On January, 17th you start your “Forever yours” – tour through 10 cities in Germany. Like other international artists I spoke to, you seem to have a very strong bond to Germany and your fans here. What´s makes this country so special? Are the fans in other countries are so different in compare to the German fans?

To be honest, outside of America where I’m an independent artist, Germany was the birth place of my solo album. EMI in Germany really believed in me and the music and we were able to make big things happen together. I owe so much to my fans in Germany for loving and supporting my music and pushing radio to play my songs. Without their devotion, I don’t know that I would be able to be going back for my 3rd headlining tour on the same album. And as far as my fans in other countries, I think the passion and devotion is pretty similar… they just need the chance to see me live and actually be able to buy my music in their countries. Which of course, I’m working like crazy to make happen!

In your press release you say, that’s this tour is the final tour of your first album and that you have new music to come. Can we expect some of this new material already on this tour?  What are the further plans for 2012? A new album? Festival appearances and another tour later in the year?

Yes! I will be playing a couple new songs that I have written and recorded the in the past couple months. I’m really looking forward to seeing the crowd’s reaction to the songs and getting their feedback. This will pretty much be the first true new music they have heard from me that was actually written within the year, unlike my solo album that had songs I had written and recorded 5 years prior. For the rest of 2012, I will be releasing a 5 song EP with the top production music company Killer Tracks, finishing up my 2nd album, and hopefully get touring in other parts of the world:).

You released your first solo album “We’ve all been there” on your own label AMB which is distributed through EMI. In compare to what you all went through with your old label, it must be a huge relief to be your own boss now?

It is a big relief to be my own boss and truly have a say in what is going on with my music. It’s definitely a lot more work and a big learning process. I’m still figuring out how things work and trying so hard to get to where I want to be. With being my own boss, comes being self funded so it’s definitely hard to make things happen at points with the money I have. I’ve put everything into this album and want it to get a chance to be heard and seen live by my fans worldwide. Sadly, we are now seeing a time in the industry where labels are bankrupt and not capable of giving music like mine and tons of other artists the chance it deserves.

Are you writing songs for other artists? Do you have plans for producing and publishing other bands but your own on your label or do you prefer just using it for your own music?
Right now, I’m just writing for myself and my upcoming album. I do write for other artists from time to time and really enjoy playing around with different styles. In the future, I would love to expand AMB Records and sign some artists. At the moment, I just have so much on my plate with my own music that it won’t happen in the next year or two.

Because of some very personal experiences you decided to support the Donate life America organization and even founded your own fund. In Germany we have a big political discussion about organ donation at the moment. To increase the number of organ donors the government is working on a draft for a law, where people have to be asked once in their lifetime, if they want to become organ donors or not. That could happen for example when they apply for their drivers licence, a passport or the health insurance card. They then get registered as donors or no donors. What do you think of that idea? How does the donation system work in the US and are you registered as an organ donor?  And which organs would you donate and which not?

I think that any form of signing up to be a donor is a GREAT thing and should be done. I am happy to hear that Germany is moving towards making that happen. In the US, when you sign up to get your driver´s license you are asked to become a donor. At any point in time you can go online and register as well. I am absolutely a donor and even have a tattoo on my arm that says, “Donate Life!” I truly believe in donating your organs and saving lives of those who need it. I think it’s something like 79 organ transplants take place each day in the US and people are still waiting and losing their lives from the shortage of donors. It’s so easy to make a difference in others lives, even when we are no longer here.

Even as you are very popular in Germany already, many people might just recognize you and your voice from the hit “Whereever you will go”. That song is now released in a very interesting version by Charlene Soraia. What do you think of cover versions of your own songs, especially if they are so special like this?  And which songs you would like to cover yourself? As a big U2 fan your versions of “With or without you” or “Sunday bloody sunday” would be something.

I really enjoy listening to covers of my songs. I think it is an honor that there are people out there who like my music enough to want to recreate it themselves. Charlene’s version is a beautiful cover done very differently than anything I’ve ever heard. It really suited the message behind that advertisement it was created for! I’ve done a couple cover songs in the past few years and put them on my YouTube page, but what I would really like to cover someday would be “With or Without You” by U2. Pretty funny that you mentioned that one for me!

Your family has a huge movie business background. Your songs have been used in TV shows and movies and you even acted yourself a bit sometimes. Which movies or TV series you like to watch and for which kind of TV series, show or movie you would like to write the title song?

Man, I can’t even remember the last time I actually sat down and watched TV. One show my wife and I really got into was The Walking Dead and I know the second season just started, I’d love to watch that again when things calm down a bit! I don’t have a specific choice of a show or movie that I would like to have the theme song for. If a show wanted to use one of my songs or asked me to write a song for them I would love that! Having my song “Only One” used twice on The Vampire Diaries was really cool. Things like that are more than I could ask for!

In job interviews they sometimes ask “Where do you see yourself in five years from now?” Could you and how would you answer a question like that for you at the moment?

That’s a tough one, 5 years from now I hope to still be making music that is released worldwide. I’d also really love to be a dad and have a family that I come home to when I’m not on tour:)

More information about Alex you find on alexband.net, alex-max-band.de, alexmaxband.com

Update: At the beginning 12 concerts were planned, but the concerts in Dresden and Leipzig have been canceled. Alex invites all fans who bought tickets for the shows in Leipzig or Dresden to come to the show in Berlin. For more details go on his website. The first one mentioned above.

Update 2: Because of health problems Alex canceled the rest of the tour after saturday 20th. Everybody who has tickets will be able to see him when he is back with new tour dates.

I really like your new songs The Restless Kind and Tears in My Eyes. How much of your personal self are in these songs? Are you a restless kind of person?

Fred is the restless kind. He is always pretty restless. I´m pretty laid back.

Your German management told me that Fred contacted you and sent you the song The Restless Kind. Is it unusual for you that somebody from Germany sends you his songs and wants to work with you?

Not really. But Fred was the first person who was really doing it. We met on the Internet, on My Space and we started writing back and forth and that led to another and here I am.

You have more plans ahead. Maybe make an album?

Yeah, we started a band. It´s called One Man´s Trash. That’s the name of the band. It comes from the old saying: One man´s trash is the other man´s treasure. What for someone is trash, for someone else it´s cool.

That means that you have to come to Germany more often?

Yes I have been to Germany a lot lately because of it. I love it here.

Do you have some history with Survivor in Germany?  Like a big fan base?

Survivor never played in Germany very often. We did a lot of TV Shows and a lot of press here and kind of a few shows, but not whole a lot. I am doing a lot more shows now in Germany then I did with Survivor.

You had a very successful time with Survivor. Especially the hit anthems for Rocky III and IV and Karate Kid stick out. And later on you wrote with I´m Always Here another worldwide hit for the TV Show Baywatch. What I want to know is, how does it work?  Do the studio bosses or producers come to you because you already had a big hit with Eye of the Tiger and now want a follow up or have already made up their minds and choose you because your kind of music would fit for the movie or TV show in the making?

They pretty much contact me directly and ask me if I could write the song for this TV show or that movie and it´s usually over the Internet how they get in contact with me.  Especially Myspace works still pretty well for that. And lately I was even offered to play a part in a movie. So I am going to audition for it. Don’t know if I’ll make it or not, but I’ll give it a shot.

We are here to promote your upcoming shows in Germany, especially the ones in fall. What can the fans expect from your shows? Tell us a little bit about it.

We will have a lot of new songs. Some are not even finished yet, but they will be then. And of course a lot of the old hits like Eye of the Tiger, Burning Heart and many more. Everybody who comes, can expect a great show.

What is your opinion about what´s going on in the music business right now? Did you have it easier in your career as a young artist or do you think young artists today have more and better possibilities because of the Internet?

Music today is nothing else then self promotion. You have to get on the Internet. You have to push your songs out there. You pretty much have to give your songs away, so that the people can recognize you. There is so much music out there. It’s hard to be heard above the songs.  So you have to push and push and push yourself to the public. So like I said, give your songs away if you have to, to get them heard, unless you are signed to a giant label, which hardly anybody is anymore.  It’s really hard to get your music out there.  So you have to self promote, self promote, self promote. If you are already known you don´t have to have a big label anymore, but if you are not, it´s tough.

Jimi and Fred also mentioned that they want to play a lot of festivals in 2012. So we will probably see them more often next year. We also spoke about his activities for charities and how he helped to keep the website melodicrock.com online and how he made some videos to support the victims of the tsunami in Japan. We spoke about his roots in Memphis and that his kids are all in music as well and make the same money with jingles then he did when he started. But because I read almost every interview he gave in the last three years, many questions I had where already answered in the past, so I didn´t ask him again, which he very much appreciated.

The show itself was great. The band is fantastic. The drummer played an unbelievable solo and Fred on the guitar is also a show. I just can recommend that everyone to go to their concerts and download their new songs from Itunes. More info about Jimi, Fred and One Man´s Trash you find here: www.voice-of-tiger.de, www.jimijamison.com;  www.starhousemusic.com

In the second part of the interview he told me more about the great time he had during the Joe Cocker tour in 2005 in Germany and how he fell in love with the home country of his great grand father. Also he told me his thoughts about the  music business and what makes him happy in his profession.

In the very interesting Interview with Charlotte Magazine you said that you can´t stand major record companies and that you do your own deals with independent labels now, like with the current album. But these times with iTunes, Amazon and artists releasing songs and albums on their own websites, do you really need a record company anymore?

I am friend with a guy who is the president of a major label. I worked for him as producer and consulted him. Two days ago for example we talked on the phone about the state of the music business and stuff and he said “You know, the days when I see a band in a club and think that is great band I want to break this band, I can´t do that anymore. The only way I sign somebody is, when they done a lot of the legwork on themself. When they have an x-number of hits on their website, have a viral presence and builded a fan base on their own. Then I might come in and help out and distribute a record.”

So what we called artist development. It´s gone. If there is no artist development and you can hire independent radio people, independent press people, independent marketing people, what you need a record company for? So that they can take your money? Especially for an artist like me, who don´t need somebody to give me money to make a record. I can hire all the individual people. It makes perfect sense not to make deals with a major record company.

But for young artists it´s sad. I wish I could see the light at the end of the tunnel. But I don´t see it. I only think, it´s get darker.

When you toured with Joe Cocker in 2005 I heard that you walked through the cities you visited?

Every morning I walked in every town we were ever in. I find a coffee place, write in my journal, write lyrics and wander through every town we were in. When we were in Berlin, we had three days, because Joe was playing a big arena here. One of these three days I spent the entire day on a bicycle tour. One day were driving to Frankfurt and my driver made a suggestion for a little detour to Heidelberg, because he knew I loved the Starbucks coffee shops and they had one there. We stopped and I looked and said, no, no, we gonna be here longer, because I need to walk. And I fell in love with Heidelberg. Never even heard of that place until that day. I had that with almost every town I was in. I found so much beauty here, that I never saw. I just greatful to took that tour. Because it was good for my head. But it also bonded with me Germany for the first time, because the first time I saw it and I have been here twenty times.

You write and produce a lot for other artists. Among them guys like Chris Daughtry, Jason Wade from Lifehouse or Chad Krueger from Nickelback. A lot of people who might know you as the Right here Waiting and Ready to fly guy would be surprised to hear that. If you would let them using your songs like Part of me or From the inside from your new Emotional remains album, they probably would become great chart and airplay hits. But why you not just promote them yourself?

You know, I love singing. I love being in the studio and making records. I don´t really look into the idea of chasing another hit song. I had ten years where I really had a lot of hit songs. For me chasing another hit song feels a little creepy. If it happens it´s great. But for me it´s really just about coming and singing. Showing up every year and half saying “Hi I got few new songs I am exciting about and want to sing for you”. I´m done making plans, like career plans. Really now it´s about having fun. And I think the new music which is coming out of me it´s probably gonna get channelled more and more into other artists. I always write and record stuff but I don´t have any expectations for it. It comes with age. You figure out what´s important and what´s not. Writing better songs is important for me. And If I feel the songwriting is getting, than that makes me happy.

To give all Richard Marx fans the chance to read what he told me on that day, I asked his manager at the concert night in Munich, if I were allowed to publish it on my website as well, which he did. And because I want all international fans of Richard to be able to read it, I publish the original version and not in the german translation.

So let´s start with part 1 of the interview. Part 2 will be published on November, 16th.

When I type in your name in these Internetradios, where they then play your songs and other artists which they think are related, the only music I hear are songs from the eighties. Is this a good way to be remembered or you think it´s completely unfair, because your career didn´t just end in the eighties?

I totally understand it but it´s definitely just a little peace of the picture. My first record came out in 1987. Even by time with Repeat offender which was the biggest album, the singles ended in 1990. There were a rushing more hit singles in the nineties then there had been in the eighties. When the first records hit, they hit very quickly and simultaneously. And also maybe people get in their mind the picture of me with the mullet. It´s just such and eighties thing. So it´s a little inaccurate but I get, I am used to it. It doesn´t bother me.

A reason for that is probably that not many people in Germany have heard something new from you in years. And now you publish an album with at least four or even five of your greatest hits again and they might think another Best of Album from a star of the past. Even if it has many new songs on it as well. Did you consider in advance that this could happen?

No, the record which is out here right now, we put together after we decided to the show. I started to this Stories to tell show this year. And it´s kind of a natural evolution.

For years and years I always did this band shows and never thought of doing anything else. A few years ago I did a couple of benefit shows and I didn´t want to waste money, wanted to give it to the charities. So I told them I could do about 30 minutes. And it´s just me and maybe one or two other guitar players. Make it smaller. We did this a few times and then couple of years ago I started doing some shows with my friend Matt Scanell from the band Vertical Horizon. We really started doing shows because we are such good friends, but he lives in L.A. and I live in Chicago. So weren´t seen each other hardly ever. It was a selfish excuse to hang out together. But then people were coming to the shows.

Early in the year my agent said “Why just go and do some solo shows, where it just you.”  And I said I can´t do that. He called me a chicken shit and a coward. “You want me do get you do something, that´s what you gonna do”. So I said I gonna try it but it´s gonna be horrible. We booked some shows down in Florida. And I have to tell you, it was just the greatest. It was just me and the audience. I couldn´t believe I waited so long to do that. And I take these songs, even some of the rock songs and bring them back to where they were I sat down in this room and wrote them. I told a lot stories and just hung out with the audience. It´s just like you came over to my house and let me tell you about when I wrote Endless summer nights and then I gonna play it for you. And it just became that comfortable. I have done fifteen of these shows and then the opportunity came up to come here and do some shows here in Germany and some other places in Europe.

My manager said I should put something out. So I went in the Studio in my house and basically did kind of what the show is. It´s all kind worked together. And then it was also my managers idea to put some of the bonus songs on it which are bunch of songs I wrote for other people like NSYNC, Daughtry, Lifehouse, Keith Urban or Josh Groban.

You start your European tour on Tuesday in Sofia, Bulgaria and after that in Helsinki, Finland and Velje, Denmark before you come back on November 9th for your concert in Cologne. Three unusually places to kick off a European Tour? How did it come to that?

Up until a month ago the one thing which was gonna be different was that show was gonna start in Sofia and then go to Moscow and then to Bucarest. But these shows were gonna be band shows. Then a month ago the Russian government shut down the venue and that was kind of “Ouch”. That were the main reason we were gonna bring the band. So we went to Bucarest and Sofia and asked can we just do the Solo shows and Bucarest said no and Sofia said yes. So it became a whole solo tour.

On Tuesday you will read, what Richard told me about the state of the music business, when he fell in love with Germany and that what makes him happy.