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John Stewart of Kingston Trio fame passes
January 21, 2008
John Stewart, a member of the Kingston Trio who wrote
"Daydream Believer" for the Monkees and recorded more than 40
albums of his own, died Saturday from a stroke surrounded by
his family in the same San Diego hospital where he was born.
He was 68 years old.
Stewart, who spent most of his adult life living in Marin
County, had a Top 10 hit in 1979 with "Gold," featuring guest
artists Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood
Mac.
He first emerged as a songwriter when the original Kingston
Trio recorded a couple of his songs. Stewart had formed a
similarly styled folk group, the Cumberland Three. He joined
the Kingston Trio in 1961, at the time one of the biggest
selling acts in the world, to replace founding member Dave
Guard. He quit the group in 1967.
With folk singing partner Buffy Ford, whom he would marry
in 1975, Stewart hit the 1968 campaign trail for Democratic
presidential candidate Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, appearing with
him at campaign rallies up until the night of his
assassination in Los Angeles.
He released his classic "California Bloodlines" album in
1969, the first of seven solo albums to make the charts
through 1980. His biggest solo hit was "Gold," from the "Bombs
Away Dream Babies" album, which also produced lesser hits
"Midnight Wind" and "Lost Her in the Sun." His songs were
recorded by a number of artists, including Rosanne Cash, who
scored a 1988 country hit with his "Runaway Train."
He continued to record over the years, releasing a number
of recent albums on his own label and selling them through the
Internet. He was working on a new album at the time of his
death, with Buckingham playing guitar on the record. Recently
diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, Stewart wrote a song for
the new album titled "I Can't Drive Anymore."
Since 2000, Stewart and fellow former Kingston Trio member
Nick Reynolds have held the Trio Fantasy Camp, where campers
practice their favorite Kingston Trio song and perform the
number with the two former group members. Stewart was visiting
Reynolds in San Diego when he was stricken last Thursday in
his hotel room.
Friends and family came from across the country on Friday
to hold a hospital room vigil. Stewart is survived by his
wife, Buffy; three children from his first marriage, Mikael of
Camarillo (Ventura County), Jeremy of Mission Viejo (Orange
County) and Amy of Alisa Viejo (Orange County); a son, Luke,
of San Francisco, from his second marriage; and six
grandchildren. Services are pending.
Posted by Chris Boros at January 21, 2008 11:20
AM
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