Tag Archives: Woodstock Birthdays

Birthdays, Woodstock Music and Art Fair

Family Stone Greg Errico

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Family Stone Greg Errico

Family Stone Greg Errico

born September 1, 1948
From Betty Davis  “Betty Davis” album. Produced by Greg who also played drums on the album
Family Stone Greg Errico

Greg Errico

Happy birthday Greg Errico.

Famously the drummer with Sly and the Family Stone, their first single appeared on a local label in 1967, while their debut album, A Whole New Thing, was released nationally on Epic in 1967.

And of course we recognize the band’s name from the Woodstock Music and Art Fair as the band that brought 400,000 people to their feet during their 3:30 AM set.

In 1993, Greg along with the rest of his band mates from the Family became part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Family Stone Greg Errico

And…

Like many lifetime musicians, Greg Errico’s path has lead to many places. And everyone liked his drumming wherever he went. Joe Zawinul of Weather Report said that no one could play the “Boogie Woogie Waltz” like Errico.

The YouTube piece below may help you understand Zawinul’s high praise.

Family Stone Greg Errico

Betty Davis

He left Sly and the Family Stone in 1971, but continued to play. One place was on Betty Davis’s “Betty Davis” album in 1973. Davis was a precise person to work with. Errico, both drummer and producer on the album recalled that she came up with most of the bass lines and sang them to Larry Graham.

Family Stone Greg Errico

And more…

Errico has also played with, produced, or composed for:

  • Quicksilver
  • Grateful Dead
  • Rose Stone
  • Scotty Barnhart
  • Pittbull
  • Kidz Bop Kidz
  • Global Noize
  • Weird Al Yankovic
  • David Bowie
  • Pointer Sisters

More Family

In 2006, a new version of the Family Stone, which included original saxophonist Jerry Martini and the trumpet player the now late Cynthia Robinson. The band continues to tour.

Rolling Stone magazine lists Errico in its top 100 drummers.

Current information can be found at his Facebook page.

Birthdays, Woodstock Music and Art Fair

Dick Halligan

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Dick Halligan

August 29, 1943 – January 18, 2022

Richard Bernard Halligan

from Dick Halligan’s one man show: Man overboard
Richard Dick Bernard Halligan

Richard Bernard Halligan

Most fans might recognize Richard Bernard Halligan simply as Dick Halligan and Dick Halligan as an original member of the the original Blood Sweat and Tears. Their first album is the classic Child Is Father To the Man. On the cover, Halligan stands to the back left of the group with his arm around his young twin homunculus.

Richard Dick Bernard Halligan

Halligan remained with the group until 1972. Though mainly a trombonist, he also contributed keyboards, horns, flute, and backing vocals.

Dick Halligan

Woodstock

Halligan was part of the group that played the Woodstock Music and Art Fair on day three though unless your name was David-Clayton Thomas you were not likely to be seen in the movie clips that exist of that performance.

Dick Halligan

Post Blood few tears

Halligan is a lifer musician and has been a part of much music. Sometimes movies:

  • Go Tell the Spartan (1978)
  • Cheaper to Keep Her (1981)
  • Fear City (1984)
  • A Force of One (1979)
  • The Octagon (1980).

And often other things. From his site:

Richard Bernard Halligan

I am not sure how up to date the listings above are as they seem to end in the early part of this century which is already a long time ago.

According to Wikipedia, “As of 2006 he is active as a composer and performer for various types of music, including jazz and chamber music. In 2011 and 2012 he has been developing and performing an autobiographical one-man show entitled Musical Being. An early title for it was Man Overboard.

His daughter, Shana Halligan, is vocalist of trip hop duo Bitter:Sweet.”

Dick Halligan

Halligan died on January 18, 2022.  In a statement shared with PEOPLE, Halligan’s daughter Shana said her father passed away in Rome, Italy of natural causes. She posted the following on her Facebook page:

Dear Daddy,
My love for you goes beyond this earth, beyond this lifetime, and beyond the ordinary that you were so far above.
My respect for you was greater than for anyone human I’ve known. Your talent was unsurpassable. You’re unwavering devotion to staying true to your creative path was unlike anyone else and such an inspiration to me. Your gentle kindness , the way you could look at me without saying a word, and the love I could still feel from you despite how difficult it may have been to verbalize, or what obstacles were in the way , was and is forever wrapped around me.
I felt your pride. The world felt your music. Your power. Your heartbeat. Your music dad. How many knew they were in the presence of such greatness ? All of us.
And dad, just so you know, there is not a prouder daughter than I to have come from you.
As I write this with tears pouring down my cheeks, I thank you for all of the gifts you left me, and my family. Particularly your grandson , Otis. You know he has that thing. That beautiful , incredible thing, that he could have only gotten from you.
I will miss you forever and ever.
Love,

Shana 💔

Dick Halligan
Birthdays, Music et al, Music of the 60s, Woodstock Music and Art Fair

Keith Moon Waxes Wanes

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Keith Moon Waxes Wanes

August 23, 1946 – September 7, 1978

Keith John Moon Waxes Wanes

From All Music Keith Eder’s bio of Moon:  Moon, with his manic, lunatic side, and his life of excessive drinking, partying, and other indulgences, probably represented the youthful, zany side of rock & roll, as well as its self-destructive side, better than anyone else on the planet. In that sense, he was the soul of the Who.

New Moon

Keith John Moon was born in London,and grew up in Wembley.  Like many active boys, the educational system and he were not on the same page. Teachers often found him difficult to manage within the typically narrow confines of a conventional classroom.

Keith briefly tried his mouth at the trumpet, but his hands found the drums and away we go.

Keith Moon Waxes Wanes

Half Moon

Moon’s first band was the Escorts. In December 1962 he joined the Beachcombers, a cover band. like so many young bands anywhere.

As his drumming evolved, Moon added more and more movements to his playing to the point where we now recognize the frenetic musician he became.

Keith Moon Waxes Wanes

Full Moon

The story of Moon’s joining the Who has its variations. It was April 1964 and Doug Sandom was the Who’s drummer.  There was a bit of a generation gap between the 34-year-old Sandom and the much younger Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, and John Entwistle.

Sandom left and Moon arrived.

He went to a Who show, saw their fill-in drummer, told them he’d do a better job, got the go ahead for the second set, destroyed the drum kit, and walked away assuming he’d also destroyed his chances.

According to Townshend and Daltry, they later went over to Moon sitting at the bar and invited him to join the band.

Keith Moon Waxes Wanes

Blue Moon

Moon’s drumming style and enthusiasm became as integral a part of the Who’s persona as Townshend’s windmill, Daltry’s mic slinging, and Entwistle’s stoicism.  Others sometimes criticized Moon’s timing, but he was the band’s backbone.

Like many youth from a modest background that fame finds and thrusts the accouterments of success upon, Moon enjoyed both the lime and the limelight. Stories abound of hotel destruction and the never ending parties.

The behavior was entertaining, funny, and made great headlines since even bad publicity was good publicity, but by the mid-70s, the behavior controlled Moon.

Aware of his own dysfunctions, Moon attempted to self-medicate a cure away from medical facilities.

It did not work and his addictions waxed not waned.

Keith Moon Waxes Wanes

Moon sets

Keith Moon died of an overdose of  clomethiazole tablets on 7 September 1978.

Thank you, Keith for all you brought to our lives.

Keith Moon Waxes Wanes

Keith Moon Waxes Wanes