Please contact the contributing institution for more information regarding the copyright status of this object.
Description
In this oral history, musician and artist David Getz discusses his life and musical career. Born in New York City in 1940, David grew up in a Jewish family in Brooklyn. David recounts how an interest in Native American cultures originally brought him to the drums and tells the story of how he acquired his first drum kit at the age of 15. David explains that as an adolescent he aspired to be an artist and consequently attended Cooper Union after graduating from high school. David recounts his decision to leave New York in 1960 and drive out to California, where he immediately enrolled at the San Francisco Art Institute and soon after started playing music with fellow artists. David explains how he became the drummer for Big Brother and the Holding Company in 1966 and reminisces about the legendary Monterey Pop Festival they performed at the following year. He shares numerous stories about Janis Joplin and speaks movingly about his grief upon hearing the news of her death. David discusses the various bands he played in after the dissolution of Big Brother and the Holding Company, as well as the many places he performed over the years in Marin County. He concludes his oral history with a discussion of his family: his daughters Alarza and Liz, both of whom are singer-songwriters, and his wife Joan Payne, an actress and singer.
Identifier
425CA2B4-54CC-4AFE-9649-996454074948 2020.006.001
Subject
Albin, Peter Albums Andrew, Sam Arica School Art Art schools Balin, Marty Bands Big Brother and the Holding Company Champlin, Bill Cheap Thrills Cooper Union Draft Drugs Drums Getz, David Groupies Gurley, James Joplin, Janis Monterey Pop Festival Music Music education Music festivals Musicians MV history - Music and counterculture (1960s and 1970s) Oral history - Music Payne, Joan Performances Psychedelics San Francisco Art Institute Seidemann, Bob Skowhegan Vietnam War
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
