I don't have a photo of him as there was little or no photography back then. He dressed like Jimi Hendrix. Brightly colored long sleeve shirt, fringe leather vest, and a Navajo style, black felt hat with a beaded band.
The Street Singer played rhythm guitar in a trio with a Latino guy in fatigues who played lead on a nylon string guitar and a white guy who played bongos.
Two images that resonated with me were created by Romare Bearden (1911-1988) an artist, author and songwriter.
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| Three Folk Musicians: 1967 Collage/Painting |
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| Soul Three: 1968 Paper and fabric collage on board |
His musical style was rough, raw and passionate. I don't remember their playlist except for "Hey Joe" and "All Along the Watchtower." Between songs, he would 'rap' in the archaic sense of stoner culture. Free associating and letting the words drift in and out of consciousness. Here is one I remember. Sort of.
Attention man. That is the strongest drug of all. That's what we crave. We want to be recognized. We are searching in our minds for someone to lift us up and out and tell us that we are here and that we matter.
Judy Garland died from it. She had too much attention. Then too little. Then drugs, alcohol, men, women. It didn't matter. What she needed was attention. When she had received all the attention could be received, she never recovered, man. It was never enough...
He would make these wild connections and I would just nod and probably mutter 'right on.'
He inspired me to sing with passion and make my own wild connections. Whoever and wherever he is, he joins these three artists on my Mount Rushmore.
Here is what I think I remember.
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