Bruce Hornsby Shares The Stories Behind 'Non-Secure Connection'

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Bruce Hornsby Sarah Walor/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

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Sarah Walor/Courtesy of the artist

Bruce Hornsby

Sarah Walor/Courtesy of the artist

I could listen to Bruce Hornsby tell me stories all day. He's the type of guy you'd want sitting at the end of the bar, entertaining you with tales seemingly too good to be true, like for instance, having his 1986 hit song "The Way It Is" sampled by Tupac Shakur, making it an even bigger smash. Or the time he spent playing in the Grateful Dead. Or how he bested basketball legend Allen Iverson in a game of pickup hoops. The difference between the guy at the end of the bar and Hornsby is that the latter's stories are all true.

Hornsby joined me from his home in Virginia to talk about his latest album, Non-Secure Connection, featuring collaborations with James Mercer of The Shins and the late Leon Russell, with whom he wrote the song "Anything Can Happen" decades ago. Along the way, he'll share some incredible stories about his mom, what makes for a good musical partner, and we'll hear solo live performances.