PUSHING "WAY" TOO HARD

          I had just met Sky Saxon back in the mid Eighties at Greg Shaws Cavern Club. Sky had just recently resurfaced after Years of ambiguity, as Sky "Sunlight" Saxon.  I think that this new handle, "Sunlight" was a direct result of him living in Hawaii. Having lived in Honolulu for 12 Years myself , I know Hawaii can really put that zap in your head. Sky was now back living in California, attempting to resurrect his solo career. This was before the reformation of the Seeds.

         He was playing with Jeff and Steve McDonald from "Red Kross" and Jeff's girlfriend, ( can't remember her name ) who would later become a big star as the guitarist for the "Bangs", who would eventually change the name of the group to "The Bangles". To be quite honest his beginning attempts where pretty awful and kind of weird.  He couldn't remember the lyrics to the songs so he would go on these 7 Min. diatribes about the Government and if he was the President, etc . . . It's kind of interesting for about 3 or 4 min. then your want to get drink ,  puff on a joint,  whatever get's you thru the night. I would eventually hook up with Sky after I moved to L.A. He had already reformed "The Seeds", had done some touring and was working on a new record. At the time I was doing "Featherwood Junction" and reforming " The Morlocks". The thing about Sky is, that guy could party and would take anything. Remember by this time Sky was no "spring chicken", he must have been in his mid 60's.

The usual suspects "The Cavern Club" Los Angeles

        One day I ran into Sky at my guitarists ( Bobby Bones ) house. At the time Bobby was supplementing his bank account by selling Cocaine. After shooting the shit with Sky, Bobby pulled me into the next room and said, " Brother you gota help me out. Sky has been here for 3 days smoking crack and if he dies in my bedroom I'm going to have some problems." So I went back inside the bedroom and told Sky, "look man , there's no more coke and your out of money so you should probably call "Honey" and have her pick you up. At the time "Honey" was this 300 pound crack whore from Compton that Sky was living with. "Honey" wasn't having none of it, so we called my Brother Darren and had him drive Sky back to Compton later that night.  Looking back that was a stupid idea at the current time.

SKY SAXON

       Sky wasn't making any sense and to tell you the truth he kind of looked and smelled like a "homeless guy".  That was the last time I saw Sky alive. About a Year later I got a call from the States asking if i would come over and preform with the surviving members of "The Seeds"at Sky's memorial concert at the "Echo Plex" in Los Angeles. 

      I distinctly remember the day he died. I was touring with "The Morlocks" at the time, playing a show in France with "The Fleshtones". Someone came backstage and said," Sky Saxon has just died!" Before we could comprehend this the backstage door opened agian and we heard this, "Michael Jackson" just died!  Anyways I  flew back to Los Angeles for the memorial show. I was quite honored to sing "Mr. Farmer", "Out of the Question", and "The Wind Blows Her Hair". It was a little bit surreal , I was up there with Dennis ( original keyboard player ), "The Electric Prunes", "The Wooly Bandits", Don Bolles (Germs), Billy Corgan, and the guitarist from "Wilco".

Billy Corgan

     It was a beautiful night and a fitting tribute to Sky. Sky Saxon was the real deal , he lived, breathed, and made music like a true icon. Not some "Rock Star Bullshit" , like the poet -rock God, made up by some publicist . . .

    I'll take "Sky" over "Morrison" any day !!!!!!
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  Sky you are missed . . .
R.I.P.


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Sky Saxons Memorial Concert

 

 

 

 *** Leighton Koizumi