OCTOBER 2014
Big Brother Grows Up and Gives Back By SUSAN SHARPE
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am Andrew, guitarist extraordinaire and an original member of Big Brother and the Holding Company, first discovered Whistlestop more than a decade ago. “I live way out in West Marin, so I used to spend time reading National Geographic and other magazines at Whistlestop while I waited for the Marin Stagecoach to take me home,” he said. “The people at Whistlestop were so great and I made some new friends there, too.” A California native, Sam formed his first band at age 15 and became involved in the 1960s San Francisco folk music scene. “I’ve played music every day since I was 14,” said Sam, who is now 72. “I still love it, and we’ll be performing at a festival in Italy this fall. My drummer is 75 and everyone in the band is over 60, but we’re traveling now more than ever.”
In 1965, Sam was a founding member of Big Brother and the Holding Company, featuring legendary vocalist Janis Joplin. Their 1968 album, Cheap Thrills, is considered a masterpiece of the San Francisco psychedelic sound, and Sam’s guitar work on Summertime was named by Guitar Player magazine as one of the top ten psychedelic guitar Sam Andrew solos in music history. Janis died tragically in 1970 at age 27; she would have been 71 this year had she lived. When asked what he believes Janis would be doing if she were still alive, Sam thought a moment and replied, “I think she’d be recording an album of jazz standards like Body and Soul and My Funny Valentine.”
Big Brother and the Holding Company performed at Whistlestock, a benefit concert for Whistlestop, on September 28. “Whistlestop is one of the few organizations that really helps the elderly in our community,” he said. “It’s a safe, friendly refuge in the middle of downtown San Rafael and we are so happy to be able to support them.” F
Peter Kaukonen
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