Road Cage

The key to the whole thing was the guy playing the Strat, stage left, wearing a brown vest over a short-sleeved, yellow/white striped polo shirt! THAT - is Amos Garrett.

When Tyson asked me to come to an I&S concert in Feb. 69, he wanted me to hear this new thing he had going - new way of writing, new music. Turned out to be one of the seminal folk/rock cum country/rock bands of that period. Great Speckled Bird, he called it.

He already had a steel player, Bill Keith (yeah, Bill of the Banjo!) but they hated each other. He had heard me playing with Ronnie Hawkins, wanted me and told The Hawk (and I quote) “When you’re done with him. I want him!”

Tyson’s a cowboy - a real one. He doesn’t fuck around.

I went to the concert, took my hippie girlfriend (the very epitome of what a hippie chick should look like!), I was loaded for bear. But what I wasn’t prepared for was this guitar player. Holy fuck!!!!! Up to today, I’ve never heard anything like this guy. Now, moving up the ladder to I&S was something but man…I would have done this gig just to carry this guy’s suitcase.

Jerry knew!

bc

PS/I was 24
PPS/Pix from the GSB album, recorded in the Fall of 69

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