George Thorogood & The Destroyers -1 Bourbon, 1 Scotch, 1 Beer

Live on Rockpalast - German TV http://www.georgethorogood.com/

George Thorogood is always looking for the perfect George Thorogood song - even if it wasn’t his to begin with.

Although he’s had several hits of his own, Thorogood might be best known for turning blues tunes into palatable and groovy songs that have become staples of classic rock radio stations around the country. He has made a career out of singing songs such as John Lee Hooker’s “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer,” Bo Diddley’s “Who Do You Love” and a bluesed-up version of Hank Williams’ “Move It On Over.”

For this, he makes no apologies, he says by phone on a recent break between concerts.

First, when he was learning the guitar, the songs of Elmore James and John Lee Hooker were the quickest for him to play. Second, there were dozens of artists trying the same thing he was.

“There was a market for it.

It was en vogue. They were all doing that, and they were all playing at the Fillmore (Auditorium, a famous music venue in California),” he says.

But, as Thorogood is quick to point out, he’s among the last of his breed. After more than a dozen albums spanning a 35-year career and several million albums sold, Thorogood is still hard at work and still touring with his longtime backing band, The Destroyers. The group’s current road trip will bring them to engagements in Canada, California, much of the South and, on Sunday, Fayetteville for a performance at the Walton Arts Center as part of the venue’s “George’s Presents” series.

Thorogood is touring insupport of his latest release “The Dirty Dozen,” which, like many of his previous efforts, mines heavily from the classics. Included on the album are cuts originated by Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Bo Diddley and more.

Thorogood describes the song-selection process as something that’s painstakingly done. Only a song that feels like a George Thorogood tune is chosen.

“I’m like an actor who picks a script,” he says. “You pick something you can do.”

Criteria include how it sounds when backed by The Destroyers and also whether the publishing rights associated with the song will make it easy to record again.

Thorogood isn’t concerned with how well known the songs are in the first place.

He points to a song such as “One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer,” which Thorogood covered for his eponymous 1979 album. In 1979, that song wasn’t very popular, he argues.

“They aren’t classics. I make them classics,” he says.

Although he found popularity with covers and songs of his own creation, such as “Bad to the Bone” and “I Drink Alone,” Thorogood earned an equal reputation as a tireless touring act. In 1981, he and his band completed the 50 in 50 tour, which took them to 50 gigs in 50 consecutive days in 50 different states. That tour came to the long-gone Library Club in Fayetteville, where Thorogood estimates that 125 were in attendance.

The next night, the bandplayed for almost 80,000 at the Superdome in New Orleans, he says.

When he plays Fayetteville on Sunday, Thorogood promises to follow the same philosophy he did then. It’s worked so far.

“I’m just trying to catch them onto a groovy song,” he says.

LISTEN HERE!

GEORGE THOROGOOD

Date & Showtime: 7 p.m.

Sunday

Venue: Walton Arts Center, 495 W. Dickson St. in Fayetteville

Admission: $25.50-$100.50

FOR TICKETS, CALL 443-5600 OR VISIT WWW.WALTONARTSCENTER.ORG.