ROCK 'N' ROLL Money's kids steal his show

The comedian refused to have his family in a reality show.
By JOHN BENSON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
After nearly 30 years, Eddie Money still loves to rock and roll the place.
"It's a lot of fun," said Money, calling from Florida. "I keep my weight down. I'm not smoking a million cigarettes. I have my sobriety pretty much intact. So I get out there and what people really love is the material. I get off on the fact that everybody is having a good time and they love the show."
What makes Money's current set unique is the fact it's become a family affair with his 17-year-old daughter, Jessica, and 10-year-son, Julian, stealing the limelight every night. In part this speaks to Money's appeal, having, like many other baby boomers, survived youthful wilder times and settled into domesticity.
More so, throughout his career, Money has consistently recorded songs for the common man, commenting on the struggles of everyday life with anthems of hope. His hit songs include "Two Tickets to Paradise," "Baby Hold On," "Wanna Go Back" and "Shakin'." Still, it's been a bumpy road.
Learned a lesson
"There was a time in my life when I was making $1,000 a minute for a 75-minute stage show," Money said. "But then I had to overdose. And my insurance company wouldn't pay for it because an overdose is like a suicide. So it cost me $3.5 million; every penny I had in the bank got eaten up. But you know what, you have to take the good with the bad. I never really did this for money anyway. I do this because it's a lot of fun. If I never got a record deal, I'd still be in a bar band."
You can hear the truth of his words and sentiment on Money's latest release, "Wanna Go Back," a cover album spanning the music that inspired a kid named Eddie Mahoney from Long Island in the late '60s to be a rock 'n' roll star. Tracks such as The Rascals' "Good Lovin'," and Jackie Wilson's "Higher & amp; Higher" sound perfect alongside his hits from the '70s and '80s.
"I don't know if it's a rock 'n' roll revival or whatever the hell it is, but people are being super-responsive to my music lately," Money said. "I guess I owe a lot of my success to the quality of the show. They're getting a good show from me. I'm not out there all coked up or drunk and I got a great rock 'n' roll band. I really think if you make it down to the show you're going to have a really good time." Money performs May 13 at Conneaut Lake.
Considering it's been nearly two decades since the 57-year-old singer has had a legitimate hit album, his bread and butter is the live show. However, hearing Money talk about his wife and kids makes you wonder why he hasn't taken a lucrative walk down the reality television road. Money is a natural-born comedian whose backstage and home life has to be more interesting than any formulaic episodic television show. In fact, ABC-TV executives made him an offer that he, surprisingly, flatly refused.
Laughed Money, "You know what, a house with five or six other people and all of that BS, I have better things to do with my life than to be on television."