Ginger Baker — the legendary drummer for Cream, Blind Faith and other famed bands — died today. He was 80 years old.
In 1968, the band — which included Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce — played at Staples High School. David Jones was there.* He posted this souvenir on Facebook, as a tribute.
Jeremy Ross was there too. Here’s his photo of Ginger Baker, on the Staples stage.
Ginger Baker, on the drums at Staples High School. (Photo copyright Jeremy Ross)
* I was too.
Donald J. Skelly Wiley Real Estate Don@wileyproprties.com (540)406-1370 Sent from my iPhone
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That Baker made it to 80 is proof that clean living is over-rated! Go in peace, Ginger.
Seek out the documentary, “Beware Of Mr Baker”. You won’t regret it.
https://youtu.be/44xBUUCeLWs
I was in H.S. a few blocks from the Filmore East and I thought I was lucky.
Can’t believe Staples H.S. featured all these musicians at in the sixties & Seventies. You make me wish I was here instead.Ha!
Nice that you are here now!
I was too…
Cream’s performance was far and away the most extraordinary by any of the fabled bands who played at Staples back in the day. The trio really did expand our notion of what was possible in “rock” music. Their performance honestly surpassed any of their commercially released “live” albums. Baker spoke hardly at all, letting his drums do his talking for him, but he said the one line I still remember from any of those concerts. Staples audiences didn’t want to miss a note that any of these three Cream instrumentalists turned out, so they would often listen rather quietly and intently with little yelling or screaming Between two songs, Baker, in his deep voice, declared “I’ve never seen dead people smoking before.” I’m not sure if he first coined that comment but it was the first time I’d ever heard it.
I was there in the front row! My brother, who signed the band, got a few tickets for my friends and me. I was too young and too steeped in classical music to appreciate it fully, but I look back on the solo he played with awe and admiration.
I too was at that concert. It was my second year in Westport, having arrived in late Dec. 66 as an au pair from Denmark.. By 1968 I had developed a circle of friends and a great social life. One of my friends, that my Swedish girl friend and I hung out with, invited me to this concert, his name was Larry Kelly. I remember enjoying the concert, but not sure I really knew how famous these guys were, or would become, Eric Clapton was also in Cream at that time. As a teen ager back in Denmark my friends and I was more interested in jazz, and Copenhagen had a great jazz club, Montmatre that featured many American musicians, some living in Denmark or other European countries, such as Ben Webster, and Dexter Gordon who lived in Copenhagen and often played in Montmatre, where I heard him play many times. However, by 1967 the rock music changed, I became a big fan of the Beatles Sgt. Pepper, also a huge fan of The Door’s. These days I still love jazz, but also enjoy the rock music and folk music of my youth, and some classical as well
I was there too…I remember Ginger’s 30 minute drum solo and a wall of Marshall speakers behind Clapton and Bruce!