Johnny Depp, your four-years running People's Choice Favorite Male Movie Star, showed off that chest that makes the ladies swoon on the cover of Rolling Stone. In the magazine, the topic at hand is his musical career rather than acting, since he made such a splash showing off his pipes in Sweeney Todd. Plus, he's been playing the guitar since he was a kid. Here are highlights:
How did listening to music become making music?
When I was twelve, I talked my mom into picking up a Decca electric guitar for me for twenty-five dollars. It had a little blue plush amp. And then, this is horrible, the first thing I did was steal a Mel Bay chord book. I went to this store, stuffed it down my pants and walked out. It had pictures — that's why I needed it so badly, because it was immediate gratification. If I could match those photographs, then I was golden. I conquered it in days. I locked the bedroom door, didn't leave, and taught myself how to play chords. I started learning songs by ear.
To read more from Johnny about his first band and finding his passion, just read more.
What was your first band?
When I was about thirteen, I got together with some other kids in the neighborhood. This one guy had a bass, we knew a guy who had a PA system, we made our own lights. It was really ramshackle and great. We'd play at people's backyard parties. Everything from the Beatles to Led Zeppelin to Cheap Trick to Devo — and "Johnny B. Goode" was the closer.You've got that wistful look in your eyes.
You're thirteen years old and you're playing rock & roll. Loud. Poorly. But somebody's letting you do it in their back yard. And it was absolute perfection. It was freedom. Right off the bat, there was no question: I had found my future.
Once a performer, always a performer. And it sounds like the world just can't get enough of Mr. Depp. Time to get the old band back together?
He is drop dead gorgeous. Always has been, always will be!
oh hello beautiful