About

born in San Francisco, 1942
first thing my daddy told me
“son, this town going make a
fool out of you.”

that sounded okay to me.
So I stuck around
and here I am
a fool for love
a fool for joy
a fool of fate
you one too?

29 thoughts on “About”

  3. I read that you are familiar with Noel Francis after she left Hollywood in 1937. I am on a facebook movie group of the 30s and she came up, but her bio is totally missing the last 22 years of her.life between 1937 and 1959. She died in LA, but findagrave.com didn’t have info on where she was buried. Was she ever married or had children? Such a beautiful lady and actress and no info. would appreciate any help you can provide. Thanks.

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    • Good Lord. Yes, I know a little about Noel,although perhaps not as much as you’d wish. My dad was in business with her for a few years back in the Forties. My desktop has to go to the computer hospital and I’m not very good at cellphone tapping, so it’ll be a few days. Interesting question!

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  5. Hi Christopher, I was referred to you by Linda Newton. I’m writing The Encyclopedia Of Jerry Garcia Music Venues. I’m interested in more details on the pre-March 15, 1963 camping night with Jerry Garcia and Ron McKernan. Where did you camp? What music festival did you attend that day? Who else was with you? This would be prior to the Monterey Folk Festival in May, 1963. Any other Garcia related stories from the Coffee Gallery or Coffee and Confusion? Or any of the other early venues? My email is slipnut01@gmail.com Thanks, Harry

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    • Hey Harry, I been thinking about this. We were at the Monterey Folk Festival.. It was spring of 1963.
      I went on Google Maps this morning and studied the area around the Monterey Fairgrounds. We must have been camping in what is now the Monterey Pines RV Campground. The campspot was ad hoc, in a semi-wild park area a little higher than the Fairgrounds but quite nearby. You could hear the music coming from down below.
      We were told by other folks you could camp there. I remember hearing Bob Dylan onstage so we must have been close. (remember this was over fifty years ago and my memory may be faulty). I had my guitar out and was screwing around, then Ron showed up and started playing his harp – and we had a lot of fun playing and singing together.
      I don’t remember Jerry being there. Of course he was very much present at the festival itself. His banjo playing made a helluva impression on people.

      Have you seen my book, The First Few Friends I Had? In it I tell the story of a long weekend in Camp Meeker (Russian River area) , probably in the Fall of ’63, possibly 1962. Jerry was there. It’s a good piece if you haven’t seen it.

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  6. Hi Christopher,
    Thank you for the info on Monterey. I’m aware of the Garcia Camp Meeker performance but have not seen your book yet. I do have a photo Pete Wernick sent me for use in the book.

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  7. I wrote the book “inside a Hippie Commune” I have stories about Pig Pen And Jerry Garcia but in 1967 at MontereyPop Festival

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  8. This blog is a gold mine! Hearing stories like these when I was a teenager in 1970s New Jersey was exactly what motivated me to head to San Francisco forthwith after college. And I’m still here, goddammit, thirty-plus years later.

    Can I pitch my own San Francisco novel? It is set in 1998, which I figure to be the point when the demographic scales shifted from freak to geek. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22619147-sleepwalking-in-paradise

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    • Funny thing – I was in Jersey. Back in the 80s I was working for AT&T (weird, huh?) and they offered me a job producing TV shows for them (business stuff). Sounded like fun so I jumped. Lived there until 2000 then came back home to the Bay Area. I like Jersey a lot but wouldn’t want to move back. Book looks interesting. No SF insights since was playing Jersey Guy at the time. Check out mine too: The First Few Friends I Had on Amazon. If you like the Pig you’ll like the book.

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  9. I’ve lived at Masonic & Haight since 1982 and watched the neighborhood go from junkies to techies (still not quite sure which I prefer).
    My building is owned by Arthur Bierman, who taught at SF State about the time you were there and who, with wife Sue, started the Freeway Revolt.
    I give historical Haight Ashbury tours that start in 1871 (with the beginning of GG Park) and go up to the present (where storefronts now rent for $10-$15,000 a month!).
    This rabbit hole of yours has lured me into its labyrinth and I’m savoring every detail.
    Looking forward to reading your book.

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    • Can I take your tour next time I’m in the City? I have lots to learn about the Haight. When I first started visiting there in the early Sixties, it was still a blue collar longshoreman neighborhood, full of interesting unreconstructed lefties. My one goal however was chasing the elusive Carmen O’Shaughnessy. I was barely nineteen.

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  11. Wonderful blog! Thanks so much for sharing this history.

    Can you ID the man in the striped shirt sitting next to Janis in this pic?

    Thanks and be well!

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  12. I currently own a beautiful guitar that was made by Rodney Albin. I’m trying to learn the history of this guitar and would appreciate any input.

    Thank you!

    Tom Manger
    Bonita Springs, FL

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