TNT’s Ronni Le Tekrø On His New Album “Bigfoot TV,” Living On Long Island, Future Plans With TNT, Solo Projects & More
Originally hailing from Norway, Ronni Le Tekrø is considered one of the world’s most influential metal guitarists. Le Tekrø first made waves internationally with the band TNT, yet would later find success as a solo artist, studio musician and in collaboration with jazz guitarist Terje Rypdal. He has sold over four million albums with TNT, and was named one of the world’s 25 best guitarists in 2009 by Guitar World.
Bigfoot TV is Ronni Le Tekrø’s first solo album in six years, and old and new fans alike are in for a treat. Together with his band — Markus O. Klyve (keyboards), Henrik Fossum (drums, percussion), Ove Husemoen (bass), Jon Johannessen – guitar) and Leif Knashaug (vocals) — the music sounds both inspired and vibrant. Le Tekrø’s guitar virtuosity is a red thread through the entire album that is filled with references to TNT and his own prog-rock albums yet also Thin Lizzy, The Beatles and Bowie.
One of the stand-out tracks on Bigfoot TV is “Life on Long Island.” Per Le Tekrø in a prepared statement prior the release of Bigfoot TV: “The summer of ‘84 I arrived the USA for the first time. It had a different scent than Europe, a different shade in the horizon. I loved it once I stepped out of the plane. [DJ] Fingers from WBAB was the first person I shook hands with on U.S. soil. TNT got signed to an international deal with Universal two weeks later. I was young and insecure, but with big dreams. TNT toured that year with The Rods and Kick Axe. The following year I moved in at Bob Icon’s place with his mother Mary — my American mother, I miss her — living there instead of spending time in hotels. They opened up their hearts for me and gave me a true understanding of American life. After that, Long Island was the base for TNT’s career. I miss the island so much and hope I can return someday.”
I had the pleasure of speaking with Ronni Le Tekrø on March 11, 2022 via Zoom, as embedded below. More on Le Tekrø — who I had not spoken with in close to 15 years, after having worked on TNT’s management team in the early 2000s — can be found online by clicking here, here and here.
About the Author
Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."
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