole album and sent in videos. Eventually it got to the point where Jon was happy with what he heard and we had to get ready for the ProgPower Festival. I flew in and stayed at Dr. Dan Fasciano’s - the keyboardist for this show. We rehearsed at Doc's place for six weeks to nail that Streets performance. And that was really the beginning of me working with Jon."

Q: So about a year after that Jon Oliva performance, you are on the Wacken stage once again, this time with Savatage. You mentioned how surreal it was to be playing with Circle II Circle in Brazil. This had to be a bit mind blowing.

Hudson: "Man, I don't even remember most of it. I remember everything around it - the flying, the hotel, the rehearsals, even the soundcheck. I spent a lot of time with Kyle Sabel during that time, he is one of my best friends and a huge part of the TSO family who recently passed away. He was Chris Caffery’s tech for 17 years and we had become really good friends years before I ever got involved in TSO. The Wacken rehearsals in Tampa really was the first time I did any 'work' with Kyle, even if he was working the other side of the stage. 

I really don't remember playing the show, though! That was just ridiculous and surreal.  Here I am playing 'Hall Of The Mountain King' as a part of Savatage?! Hang on… how did that happen!?! So many incredibly talented guitarists have played Savatage music, but I was ON STAGE with them. I still sometimes watch the YouTube videos and try to fathom what happen. And I know most of the people on those stages feel the exact same way."

Go to this location for the complete interview.