Having a career in country music since the 1960s, Ted Nugent did more than record hits songs like “Great White Buffalo” and “Cat Scratch Fever.” He also gained more than a few nicknames that included Uncle Ted, Motor City Madman, and the Nuge. Back when Nugent released his self-titled debut album, he released the song “Stranglehold” in 1975. Besides gaining praise for the song, it also became the theme for the NHL team Chicago Blackhawks. Ranked among the greatest guitar solos of all time, Nugent decided to celebrate the success of the song with a string of concerts.
Kicking off on April 5th at the Red River Station in Texas, Nugent will travel to more than the Longhorn state as he announced concerts in Arkansas and Michigan. The last concert was scheduled to take place on August 30th at the Warner Vineyards.
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While having spent years on the road, Nugent decided to take a step back after his Adios Mofos tour in 2023. Still wanting to perform, the singer admitted he never wanted to be away from his family. “My life revolves around my wife, my kids, my grandkids and my dogs. I will never leave home to do a tour now. I can do gigs, if I can hub out of my Michigan cabin, which could include Ohio, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan – and maybe eventually, Ontario again. But I’m never going to go on another ‘tour’ tour.”
[RELATED: Ted Nugent Lashes Out at Pearl Jam After Band Used “Stranglehold” as an Anti-Gun Anthem]
Ted Nugent Talks Meeting His Hero Keith Richards
Spending decades performing, Nugent got the chance to rub shoulders with several icons in the music industry. And he even received the chance to meet his hero Keith Richards. Although cherishing the moment, he admitted that Richards was too drunk to talk. “I mean, Keith is my hero, and I got to spend a weekend with him in New York at Studio 54. But again, I wanted to talk Chuck Berry and Bo Diddley and Motown with him, because those were his influences 100%. But he was so drunk and stoned, he couldn’t carry on a conversation.”
Not a fan of the rock and roll lifestyle, Nugent stayed away from drugs and alcohol due to his fellow band members. “I don’t mean to be negative, but you can’t just praise a super talent without identifying the shortcomings. And I have shortcomings. We all have shortcomings. But I don’t do things that will f**k up my bandmates’ musical dreams. And that’s what drugs and alcohol do.”
With Nugent still going strong at 76 years old, it seems that the Motor City Madman isn’t ready to call it quits just yet.
(Photo by Scott Legato/Getty Images)