___________________________________: Would You Like To Know A Secret? : A Famous Person You Never Knew You Knew

What is a window or a door?
Something to show you, and something to allow.
Snakes and ladders. Lights in the curb.
Hush on by, don't even stop to think about it.
Ba-de-da

I've seen the writting on the wall.
Who cannot maintain will always fall.
You can't make it without ever even trying.
And something's on your mind.

Ah, this old city life.
Cherokee princess.
Dead in streets.
Dolphins parade in majesty.
Ba-de-da



   As a date on the calendar, today marks the anniversary of the passing of a great songwriter and performer whom you've quite possibly not heard of. Fred Neil was one of the early figures in the Greenwich village folk scene of the 60's. The picture above is a shot of Bob Dylan, Karen Dalton and Fred Neil on stage at the Cafe Wha? in 1961. Dylan is the new kid with the harp.

     Knowing that if you are reading this, you can find all the facts, figures and anecdotes you desire by yourself...... I will try not to waste electronic ink or your attention span.

   Fred's life story is somewhat mysterious in the earlier years of his life, but his career goes something like this:

   Penned songs like "Candy Man" and "Come Back Baby". The former recorded by Roy Orbison, the latter, by Buddy Holly.
   Wrote "Everybody's Talkin" which was recorded by Harry Nilsson, and, through a roundabout way, eventually selected for the soundtrack to the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy. With the coin this act put in his pocket, Fred didn't have to eat ketchup-and-hotwater-soup anymore. He moved back to his home state of Florida and became the original guy trying to save the dolphins. Literally.

   Fred was also a very talented performer as a singer and guitarist, and he did release some albums of his music - but apparently he didn't place alot of priority on either performing or recording. Enigmatic, reclusive, and now only possibly understood. The recordings of his own music are truly incredible. Fred has a remarkable voice and very capable guitar skills. And although his albums were available to the public, he is more a part of our subconscious via hits that were "covered" by other performers.  There is a certain universality to Fred's music that allows it to work for a lot of people. Of particular note is a song called "Other Side To This Life". This one song was recorded by The Youngbloods, Eric Burdon & The Animals, Jefferson Airplane, Lovin' Spoonful, Peter Paul & Mary, Gram Parsons, and Karen Dalton.

   Karen Dalton, is the woman in the above photo, whom I would not have discovered if not for having first stumbled onto Fred Neil. Bob Dylan himself identifies Karen Dalton as his favorite singer. And it's easy to understand why. Her voice is very penetrating. It cuts with clarity like the screeching of tires before the sounds of a dull thud and showering glass. Her story is so very tragic. More of a riches to rags tale. A beautiful young Cherokee woman with angel wings, slapped out of the sky by pain and addiction. Plumetting to the earth as a burning pheonix, to die as junkies die. Her ashes, like Fred's, are sprinkled by the wind into all sorts of unknown places and hearts.

- Rich