Producer/guitarist and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Neil Giraldo backed into the bourbon business nine years ago when he started his Three Chord Bourbon company in the spring of 2016. As he tells Q104.3 New York's Out of the Box with Jonathan Clarke, when he gets an idea, he moves fast.
Neil said he made a social media post about an idea for a hybrid documentary film about people in the music industry and a friend offered to help. The friend suggested they bring on a spirits company as a partner to get money to produce a trailer, but that gave Neil another idea.
"I look at him, I said, 'That's a great idea. Why don't we start our own company?'" Neil recalled. "He goes, 'Are you serious?' I do things like that. When I get an idea, I do move pretty quick.
"So I started the bourbon company. And I didn't finish the screenplay. But I will! I will get around to it; I promise. 'Cause it's practically done."
Just as he hoped his film would spotlight musicians, Neil says that's the mission of Three Chord Bourbon. The brand has launched whiskeys with The Allman Brothers Band, Halestorm, Taking Back Sunday, Dinosaur Jr. and many others.
Neil even has a vision to parlay the spirit brand into a live music event.
Check out the full conversation via the player above, where Neil discusses his long friendship with the late-Rick Derringer, his thoughts on songwriting and his suspicions about similarities between Don Henley's "Boys of Summer" and his and Pat Benatar's "Love Is a Battlefield."
Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo are heading back out on tour this summer. Get all the dates here.