They played the Grand Ole Opry on February 15, which marked Shatner’s debut on the Grand Ole Opry stage, at the age of 87. “I’ve played a lot of theaters in America, old and new,” he admitted. He noted took a picture of “the circle,” implying the wooden center stage of the Opry. “I took a selfie,” he said, jokingly.
For Shatner, every musical genre and style has “its beauty.” “There is something solid, knowledgeable and understandable about country music that appeals to simplicity,” he said. “Great artist needs to be simple or not, but more understandable.”
He comes from a theater background and he had the vocal cords to do this project, but he doesn’t sing. “I was three years in a classical Shakespeare company and I know how to balance words and make the rhythm of words work and that’s what music is, but it’s extended. There is room for me,” he said.
Shatner noted that he understands the “musicality of the English language,” and he tries to make that work in his benefit.
Country star Neal McCoy and a cappella group Home Free are Shatner and Cook’s special musical guests on the song “Why Not Me,” which was just released to country stations. “I invited country music people to my annual Hollywood Charity Horse Show who responded and were generous. Neal McCoy came twice, and as a result of knowing Neal and what a great performer he is, we asked him to be a performer there, and he agreed,” Shatner said.
Shatner acknowledged that Jeff Cook is a huge fan of Star Trek and he has a huge collection of memorabilia at his house. “Jeff can open a museum actually, and I could make the occasional visit,” he said. “I, on the other hand, have kept nothing.”
From this new album, Shatner has been getting great feedback from people. “The fans love the album and the songs are wonderful. We chose the songs carefully. ‘Beam Me Up’ is a drinking song, there are some fun songs, but there are other songs that touch my heart,” he said.
He acknowledged that the song “Got a Thing for You” was written especially for him. It has a “lovely and catchy melody” and he praised the lyrics for being “terrific.” “It was a joy to sing,” he said. “The songs are terrific and artistic, and they lend themselves.”
Shatner praised his wife’s charity, the All Glory Project, for doing really well. “My wife’s charity is named after a horse that we owned,” he said. “We won 12 world championships with the horse. The All Glory Project deals with veterans.”
When asked if Shatner plays any musical instruments, he joked, “I do. My wife.”
Their album Why Not Me is available on iTunes and on Spotify.
As an actor, Shatner is known for his iconic role as Captain James T. Kirk in Star Trek.
To learn more about William Shatner, check out his Facebook page and website.
