Well I guess it all began on that day back in October of 1950 when I took my first breath of air. I could start my story there but I’m guessing you are more interested in when my career in the music business began. Or at least when the signs that I was heading in that career direction first started showing up.
My first 17 years of life were actually pretty boring and probably not that interesting. As I think back I am now starting to realize that they were the years that formulated me into who I was when I left home to attend college and figuring out where I go from there. I think being born in Chicago and then my family moving to small town Pekin, Illinois when I was just four years old at first seems fairly normal but in hind sight I became the only Jewish boy in a city that had a reputation of racism. My parents moved to Pekin to open a Children’s clothing store called “Younglands – Tots To Teens”. It was strange because most of the main stores in downtown Pekin were all owned by Jews. These where most of the clothing and the furniture stores. Of course the owners all lived in Peoria except for two other families as far as I can now recall. I remember the clothing stores: Allen’s Vogue, Hechts, The Union Store, Youngland’s, The Toggery and the furniture stores: Fredman Brothers and Perlman’s. When I was older and I asked my Dad why we he chose Pekin to move to, He replied because I heard they had great basketball teams……. He was right about that, at least until after I graduated high school in 1968, Pekin Community High School was a State powerhouse winning State championships in two of the four years I was enrolled. Funny once I left high school they never won state again!…… no I never played because as good as I was as shooting hoops, I was never anywhere close to being good enough to make the team! In fact, I was never good enough to make any sports team and believe me, I tried out for all of them except football. Heck I did not even make a little league baseball team. In those days, you had to make a team to play. Now-a-days there is a place for everyone to play depending on your skill level… or…parental influence. Truthfully I believe the latter also helped decide whether you made the teams back in the day, too!
The music thing probably first started off when I was hangin with one of my high school buddies. He lived just down the street from me and we often stayed overnight at his house. His dad always had a cold Falstaff in the refrigerator and cartons of Raleigh cigarettes laying around. Mike played the trumpet in the high school band and we decided we would both take up the guitar. I sucked at it – he was pretty good. About the same time, my sister and her girlfriend were hanging out with one of the most popular bands in the area – THE SHAGS. These guys were one of the top bands in Central Illinois. They even had top 10 hits on radio. The bass player was a guy named Tom Morgan and he had an amp he wanted to sell and somehow I was able to get it…. A Fender Super Reverb!!
So now I had a guitar I couldn’t play and the best amp around! A lot of the local musicians would all gather together in the Johnson’s garage on weekends and jam. I would always get a call to come join them and they would always say, “Make sure you bring your amp!”. They didn’t want me, they wanted my amp! I didn’t mind cause I got to hang out with these guys making amazing music….. So I’d always help carry shit around and help set up equipment. This is were I realized I could be a BEHIND THE SCENES GUY” in the music world
Fast forward to going off to the University…….
It’s the fall of 1968 and I head off to Northern Illinois University with my Fender Super Reverb and a really cool “Vintage” turntable which I would connect to the amp and it would scream an amazing sound to my albums. I’m pretty sure it was a professional BSR turnable right out of a radio station. This set-up was pretty cool because I could add reverb, bass, treble and all kinds of effects. In other words – Let just say I could blow the doors off of Gilbert Hall!
The truth is, I was not a very good student. I guess I was just bored with this type of learning experience. I loved going out at night and hanging in the “Tune Room” in our student center. This is where all the students into music hung out. It didn’t matter if you were a Greek (Frat person) or a Freak (Hippie type) we all got along. By the way, I guess I fit into the Hippie type – in fact I am proud to say it!!
Every night the Greeks filled the dance floor grooving to the juke box – except when The Cryan’ Shames song “The Sailing Ship” would come on. When this happened the Greeks knew to clear out and the Hippies would take over the whole dance floor and perform the Miserlou, an amazing line dance. You could always count on this song to come on at least once every hour. At times there could be fifty, sixty or more all in sync dancing together as one. To us it was a dance of peace, love and togetherness!
I’m sailing my ship away to sea,The stars are guiding me.
I’m going where no one else can be,Across the shining sea.Aahh…
I am that is I was or I shall be,Upon confusing seas.
I’m sailing my ship away to sea,And I’m so lonely,I’m so lonelyI’m lonely
OH FUCK!
REALITY COMES TO MY LIFE!
On May 4, 1970, four students were shot to death by National Guardsmen on the campus of Kent State University. Within hours of the shootings, student demonstrations occurred on campuses all over the United States. On May 4, 8000 students at Northern Illinois University joined in the nation-wide protests with a peaceful student march on downtown DeKalb. However, the demonstrations did not stop there. On May 14 at Jackson State College in Jackson Mississippi, two more student demonstrators were shot and killed. This set off a series of protest events at NIU – My life has now changed forever!
A Major Turning Point….
So now I find myself in a decisive moment of my life. Here I am, 19 years old, a sophomore at the University and seeing a whole new world. This wasn’t Pekin anymore! Torn between going to classes which I hated and activism. If I had it to do over I would go the same path however I finally figured out why I hated my classes at NIU. It was because I took classes that “they” said I should towards a degree. I realize that I should have taken classes that would interest me whether they earned the correct credits towards the degree I chose or not. The education is in life not some regimented school training that someone else determines for you.
Well, I chose activism. Our Country was screwed up. We were in a fucked up war in Viet Nam. The ROTC was taking over our public universities, police brutality, political corruption, racial inequality, women’s rights, drugs and so many earth matters issues. Of course the one savior, the thing that kept me sane was – Music! – – Now this was education!
You may ask, “What was the result of this real education?” – – I flunked out of the university!
The Music In Me…..
Meanwhile at the same time all this was going on, I would really relate to the music of our time…The Beatles, The Stones, Crosby Stills & Nash, Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Buffalo Springfield, Cat Stevens, Neil Young, Van Morrison, Arlo Guthrie, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Peter Paul & Mary, Jefferson Airplane, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Steve Miller Band, Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Pink Floyd, Arthur Brown, Canned Heat, Cactus, Richie Havens – Actually I can go on and on. I guess these are my influencers. So much going on in our society and our music so related. These where the “Protest Singers” of our time!
NIU had an awesome folk music scene on campus. I became very involve in the campus coffee house. We had weekly shows in the student center. I began by just helping out whether it was setting up tables, selling the tickets at the door and even helping set up the stage. Every once in a while I would be asked to, “Bring your amp!”. Yep I still had it.
Every night would feature a variety of performers. We did have a few that were the regulars. the two I remember specifically are Michael Lewis and Gerry Grossman.
Both of these two were/are so talented. Michael was a tall, thin blind piano player and singer. Yes a white Ray Charles! Mike and I became very close friends. Mike went on to become a very recognized music educator, lecture, author and yes performer. Unfortunately we lost touch with each other and when I googled him, I read that he had passed on several, years ago. I have a few stories about Michael and I which I will get into later –
Gerry was a unique player. He was a storyteller, a guitarist, singer and one funny comedian. He was especially known for his recreation performance of Arlo Guthie’s “Alices Restaurant”. I ran into Gerry a few years back. He is still playing the comedy circuit know as Gerry Grossman The Human Jukebox“. You can call out any song and he knows it.
The Blind Man Leading The Way…..
Mike Lewis was a tall lanky man – Think Abe Lincoln. I’m guessing maybe six-four or so. Blinded at a very young age, his eyes were very deeply inset which gave you a very unsettling stare when he took his shades off. A cool unshaven look with a very pronounced musician’s goatee. Man could this guy play the ivory keys and sing. An awesome guy who liked to take journeys.
One day, after his coffee house performance we were talking and he mentioned to me that the Jefferson Airplane were doing a free concert at Grant Park in Chicago. “Wow would that be cool to go to”, I said. Well, Mike replied that we should go and when I said that since we did not have cars nor did I have the money to take a bus, he just gave me his unsettling stare and said, “Just follow me!”.
Mike told me how he never had any problems hitchhiking and all he had to do is hold out his cane and people always stopped and gave him a ride. Next day I found myself standing on Annie Glidden Road with Michael Lewis holding out his cane. In no time, we were on our way to Chicago and Grant Park. I really can’t remember how many car rides it took us to get there but we made it to see the Jefferson Airplane – This 1969 concert was free as it was a tribute to the protesters at the Democratic National Convention which took place the year before in 1968. It was crazy fun, people were everywhere climbing the PA scaffolds and
the roof of the band shell. Of course the cops showed up and were properly booed, but there was not a lot of tension and the concert went on without any problems………did someone mention chocolate mescaline?
At the concert we heard about an “After Show” party being held at the Kinetic Playground which was also called The Electric Theatre. Rumors were going around that Richie Havens was going to be there too! Somehow Mike and I hitched a ride with a couple of guys and we made it and, yes, we saw Richie Havens! – Wow what a night!
By now it was probably 2 or 3 am and we realized we had nowhere to go. We did not have money for a hotel and no way were we in any condition to hitchhike even at this time in the morning. We started asking people if they had a place that we could crash. A hippie couple invited us to come with them and that we could stay at their place for the rest of the night. We went with them to an apartment somewhere near Rush Street. When we walked in, surprise I’ll guess at least 20 or more freaks all tripping out were everywhere in every corner of the apartment. Hendrix blaring out the speakers. Sweet smoke filled the air and here walks in two strangers – an Abe Lincoln like blind person with a cane holding on to a skinny little me . It must have been quite a site if you were hallucinating. I could feel the atmosphere change and the vibes were not so cool. I could feel the paranoia in the air. Within minutes the chick who offered to let us crash came up to me and told me that her friends were freaking out over us and we better leave. 4am in Chicago, on the streets what do we do?
Mike heard the sound of the elevated train and he said, “follow me”. We made our way a couple of blocks and hopped on the El and headed to the downtown Loop. By now it was starting to get light out. Must have been about 5:30am or so. We stepped inside the Sheraton and kind of hung out in the lobby. People were starting to move about so I don’t think we really caused any attention to us just hanging around…..until…. I mentioned to Mike that I see a beautiful white baby grand piano and he told me he wanted to see it! Of course that meant I had to take him over to it so he could touch it. It was kind of amazing to watch as he walked all around the piano touching it, feeling it and really checking it out. Then he sat down and started playing…… Security pounced on us and kicked us out.
No money, very tired and in Chicago’s downtown loop – Here I am with my Abe Lincoln type blind man panhandling on Michigan Avenue. All I wanted was a few bucks for breakfast and a bus ticket back to Dekalb. Mike started singing and I held out my hands asking for “Spare Change?”…… The surprise came when all of a sudden I heard my name. It was one of my professors from school who just happen to be in the city and was walking down Michigan Ave. He gave us enough money to eat and also grab a bus back to Dekalb. This was not the last time I hitchhiked with my dear friend Michael Lewis!
FAST FORWARD TO 1970 …..The End Of My College Career
As I said before, the truth is that I was not a very good student. I guess I was just bored with this type of learning. I seldom went to classes. It seemed like there was always something else to do such as “protest the war in Viet Nam – protest the on campus presence of ROTC – and then, of course, socialize with friends – in other words “PARTY”!
I did make it thru two full years at NIU and I would not change it. I kind of wish I would have taken the education portion a little more seriously as now I know it would have helped the learning curve of being in business for myself. Especially the art of finance and how the system works. So after flunking out of NIU, I went on to the real school – The School of Hard Knocks!
NOT CUT OUT FOR A REAL 9-5
Upon the end of my college career of two fun-time years, I headed back to Pekin. I did not have any real plan of direction for my future so I kind of played it by ear. I got a job at Builders Economy Mart in Peoria. Think of this place as a back-in-the-day Home Depot, Lowes kind of store. You have to understand I was not a do-it-yourself person, especially when it came to home remodeling. It was kind of funny but after working there just a few weeks, I could tell customers how to do just about anything. How to install suspended ceilings, how to build add-on rooms, how to measure and install carpeting, ceramic tile installation, etc. You name it, I could (and still can) tell you how to do it – just don’t ask me to actually do it. Kind of like being a golf instructor that can tell you how to drive a golf ball but can’t do it themself! Wow, that sounds like me today, too – LOL
The best part about being back in Pekin is that, now, I could be with Peggy. We started dating in high school. Yep! We got married and soon after Ian came along. We were the young married couple with child amongst all of our friends. It obviously made me the somewhat “settled down” kid in town. I say that but, what does “settled down” actually mean. We had a cool life with friends and family, too!
This is when I realized I was also not cut out for a real 9-5 type job. Don’t get me wrong, I was a very dependable guy. Never missed a day of work. I learned quick – BUT – I had to be there at 8am six days a week. I knew this could not go on so that is when I decided to do my own business thing. I loved listening to music – There was a huge need in Central Illinois for a real album oriented record store – My son was just born – Thus, Peggy and I opened our first rock record store in Pekin, Illinois in the Summer of 1971 – IAN’S MUSIC PARLOR! From there the rest of my life began!
THE CONCERTS BEGIN
Hey – This all started a long time ago and, even though I have kept some sort of files, I must leave the option open for some of my dates my not be exactly correct.
The music thing probably first started off when I was hangin with one of my high school buddies. He lived just down the street from me and we often stayed overnight at his house. His dad always had a cold Falstaff in the refrigerator and cartons of Raleigh cigarettes laying around. Mike played the trumpet in the high school band and we decided we would both take up the guitar. I sucked at it – he was pretty good. About the same time, my sister and her girlfriend were hanging out with one of the most popular bands in the area – THE SHAGS. These guys were one of the top bands in Central Illinois. They even had top 10 hits on radio. The bass player was a guy named Tom Morgan and he had an amp he wanted to sell and somehow I was able to get it…. A Fender Super Reverb!!
So now I had a guitar I couldn’t play and the best amp around! A lot of the local musicians would all gather together in the Johnson’s garage on weekends and jam. I would always get a call to come join them and they would always say, “Make sure you bring your amp!”. They didn’t want me, they wanted my amp! I didn’t mind cause I got to hang out with these guys making amazing music….. So I’d always help carry shit around and help set up equipment. This is were I realized I could be a BEHIND THE SCENES GUY” in the music world
On May 4, 1970, four students were shot to death by National Guardsmen on the campus of Kent State University. Within hours of the shootings, student demonstrations occurred on campuses all over the United States. On May 4, 8000 students at Northern Illinois University joined in the nation-wide protests with a peaceful student march on downtown DeKalb. However, the demonstrations did not stop there. On May 14 at Jackson State College in Jackson Mississippi, two more student demonstrators were shot and killed. This set off a series of protest events at NIU – My life has now changed forever!
ention which took place the year before in 1968. It was crazy fun, people were everywhere climbing the PA scaffolds and
the roof of the band shell. Of course the cops showed up and were properly booed, but there was not a lot of tension and the concert went on without any problems………did someone mention chocolate mescaline?
At the concert we heard about an “After Show” party being held at the Kinetic Playground which was also called The Electric Theatre. Rumors were going around that Richie Havens was going to be there too! Somehow Mike and I hitched a ride with a couple of guys and we made it and, yes, we saw Richie Havens! – Wow what a night!
By now it was probably 2 or 3 am and we realized we had nowhere to go. We did not have money for a hotel and no way were we in any condition to hitchhike even at this time in the morning. We started asking people if they had a place that we could crash. A hippie couple invited us to come with them and that we could stay at their place for the rest of the night. We went with them to an apartment somewhere near Rush Street. When we walked in, surprise I’ll guess at least 20 or more freaks all tripping out were everywhere in every corner of the apartment. Hendrix blaring out the speakers. Sweet smoke filled the air and here walks in two strangers – an Abe Lincoln like blind person with a cane holding on to a skinny little me . It must have been quite a site if you were hallucinating. I could feel the atmosphere change and the vibes were not so cool. I could feel the paranoia in the air. Within minutes the chick who offered to let us crash came up to me and told me that her friends were freaking out over us and we better leave. 4am in Chicago, on the streets what do we do?
Mike heard the sound of the elevated train and he said, “follow me”. We made our way a couple of blocks and hopped on the El and headed to the downtown Loop. By now it was starting to get light out. Must have been about 5:30am or so. We stepped inside the Sheraton and kind of hung out in the lobby. People were starting to move about so I don’t think we really caused any attention to us just hanging around…..until…. I mentioned to Mike that I see a beautiful white baby grand piano and he told me he wanted to see it! Of course that meant I had to take him over to it so he could touch it. It was kind of amazing to watch as he walked all around the piano touching it, feeling it and really checking it out. Then he sat down and started playing…… Security pounced on us and kicked us out.
No money, very tired and in Chicago’s downtown loop – Here I am with my Abe Lincoln type blind man panhandling on Michigan Avenue. All I wanted was a few bucks for breakfast and a bus ticket back to Dekalb. Mike started singing and I held out my hands asking for “Spare Change?”…… The surprise came when all of a sudden I heard my name. It was one of my professors from school who just happen to be in the city and was walking down Michigan Ave. He gave us enough money to eat and also grab a bus back to Dekalb. This was not the last time I hitchhiked with my dear friend Michael Lewis!