Chris Jericho Talks Learning Life Lessons From Vince, Earning Respect For Fozzy, More

WWE Superstar and Fozzy lead singer Chris Jericho recently spoke to Tom Power about getting respect for his band, working for Vince McMahon, and more:

Jericho on his band booking a festival where he was also asked to wrestle: “It was the biggest festival in Germany… 80,000 people. They also have a wrestling tent because it’s a festival. So they have tattoos, and a midway, and there’s food, and there’s rides, and there’s wrestling. So the only way [they would book us] is if Jericho also wrestles. I’m like absolutely not, there’s no way; you don’t combine church and state. This is not a gimmick; Fozzy’s not a wrestling band. It’s either one or the other.”

Jericho on his concern of people not taking Fozzy seriously as a band because of his work as a wrestler: “I’m worried that people won’t take us seriously… I talked to Rob Zombie about this when he started directing movies. People were very mad it him, ‘How can you direct movies? You’re supposed to be playing in the Rob Zombie band, you’re a musician.’ Sometimes people don’t want you to dip your chocolate in the peanut butter, but my attitude was, it’s the brand of Jericho. It’s all of these things under the banner. You don’t combine them, but why can’t I be a great rock and roll singer and be a wrestler. I am, I’m not being a jerk about it. I’ll sing with Axel Rose tomorrow if I have to, that’s my wheelhouse, and then I can go have a five-star match with Shawn Michaels.”

Jericho on Vince McMahon teaching The Rock future lessons on life: “You talk about someone like The Rock who goes to Hollywood and it’s like, ‘This guy’s work-ethic is incredible! He’s the greatest in the crew, he buys presents for the catering ladies, he does all the press, he’s tireless.’ It’s because that’s the way that our boss is. No matter if you work for Vince and go off and never work for him again, he’s always our boss in the back of our minds because he does teach us how to make it. He told me once, ‘I’m not just trying to give you lessons about wrestling, I’m giving you lessons on life.’ That’s what he’s done for us and that’s why we have such a great work ethic.”

Jericho on a lost episode he hosted of America’s Funniest Home Videos: “Somewhere out there there’s an actual episode America’s Funniest Home Videos hosted by Chris Jericho in front of the audience. We did everything, the voiceovers; the whole thing. It was beyond an audition. It was great, once I got to that point, it was mine, I had it. Everything was going my way until there was a last-second swerve and guess what? I don’t get it. A year and a half of work is summed up in a 45-second phone call, ‘Sorry, we’re going with somebody else.’ This was just two years ago, it was crushing, it crushed me. From a mainstream standpoint, from a prestige standpoint, for finally getting this big gig outside of all these other things that I do, the money was crazy for three weeks of work… But, the principle is that you got to let it go, you can’t let it ruin your life.”