This is yesterday’s Facebook posting by Neil Ratner, who bills himself as the Rock Doctor. His posting are always fascinating. I knew about the Vivian Vance connection (and the somehow disturbing fact that Vance and William Frawley — Fred Mertz — didn’t like each other) but not the relationship between the Lovin’ Spoonful and The Mamas and the Papas.
Happy Birthday John Sebastian musician, singer songwriter best known as a founding member of the Lovin Spoonful. His father was a famous harmonica player, his mother was a radio script writer and his mother’s good friend Vivian Vance (Ethyl Mertz from I Love Lucy) was his Godmother. John grew up around music and was surrounded by musicians like Burl Lives and Woody Gutherie. In the early sixties Sebastian developed an interest in the blues and through his father he met Lightnin Hopkins and Sonny Terry. He lived in Greenwich Village and became part of the folk rock scene. John was in a band called The Mugwumps with Zal Yanovsky, Cass Elliot and Denny Doherty. The band split into the Mamas and The Papas and the Lovin Spoonful. John was asked by Bob Dylan to play in his electric band but Sebastian went with the Lovin Spoonful instead.
Here is more on the Lovin’ Spoonful from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame website.
Homepage photo credit: Hugh Shirley Candyside
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