Nice job:
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.
|
on 1/21/2008, 9:23 am
