In 1969, when I graduated from High School in the San Fernando Valley, just after the Tet Offensive, both my brothers were Officers in the Marines. My oldest brother was back seat in a F-4 fighter jet. My other brother remained around the Arlington area.
Although I was a High School Rock and Roll star in the San Fernando Valley I pondered keeping the tradition and join up after graduating. Not being Officer material (College), I would have tried to get onto the Special Forces.
Being 17 at the time, I was in no hurry to join up. Turning 18 in November (I turn 61 in a week), I could wait till then.
Except, my band had a date at Gazzarries Night Club July 8, 1969. Where would this music thing take me. I couldn't wait.
We practiced often, we were going to play In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida at Gazzarries. We had just played In-A-Gadda at Reseda High School a couple weeks before graduating, so we were ready.
Not so fast. June 30, one week after graduation, a drunk driver ran a stop light at the intersection of Ventura Blvd. and the Woodlake offramp to the 101.
I don't remember the crash, just waking up 9 days later out of a coma, and was told I was paralyzed. Told I might not walk again.
8 months later my band had a recording contract with Epic Records.
I gave up music then, at 18, at the prime of life, because of my parents, who always felt that the accident would not have happened had I not been in a band.
I looked forward till I had kids so anything they wanted to do that was legal and fun, I would support them 100%.
A couple years ago, after feeling like 40 years of my life was wasted, I wrote a screenplay about the incident. I named the screenplay, guess what, In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. It will go before camera hopefully by the middle of next year as a TV movie.
My other films, Baymen of Belize and The Battle of Saint George's Caye will also start filming this next year.
baymenofbelize.com
http://youtu.be/DX8hZw6EyTI
bookofsig.com
As a side note, right now I am friends with the current organist for Iron Buttefly. He has been playing forever, was in The Animals and many more. He sometimes tours, just got back from Germany. I will be playing with him soon.
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