Donna's short story

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Hollywood memories--1966-67:
Mini parties in cars crawling, inching along Sunset Blvd, full of mad teens, music, drugs, mostly LSD, hash and marijuana--maryjane, ganja, weed, grass! Staring at the multi-colored, neon sign hovering high above Earl Scheib's next door to the Hullabaloo and coming-on to LSD...teen-age night clubs, open til 2 in the morning--The Whiskey a go go & the Eating Affair across the street--with the loudest jukebox ever! Age 16, sitting at a table at Gazzarri's, having a cocktail on the house with Mr. G himself; the Fifth Estate, downstairs...Feeling attracted to Electric Flag guitarist at the Hullabaloo one night; laughing at the bubbles someone put in the fountain on Sunset and Vine, across the street from Wallach's Music City; listening to Whiter Shade of Pale in a car; hitch-hiking on Sunset Blvd. with a guy i liked to listen to, just released, Sgt. Pepper album and get high, hanging-out a lot at the Omnibus coffee house on Cahuenga Blvd and staying there as a "runaway teen"; and, sitting at a table at Canter's on Fairfax with 2 teen-aged girlfriends after a night of partying and hoping that photographer, Hal Marshal would pick me to go to the Monterey Pop Festival with him the next day!! He did...

A story from Michael the Father of their love child said:
Upstairs at Gazzarri's, Ray was watching the BLOB on TV with a girl on his lap and JIM Morrison was rummaging through....."striped prision costumes, belonging to the Enimies (a band, ?)...to steal from them!

After graduating Cal Poly, Pomona, Michael moved to Northern California in the late 70's to teach as a science professor at the College of the Redwoods in Eureka. He was working as an administrator of a dialysis center when he developed brain cancer and died in 2004 from the disease.

Feb. 8, 2008
The Coach House in San Juan Capastrano
Donovan
..poor Mr. Leich wanted to sign the back but, I told him to squeeze all that in on the printed side and it would be peachy!! But, look what that did to his handwriting...so, don't blame him for it! It was my fault!! haha
DONOVAN! in concert, REVIEW
Body: Last week-end, I had the honor of seeing Donovan perform and, very unbenounced to me, getting the rare privilege of being introduced to him as a vip by the owner of the Coach House...connections come in handy sometimes, what can I say!
The Coach House is located in an industrial complex or "center". On the outside it looks like a storage warehouse with an office adjacent on one side. The other side is the ticket booth and the entrance to the main hall. On the inside, it resembles a funky, Las Vegas dinner club and showroom. There were lots of humanoids sitting at rows of long Arthurian tables cramming animal flesh down their throats and guzzling beverages of all sorts from Coca Cola to Bloody Mary's and Screaming Orgasms! I didn't expect to be repulsed with the energy of the place right off hand but, things changed quickly, thankfully; as soon as I knew that I would be seated in a good spot, I was goin' with the flow...and, quite rightly...the owner got me a spot right in front of the stage and told me not to leave so he could fix it for me to meet the Hurdy Gurdy man and have my picture taken!

So, there I was in wearing my love like heaven, for the hospitality given to me by my host. I made a note of all the songs that were performed. Here they are in order:

He started it out with 1) The Enchanted Gypsy. 2) Catch the Wind. 3) Colors. 4) Try For the Sun. 5) Sunny Goodge Street--where violent hash smokers kick the chocolate machines! 6) Jennifer Juniper 7) Lalena. 8) Donna, Donna, which he referred me to when I told him my name! 9) Susan on the West Coast Waiting. 10) ATLANTAS--so good! 11) Hurdy Gurdy Man--in which he told the story of George Harrison's missing lyrics that never got in it. Here's what he said they are:

George wrote: When the truth gets buried deep Beneath a thousand years of sleep Time demands a turnaround And once again the truth is found.

12) Sunshine Superman. 13) Mellow Yellow--in which he told the story about the true origins of the rumor that you can get high on dried BANANA PEELINGS and how it got started and how Mellow Yellow gave it the gas it needed to take off, it's (great story but too long, sorry!).

His voice is in superb condition. Donovan's signature quivering vibratto was never better than in Hurdy Gurdy Man.
No song dissappointed.

This music has a magical quality; one that transcends time and space...it will continue to be accepted by generations to come, enthusiastically, by the young and old alike. It was a pleasure doubly divine to be among the crowd who cherish these songs and the man who gave his passion to the world, back in a time when we thought we could change the world with our love and our music and musician, songwriters like Donovan!

I would have loved to hear The Trip though in which there's a quite colorful, poetic reference to Dylan and Joan Baez. Also, The Fat Angel and Ferris Wheel...oh well! Oh yeah, did I mention that I got to meet him and shake his hand ? AND have a sweet little photo taken for good times sake!
--what a gentle soul he is, a delightful man! What an honor.
Here's a poem I dedicate to Donovan and all the musicians and singers, some are dead and some are living, who devoted their talent to making the world a better and more pleasant place for us to live!

WE are the music-makers,
And we are the dreamers of dreams,
Wandering by lone sea-breakers,
And sitting by desolate streams;
World-losers and world-forsakers,
On whom the pale moon gleams:
Yet we are the movers and shakers
Of the world for ever, it seems.
Arthur O'Shaughnessy. 1844–1881

PEACE&LOVE, Venus*am*star