Malcolm Bruce Reflects On Growing Up With Father Jack Bruce, Legendary Cream Bassist

17 May 2017 | 3:10 pm | Rod Whitfield

"My dad was an interesting character, and like a lot of great artists he was a difficult guy, but at the same time he was very loving."

It's been half a century since the phenomenal, 'burn bright, burn out' career of the legendary British psychedelic blues-rock supergroup Cream, a band that featured the illustrious talents of Eric Clapton on guitar, Ginger Baker on drums and Jack Bruce on bass and vocals. Bruce passed away in 2014, and his son Malcolm is putting together a massive tribute to his father and the band's legacy, a tour called The Music Of Cream.

The gravity of such a milestone is definitely not lost on Bruce. "Yep, it's older than me!" he laughs.

So what are your memories of growing up with your famous dad?

"Well to me, he was just my dad, so a lot of it was just normal, like any family. But I guess there were a lot of really amazing things that were around me, amazing musicians, I saw lots of gigs, people like [jazz drummer] Tony Williams would stay with us.

Don't miss a beat with our FREE daily newsletter

"Plus there were a lot of great memories of making music with my dad at home, just improvising together, writing and recording together, I played gigs with him growing up. It was all good.

"I'm not going to say it wasn't a challenge growing up in that sort of situation. My dad was an interesting character, and like a lot of great artists he was a difficult guy, but at the same time he was very loving.

"I've had to go through a lot of changes, a lot of growth myself to kind of come out of his shadow, which is what I'm finally doing. I've got [a] solo record coming out, so I'm following my own path now, and having this opportunity to come over and play Australia and New Zealand is just an amazing opportunity."

How inspiring was it to your own music career to have a father like that around?

"It was very inspiring. I always had quite a difficult relationship with my dad. My parents split up when I was about ten, so I wasn't living with him full time. He had his own challenges, his own issues, his own life. He re-married, so it was a challenging relationship. Neither of us are the easiest people to have a relationship with.

"But what we shared was music, and it was an incredible bond we had through music. We made an album when I was 13, at home on a four-track, and we'd always just play together, piano and Hammond organ, or piano and guitar, or just make up music, talk about music and share things. What we had was a beautiful thing, and I can't really replicate it with anyone else.

"To me, the most impressive thing that my dad achieved was the writing. That's what I would like to see remain in the public eye."