Guitarist Jeffrey Shurtleff

Guitarist Jeffrey Shurtleff

Guitarist Jeffrey Shurtleff

January 20
Happy birthday, Jeff

Joan Baez is a name fans of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair all recognize. Jeffrey Shurtleff less so.

Guitarist Jeffrey Shurtleff
Shurleff and Baez from the Woodstock movie

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.

Guitarist Jeffrey Shurtleff
Jeffrey Shurtleff on cover of his State Farm ablum

[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

9 thoughts on “Guitarist Jeffrey Shurtleff”

  1. Did guitar stuff with Jeff Nunn, Jeffery Shurtleff at Echo Lake in the peach fuzz days. Familys had cabins there. Good memories. End

    1. 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

      1. 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

        1. 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

  2. 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.

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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.

Leave a Reply to Lynda Shurtleff Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.