Episode 16: Ep. 12 David MacKay Interview

I'm starting off 2025 by interrupting the chronological flow of this series, but it's well worth it. This is an interview I conducted in 2022 with bassist David MacKay, whose playing, in my opinion, is as responsible for the sound of late 70's Nez as Red Rhodes' steel was to early 70's Nez. Fun Fact: He's also been married to Donna Jean, formerly of the Grateful Dead, for 45 years. Why did I wait three years to publish this? A timeline might be in order: 
--Spring 2019-No longer with Videoranch but still on good terms with the boss, I interview Nez about The Prison and spend the next months researching and writing about said album, without a specific goal in mind. 
--Fall 2019-Major life change for me, wind goes out of my creative sails. Meanwhile, I start tuning out of all things Nez due to the infighting among his most devoted fans regarding his odd new public persona. 
--Winter 2019/20-I produce and publish the Prison interview as a podcast and begin an almost two year Nez-fast. In the past, his words and music were a salve in painful times, but things felt too weird now. 
--2020/21 - I publish a three part podcast miniseries on The Beach Boys/Grateful Dead 1971 appearance at the Fillmore East and explore other connections between the two biggest California bands. I'm given Dead author/scholar/radio host/mensch David Gans' email and he replies in a friendly, helpful manner. 
--Nov 2021-I witness Nez's final perfomance/public appearance. 
--Dec 2021-RIP, Nez. Still not feeling much like listening to his music but feeling a renewed duty to somehow honor his musical legacy. The Prison feels too depressing so I decide to expand my subject to what happened after The Prison's disappointing failure. 
--Spring 2022- I contact David Gans again to see if he could put me in touch with David MacKay, Nez's wonderful bassist on his stellar 1977-79 work, and husband of the Grateful Dead's Donna Godchaux. Gans digs my idea, the connection is made, and after some back and forth, MacKay and I settle on a day in May. 
--May 2022- Zoom Interview conducted with David MacKay, but I have no idea what to do with it and tuck it away. 
--Fall 2023-Andrew Sandoval gets in touch and, unbeknownst to him, inadvertently inspires me to start a podcast dedicated to Nez's music. 
--December 2024- after doing one season of Questions But No Answers and feeling pretty good about it, I finally go back and listen to my interview with MacKay and love it! I remembered so little about it that it was like listening to someone else conducting the interview. I decide to turn it into the first episode of 2025. And here we are. Enjoy!