Don Glen Vliet (January 15, 1941 – December 17, 2010)
Photo from:
Beefheart is gone, but his influence lives on.
By Jeff Miers
{http://www.buffalonews.com/entertainment/gusto/jeff-miers-sound-check/article292257.ece)
"Don Van Vliet (pronounced /væn ˈvliːt/), born Don Glen Vliet[3] (January 15, 1941 – December 17, 2010) was an American musician, singer-songwriter and artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. His musical work was conducted with a rotating ensemble of musicians he called The Magic Band, active between 1965 and 1982, with whom he recorded 12 studio albums. Noted for his powerful singing voice with its wide range,[4] Van Vliet also played the harmonica, saxophoneand numerous other wind instruments. His music blended rock, blues and psychedelia with free jazz, avant-garde and contemporary experimental composition.[5] Beefheart was also known for exercising an almost dictatorial control over his supporting musicians."
From: http://blog.beefheart.com/2010/12/john-frenchs-tribute-to-don-van-vliet.html
John French's tribute to Don Van Vliet
While touring in the UK in 1975, there was a concert we played in a medium sized hall somewhere lost in time, where a bus brought in a group of about 16 wheelchair-bound individuals. After the concert ended, we were headed for our bus when Don stopped and watched as the handicapped individuals were tediously loaded one by one onto their bus. Our bus driver, a bit impatient, called out that we could go, but Don refused to budge. “I’m not leaving until they do. They had the patience to go through all this trouble to come see me, and I’m going to show them the same courtesy.”
