Podcast Summary: takin' a walk

Episode: Singer Songwriter Jim Keller on Music, Creativity and Life

Host: Buzz Knight

Guest: Jim Keller

Date: October 24, 2025

Overview

This episode features singer-songwriter Jim Keller—co-founder of Tommy Tutone and co-writer of the iconic hit "867-5309/Jenny"—as he joins host Buzz Knight for an insightful conversation about his lifelong journey in music, creativity, reinvention, and his latest album, End of the World. Keller reflects on his formative years, career highs and lows, working with legendary artists, and imparts advice on finding joy and longevity in music—and life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Musical Roots and Early Influences

• Family Inspiration:
  • Keller’s great aunt, a music teacher, created a studio full of instruments that inspired his earliest love for music.

    “For me, being musical from the get go, going to her studio...was like heaven.” (Jim Keller, 00:01)

• First Experiences:
  • Started piano lessons around age 5.
  • The Beatles' 1964 Ed Sullivan performance was a pivotal moment:

    “That blew my socks off. And that was it, you know, when they showed up.” (Jim Keller, 07:28)

2. Family and the Spirit of Curiosity

• Keller credits his father with fostering independence and curiosity.

  “He gave me the rope to go off and go wherever I wanted to go and make the mistakes I made and have the successes I had.” (Jim Keller, 06:24)

• Both father and son skipped college, paving their own paths.

3. Adventures in Music Discovery

• Keller recalls sneaking into New York as a teen to see legendary shows at the Fillmore East, catching acts like the Jeff Beck Group, Joe Cocker, and NRBQ.
• Nostalgic for the era’s live “light shows” and the thrill of witnessing legendary bills.

4. Tommy Tutone & “867-5309/Jenny”

• Describes co-writing and recording the song as “lightning in a bottle.”
• Serendipity and a pure, bar-band energy shaped the track’s lasting impact.

  “We arranged it in our own very personal fashion...it has a timelessness...it still sounds like it’s a bunch of guys banging out the song in a garage.” (Jim Keller, 12:02)

• Explains that what set the song apart was its straightforward sound, bucking the trends of '80s production.

5. After the Fame—Crisis and Reinvention

• Post-Tutone, Keller faced years of struggle and self-doubt:

  “Reflection, that’s a very poetic word for being completely broke, not having a clue what to do.” (Jim Keller, 14:13)

• Shifted to production deals and solo work, but stability only appeared much later.

6. A New Phase: Publishing, Management, and Working with Icons

• By chance, began working with composer Philip Glass, then took on roles managing or publishing for Ravi Shankar, Tom Waits, Nico Muhly, and Rufus Wainwright.
• Learned the music publishing world by necessity and self-education, feeling fortunate to work closely with such talent.

7. Lessons from Tom Waits, Philip Glass, Ravi Shankar

• All three described as profoundly smart and original:

  “It’s not an accident...they’re all really smart...if they start talking, I end up listening.” (Jim Keller, 17:24)

8. Returning to the Stage: Creating ‘End of the World’

• Keller stopped playing guitar for nearly a decade, focused on family and a business career.
• Reignited his passion around age 50, resuming regular jam sessions and writing.
• Describes his weekly, invitation-only jam sessions as “ephemeral,” purposefully unrecorded to preserve the authenticity and magic of the moment.

  “Whatever happens in that room is what happens, and it’s ephemeral, and then it’s gone...the people that come into that room, they appreciate that.” (Jim Keller, 25:39)

9. Songwriting Process and Creative Philosophy

• Keller never sets out to write songs about specific topics—the music leads:

  “The song dictates where it’s going to go...I’m not dictating it.” (Jim Keller, 27:58)

• Many new songs reflect on current political and technological climates, approached with a balance of seriousness and humor.
• The importance of the live, collaborative element: players shape songs in the room, and studio sessions remain open and relaxed but deeply committed to craft.

10. Behind the Tracks: Highlights from ‘End of the World’

• Love One Another: Chosen for its groove and emotional resonance; Keller prefers not to dictate meaning to listeners. (Jim Keller, 32:08)
• Got no Time for That: Originated from a decades-old jam, expressing frustrations with technological overload:

  “I’m 71 and I’m roadkill to the technology that we all have to deal with every day.” (Jim Keller, 33:00)

• The ballads from the album are among his favorites due to their personal impact.

11. Reflections on Technology

• Yearns for a less “constant barrage” of digital demands.

  “There’s no reflective time in your day...it was just reactive, which, you know, like an old man complaining.” (Jim Keller, 33:58)

12. Advice on Creativity, Reinvention, and Joy

• Passion and joy must be the root of a music career or any creative endeavor:

  “Find something that you love doing and do it for that reason...If you can take that and move forward with that, that’s great. But the end result can’t be big success. It’s got to start with you being passionate about something and following that passion...” (Jim Keller, 35:15)

• Emphasizes there’s no single measure or expiration for creative fulfillment.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Curiosity is such a key word...that’s where a lot of it came from.” (Jim Keller, 05:18)
• “If you sit around thinking, ‘God, what would it be like if I wrote a song... and then it blows up’…it’s luck...not dumb luck, but just great fortune.” (Jim Keller, 10:36)
• “I got my old job back of being an unemployed musician. And funny enough, it was still available.” (Jim Keller, 22:52)
• “There’s no sell by date on it and there’s no quantification on it, you know, so wherever it happens, however it can happen, that’s where the important stuff is.” (Jim Keller, 36:35)

Important Timestamps

• 00:01 — Early family musical influence
• 05:18 — “Who would you take a walk with?”: tribute to his father
• 07:28 — Early Beatles influence
• 09:08 — Sneaking into NYC shows
• 10:36 — Story behind "867-5309/Jenny"
• 14:13 — Post-fame struggles and reinvention
• 15:29 — Entering publishing/management with Philip Glass, Tom Waits, Ravi Shankar
• 17:24 — What makes Tom Waits brilliant
• 22:52 — Return to music, jam session philosophy
• 27:58 — Songwriting process for ‘End of the World’
• 32:08–33:53 — Inside tracks: "Love One Another", "Got no Time for That"
• 35:15 — Life advice: Find the joy

Tone & Atmosphere

The episode is warm and conversational, with Keller’s humility, honest humor, and hard-won insight shining through. Buzz Knight’s questions elicit reflective storytelling—balancing nostalgia, reality checks, anecdotes, and encouragement. The dialogue is rich but unpretentious, filled with both practical and philosophical wisdom for musicians and anyone facing reinvention.

Recommended for:
Fans of classic rock, Tommy Tutone, anyone interested in personal growth, creative careers, or behind-the-scenes stories of the music industry.