Ryan Adams Recounts “Summer of ’69” Heckler Incident in New York Times Op-Ed

In the early 2000s, a story circulated about Ryan Adams kicking a heckler out of a concert for requesting “Summer of ’69,” the signature song by the similarly named Bryan Adams. Now, Ryan Adams has written an op-ed for The New York Times recounting his experience that night at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium and, as he writes, “the song that would then follow me for nearly 15 years.”

In the piece, Adams recalls everything about that incident, from the song he was in the middle of performing (“Bartering Lines,” with special guests Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings) to the drunken heckler’s appearance (his eyes were “like two poached eggs waiting to break”). In Adams’ version of events, he takes pity on the heckler and pays him $40 in cash to get him out. After grappling with the incident for years, Adams ends the story on a happy note, celebrating his sobriety in the heckler’s honor and expressing his admiration for Bryan Adams, with whom he shares a birthday. Read the full thing here.

Ryan Adams’ new album Prisoner is out February 17 via Pax Am/Blue Note. He recently announced new tour dates for 2017 and an insane box set that features a functioning play set stage.

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