Well, here's something I would never have predicted: I landed on the pages of our competitor, Wild West in the current issue.
Johnny Boggs interviewed me last March while we were both at the Tucson Book Festival and he said it was for Wild West magazine and I said, "Well, I'll believe that when I see it."
Well, not only did they run it, but it's a very nice piece and I'm accurately quoted. Plus, they gave a plug for my art website and the True West site. Amazing. A very classy move on Eric Weider's part (he's the owner of the Weider Group that owns Wild West and several other history titles).
Chose ten paintings and drawings for the Powerhouse Museum show. All are featured in "The 66 Kid." Drove them down to Michael Feldman's Frame & Art Shop on Glenday at noon today. Here's a sneak peek at one of them:
Eye On The Sky (Division Doubletruck, pages 17—18), 24 X 18:, gouacheStill cleaning and filing. Found some groovy stuff in the garage a couple days ago:
Rolling Stone October 25, 1973 issue
Read with interest the Gram Parsons obit which gave some of the sordid details of how two of his roadies kidnapped his coffin from Los Angeles International Airport then took the body out to Joshua Tree and burned it. They told the authorities they were off duty hearse drivers and they "had a girl all ready someplace to f**k them out of their mind; so they played that out to the guy." It actually worked and they signed with the name "Johnny Nobody." Allegedly, they were peeved because Gram's stepfather [Robert Parsons] had arranged a funeral in New Orleans and didn't invite any of Gram's band friends (that would be the dudes who kidnapped the body). Other little gems from the article: Mick Jagger allegedly wrote "Wild Horses" for and about Gram Parsons. Aslo, the cops didn't know what to charge the body snatchers with, but one of them called it "Gram Theft Parsons."
By the way the issue is 80 pages, with covers, and it sold for 75 cents. it really is much closer to New Times than the slick mag it is today.
Matching Rolling Stone covers: one from the U.S. and the other from Argentina
"Eve!" he called and I sat with him as he ordered round after round of tequila. I think it must have been Gram who introduced Sauza Commemerativa {sic?) into rock & roll because Gram always knew quality when it came to f**king yourself up."
—Eve Babitz, who comes off as major groupie-ish, in part of the obit commentary