Guitarist Jeffrey Shurtleff
January 20, 1945
Happy birthday, Jeff
Joan Baez is a name fans of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair all recognize. Jeffrey Shurtleff less so.
According to the Rate Your Music site, “Jeffrey Shurtleff was born…in Vallejo, California at Mare Island Naval Hospital.
He entered Stanford University from the Choate School in Connecticut in September 1962. In 1964, he took a year off in Mexico and worked with a Quaker project. Returning to Stanford, he lived in a commune with his brother Bill and friend David Harris named Peace and Liberation, which advocated resistance to the war in Vietnam.
Here is his and Joan Baez’s wonderful performance at Woodstock on One Day at a Time.
Guitarist Jeffrey Shurtleff
State Farm
In the early 70s, he released an album, State Farm, which featured country-inspired arrangements and was co-produced by Joan Baez.
[Also from Rate Your Music] In 1970-72, Jeffrey hitch-hiked throughout South America starting from California. He later started Printers Inc. bookstore in Palo Alto, California and later became the owner of a new Central Park Bookstore in San Mateo, California.
Guitarist Jeffrey Shurtleff
California
He was married to Maria De Jesus Flores and had two sons. He has been both the Director and Head Instructor at several Youth Schools in San Francisco. Jeff continues to live in California.
If his Facebook page is an indication of his current status, he remains an activist for many causes. Here are the titles of recent Facebook posts:
- Demand San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon Charge SFPD Officers with Murder!
- End Juvenile Solitary Confinement
- We demand that the use of herbicides in any part of Lake Tahoe be prohibited.
- Stop the Drills: Say No to Offshore Drilling in the Atlantic and Artic.
He is also active with Northern California Amnesty International. Here he spoke about the conflict between China and Tibet and its importance.
Guitarist Jeffrey Shurtleff
Did guitar stuff with Jeff Nunn, Jeffery Shurtleff at Echo Lake in the peach fuzz days. Familys had cabins there. Good memories. End
Jeff taught me to waterski at echo one summer with Linda, those were the days of memories, Simon & Garfield, Richie Havens, Foxy Lady, Frank Zappa, and Joanie M. THOSE WERE The days of America, looking for America, don’t fade away. Where are you Linda? Robbiebear Van Siegman
Hi Rob, I just found this link through a friend here in Corvallis, Oregon where I now live and have lived since 1984. I have a home here with my cat, Christopher, and I spend time visiting with friends over coffee, attending church, keeping busy with hobbies such as reading and writing.
I can be found on Facebook. Would love to connect with you. Lynda
Lynda,
Russ La Belle here. We had a family cabin on Echo next to Jeff,. Went to school with Kathy at USC. He was sort of my hero growing up. Would love to say Hi to Jeff –do you have a contact? Thx
Had close friendship with Jeff in the early ‘60s and am sorry we haven’t kept in contact.
I first heard Jeffrey singing on a Joan Baez LP and my sister and I loved his voice. I saw State Farm on sale in a record shop in Dublin, Ireland, must have been early 70s, but did not have the money to buy it . Always regretted not going back in to town to get it another day. Was beyond happy to find it recently on YouTube and listen frequently to the songs posted.
Rob, I sent a response to your e-mail a few minutes ago and then decided to also share that my e-mail address is butterflybabelynda49@gmail.com , The term babe is in reference to a photo mom took of me as an infant with a butterfly perched on my finger. I hope that you are well and all is well with you, Take care
Hello Jeffrey, 1967, my father, Steve, brought his twin daughters up to Struggle Mountain where you were living with Joannie. You radically changed my life. I was twelve years old and by thirteen I became a lay Buddhist, having visited your brother Bill at Tassajara in 1968. Our father, Steve, was the most amazing human being, to have befriended you and Joannie at such a time and to introduce me to my own path. I have followed that path. Now living in The Columbia River Gorge with Theravada Monks living in White Salmon at Pacific Hermitage. With Metta! Natasha
The Shurtleffs had a cabin near ours on Eco Lake. In the 60s Jeff looked like he just stepped out of Esquire Magazine. Guess he was sort of my hero back then. He had a hydroplane and drove a Volkswagen Beetle, which inspired my first car. Went to school with his cousin Kathy at USC.. Will have to see if I can track him down after all these years.
Bonjour j’habite en France et je viens de réécouter l’album de Woodstock ou Joan et Jeff chantent ensemble. Je me suis dit enfin après toutes ces années mais qui est donc Jeffrey et j’ai découvert un homme attachant à l’engagement sincère. Merci à lui et bonjour à tous ceux qui ont témoignés ici. Cela m’a tenu réelle compagnie et je regrette que nous soyons si loin ! Si l’un de vous vient en France qu’il me contacte michelwoelffle26@gmail.fr à un de ces jours peut être !
A translation: <em>Hello, I live in France and I just listened again to the Woodstock album where Joan and Jeff sing together. I finally asked myself after all these years, who is Jeffrey? And I discovered a charming man with a sincere commitment. Thank you to him and hello to everyone who has shared their stories here. It has been real company for me, and I regret that we are so far apart! If any of you come to France, please contact me. Maybe we’ll meet one of these days!