I was a fan of John and Buffy ever since I was college freshman in 1969. I heard California Bloodlines as a lonely Marin County transplant in the dorms at the University of Missouri, Columbia, and must have played the record a few hundred times to keep from getting too homesick. From Marin to Columbia, MO in 1969 was like going from the Jetsons to the Flintstones, but John Stewart’s music kept me company.
Had the pleasure of seeing John many times over the years in venues large and small, but the biggest kick was when he got to open for Stevie Nicks in front of a nearly sold-out Oakland Coliseum doing ” Gold”. He deserved the acclaim, one of those treasures who never quite got too popular or sold out.
His music was part of the sound track of my life, and I had the opportunity of turning on many of my friends to his music.
Imagine my surprise when I discovered he lived in the same town as me, Novato, CA, but wasnt there when he passed.
I miss him, but his music will always be a part of my life.
