Roger Bartlett Interview on The Paul Leslie Hour

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If I had a dollar to wager, I’d say that you’re here, *Pause* tuned into The Paul Leslie Hour!

We’ve got an interview with Roger Bartlett that originally went out on the radio. It’s been tucked since 2007, but now it’s a pleasure to bring this to you.

You’re about to hear your host Paul’s interview with songwriter and guitarist Roger Bartlett. Roger Bartlett is a solo artist and was also the front man for the band Hell’s Kitchen.

Oh, Roger was also the very first ever member of Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band. Interesting, isn’t it?

Let’s have a little history lesson. Back in the beginning, Jimmy Buffett typically performed solo, then would sometimes have harmonicist Greg “Fingers” Taylor informally sit in.

Then in 1974, Buffett started his first official Coral Reefer Band…with just one other musician. Accompanying Buffett was Roger Bartlett on guitar. The next year, Buffett added Harry Dailey on bass, Philip Fajardo on drums, and Fingers Taylor on harmonica and keyboards. Since he was the first band member, Roger Bartlett is known as the original guitarist of Jimmy Buffett’s Coral Reefer Band.

We hope you enjoy this in-depth interview with Roger Bartlett. In addition to talking about the old days of Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefer Band, he talked about his life in Manhattan. Roger talked about his songs, which have appeared in some unusual places, including the movie “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”

Roger Barlett will tell you about his childhood in Louisiana, as the son of Ray Bartlett, famed radio host of the show “Groovey Boy, The Boogie Master.”

Before we begin the interview, we would like to invite you to please subscribe to Paul Leslie’s YouTube channel. It’s free and we've got dozens more interviews and reviews that will be added by the end of 2023. We thank you for subscribing! It helps us both.

And with that, there’s really only one thing left to do. Let’s begin the interview with Roger Bartlett.