Rock and Roll has more than it's fair share of sad stories, but I think one of the saddest of them all is the tale of Randy California.
Randy was 15 years old when he met and played with Jimi Hendrix in a band called Jimmy James and the Blue Flames in New York.
He was invited along with Jimi to go to England, but his parents wanted him to finish high school, and would not allow him to go. It was Jimi who tagged Randy Craig Wolfe with the name Randy California which he decided to stick with.
Later, Randy did have success with the awesome band Spirit that also featured his stepfather Ed Cassidy on the drums.
Spirit is another band that are not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and that is about as ludicrous as anything can possibly be.
In 1972, Randy formed his own band called Kapt. Kopter and the (Fabulous) Twirly Birds, and recorded this album.
In 1997 Randy drowned at the age of 45 while attempting to rescue his twelve year old son from a rip current in Hawaii. He did manage to get his son pushed to shore, but was not able to save himself.
I love this song, and it says a lot about the life of Randy California!
For the full effect, turn it up to eleven!
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