Rock star Huey Lewis on his new Broadway show - and what he hates to spend money on

By Charles Passy

The '80s hitmaker, who has found a new life on Broadway, chatted with MarketWatch about his views on money, fame and making your way in the music business

It's hip to be Huey.

Huey Lewis, that is - the pop star of Huey Lewis and the News fame. During its 1980s heyday, his band scored hit after hit with such memorable songs as "Stuck With You," "I Want a New Drug," "The Power of Love" and, yes, "It's Hip to be Square."

Now the 73-year-old Lewis is hot again, but in a whole different way. His band's hit songs, many of which Lewis wrote, are featured in a new jukebox-style Broadway musical, "The Heart of Rock and Roll" - a show in which the pop star has also played a key developmental role.

While the retro-themed musical, which looks at life in the corporate world versus the music business, has suffered at the box office, it's been a hit with critics, who have praised its fun-loving sensibility. "A hot-pink version of the 1980s," one reviewer called it.

The song "The Power of Love" is also part of another Broadway show, a stage version of "Back to the Future," the classic 1985 movie that originally showcased "Power" as its theme song. Lewis's chart-topping tune garnered an Oscar nomination that year but lost out to Lionel Richie's "Say You, Say Me" from the film "White Nights."

And Lewis makes a memorable appearance in the recent Netflix (NFLX) documentary "The Greatest Night in Pop," about the making of the 1985 charity single "We Are the World."

But Lewis hasn't had an easy time of it in recent years. The singer-songwriter has struggled with hearing loss - he suffers from a condition called Ménière's disease - and has curtailed his performance career as a result.

Still, he's been busy with various projects - that is, when he's not spending time at his Montana home engaging in his favorite pastime, fly fishing. MarketWatch caught up with Lewis last week during one of his visits to New York, where he was checking in on the production of "The Heart of Rock and Roll." We chatted about the musical, his career and his views on money, among other subjects.

Here are edited excerpts from the conversation.

MarketWatch: What has made "The Heart of Rock and Roll" show so appealing to some critics and fans?

Huey Lewis: We've been saying it might not change your life, but it will change your evening. But having said that, I do fight for the idea that there's a real story there, and without the story, nothing works.

MarketWatch: Did you ever think back in your rock heyday that you'd have not one but two Broadway shows that incorporate your songs?

Lewis: Of course not. The curious thing is that the "Back to the Future" finale is "Power of Love," and ["The Heart of Rock and Roll"] finale is "Power of Love." Their show is like 10 minutes longer than ours. But if they start on time and we start 10 minutes late, there's a possibility and even a probability that "Power of Love" is playing in two theaters at the same time.

MarketWatch: Given that the show's ticket sales have not been gangbusters, what has the experience with "The Heart of Rock and Roll" taught you about Broadway?

Lewis: It's a winner-take-all business. There's only room for so many at the top. It's also a labor of love from the top all the way down. I mean, look at the talent in our cast - believe me, they are not doing it for money. They sing, they dance, they act, they are remarkably talented. And again, they are definitely not doing it for money.

MarketWatch: Everyone has talked about your moment in the "We Are the World" documentary. Tell us about what you shared in the film and what it showed of your experience back in 1985.

Lewis: Imagine, I'm 31 years old and I realize that this is the career event of my life. And 39 years later, I was right. I mean [being there with] Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Lionel Richie, Michael Jackson and on and on. It was just an amazing evening. The memories are still very fresh. I was nervous out of my mind. The documentary doesn't show it, but while I'm singing, my right leg is literally shaking. I was thinking, "Oh man, let's just get me out of here. Let me nail this line and get out of here!"

MarketWatch: Millions of Americans struggle with hearing loss. You started experiencing problems some years ago. What have been the biggest challenges and the best ways to confront them?

Lewis: It's changed me as a person. I was much more social. I'm very outgoing, and now I can't hear much. So it was a bitter pill for months. I had a very horrible [first] six months, pretty much stayed in bed. Tried different protocols, none of which worked. And finally, you've got to get on with life and remind yourself there's a lot of people worse off than you. And I'm still a lucky guy. Years one through 65 were off the charts. It's amazing what you can get used to.

MarketWatch: You scored 800 on your math SATs in high school, and I gather you were quite the academic achiever and got accepted into Cornell. So why did you decide on a career in rock instead?

Lewis: My father required me to take a year off and bum around Europe. I was playing harmonica already. My mother was a beatnik-turned-hippie, and she gave me a Bob Dylan record and said, "The poets really love this guy. Check him out." And I was off [on a career in music].

MarketWatch: Is there a lesson in this for young people? Do you think bumming around can actually lead to success?

Lewis: I think the idea is that if you don't get off the conveyor belt at a certain point, you wind up in your 30s wishing you were a harmonica player or something else. I don't think it hurts ever to take a year and distill.

MarketWatch: What's the best piece of financial advice you've ever gotten?

Lewis: It's not how much you earn. It's how much you save.

MarketWatch: So are you a good saver?

Lewis: I am. I'm pretty frugal. I don't care about money, to be honest. I do things for other reasons.

MarketWatch: That being said, what do you like to splurge on?

Lewis: Fly-fishing gear. For my birthday coming up, I've just splurged on a brand new drift raft. It's state of the art. I get delivery in three weeks.

MarketWatch: Conversely, what do you hate spending money on?

Lewis: I'm trying to think. Gosh, that's a tough one for me. [Long pause.] Dog grooming. I bet you haven't gotten that answer. [Editor's note: Indeed, we haven't heard that response in any of our many celebrity Q&As.]

MarketWatch: You've conquered the rock world. You've been on Broadway. What's next for you? Do you have other projects in the works?

Lewis: I have a TV show idea, actually. A comedy. Jimmy Kimmel and Aaron Kaplan are going to produce it. We've sold it initially to Fox.

-Charles Passy

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06-01-24 1035ET

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