St. Paul & The Broken Bones' Chad Fisher: 5 Questions With One Of Birmingham's Busiest (And Best) Musicians

BIRMINGHAM, AL - The state of Alabama has seen a handful of its local musicians enjoy widespread success in the last several years. There have been two American Idol winners in Reuben Studdard and Taylor Hicks; Alabama-based Jason Isbell and Alabama Shakes have seen their popularity skyrocket beyond the southern U.S. But one could not mention Alabama musicians and not talk about St. Paul & The Broken Bones. The band has made appearances on David Letterman, on BBC, CBS This Morning and opened for the Rolling Stones on their last tour. part of what has made the band so successful is the revival of a genre of music featuring soul-filled vocals and melodies with a vibrant mix of keys and brass.

The brass is where trombone player and Birmingham music scene mainstay Chad Fisher comes in. It is hard for Fisher to go anywhere in Birmingham and not be recognized, and that is not just because of his 6'7" frame. Fisher has been one of Birmingham's hardest working musicians in the last decade. In addition to his own projects and bands, Fisher's talents have been featured anywhere from regional bands to local productions of Les Miserables.

Patch caught up with Fisher to discuss where his music career is heading, where it is, and how it started.

How did you get started in music? What led you here to St. Paul & The Broken Bones?

When I was very young my mother would play piano (ragtime and stuff like that) around the house. She was also the pianist at church. I also spent a lot of time with my grandfather and he loved big band and Dixieland jazz. Those things really stuck with me I think, and when I was 10, I started playing the trombone in school band. I had a really great teacher and after awhile the light bulb went off. Eventually I started playing gigs with my own band and others around Birmingham and regionally, until one day I realized that music was sustaining me financially. I've been doing it ever since.

I knew most of the guys in St. Paul through playing music and also from different social circles. I was approached early on about playing, but was too busy with my own projects at the time to commit to being a regular member. Then one day a couple of years later I got a call from Andrew Lee. He told me Ben Griner had left the band and asked if I could come fill in a few shows, including opening for The Rolling Stones. I was like, "Yeah, I can do that." That was around two and half years ago.

Why the trombone? What about that particular instrument made you stick with it?

Haha...Well, the school's band was very small and needed a trombone player. And I suppose I had long arms. I don't really remember having much choice in the matter. I wanted to play saxophone or drums like every other kid. I do remember that by the end of the year I had gotten pretty good at it for a kid that age. It felt good to be good at something.

What is the most embarrassing moment you have had as a musician?

My first gig with O'Jays. I had to sightread the music on the show and I absolutely bombed it. I was young, inexperienced, and probably a little cocky. The musical director was not happy at all.
Thank God for second chances, though. You don't always get them. I eventually became a pretty regular player in the band and also learned to be prepared.

Being on the road, and being a performer for as long as you have been, surely you have met some pretty famous people. Have you ever had a true dork-out moment meeting a celebrity?

I've had a few actually. I once turned a corner and scared the sh*t out of Dick Clark. I am very tall. He was not.

Probably my favorite was a few years ago, not long after the Tuscaloosa tornadoes. David Letterman and Paul Schaffer put on a surprise benefit concert at Workplay and asked Jason Isbell to headline. I'd worked with Jason a few times by then and he hired me to provide horns that night, since they were playing a few special songs with Paul. I ended up hanging out backstage with Paul for the longest time. He was a super sweet guy. We played the set, which was much fun, then on the break, Jason and I were stepping outside for a moment. Before we could open the door, in came David Letterman and a bodyguard. I shook his hand and he then began lavishing praise on the two of us. It was nuts. I could barely talk. I think I at least managed to eek out a "thank you."

What is the first album you ever purchased?

The Back to the Future soundtrack. On cassette.

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Photo courtesy of Chad Fisher