More Memories from the Starship
Smilin’ John Sommers
As the Celebrate ‘75 tour progressed, I got to know members of his band, which consisted of my old friend John Sommers on fiddle, banjo, guitar, and mandolin, Steve Weisberg on pedal steel and guitar, Dick Kniss (the Peter, Paul, and Mary veteran) on string bass, Hal Blaine (the drummer on countless recording sessions) on percussion, and the late Herb Lovelle on drums. Lee Holdridge was the conductor and musical director. I don’t remember the section leaders’ names, but I remember them as well. It was truly a magical time. I would love to attend a reunion of all those great people, but of course John Denver is no longer with us.
The first day of the tour we flew from Denver to Mobile, Alabama. We got up in the morning and dressed for the show that night. We had a couple of hours until the bus left for the arena, however, and someone told us that about a mile away, there was a submarine/museum anchored at a wharf, and that sounded like a good way to pass the time. We walked that mile, toured the submarine, and walked back, whereupon we all needed another shower and change of clothes. I’ve never really been a great fan of humidity.
John’s road manager, Kris O’Connor
Our days consisted of catching a bus to the venue, doing a sound check, perhaps rehearsing, having a meal backstage, and generally having a good time together. There was always a ping pong table backstage, and doubles tournaments were often held. It was pretty hard to beat the duo of John and Kris O’Connor.
Then we would do the show, sometimes two shows, catch the bus to the airport, board the Starship and fly to the next city. On the plane, food was served on the buffet counter. The seating was open, with captains chairs, bench seating around the ample open space, and two bedrooms for the occasional nap. There was plenty of room to walk around and visit.
The late Hal Blaine
At the end of the first week we arrived in Jacksonville, Florida, and John decided we needed some recreation, so he rented a fishing boat. It was a smooth ride in the harbor, but as soon as we ventured beyond the breakwater, I became seasick, and I spent the rest of the ride lying down on a handy cot. Hal Blaine was in the other cot, claiming only to be sleepy. At one lunch stop somewhere along the tour, there was a jukebox playing a string of hits from the 1960s. It seemed like every time a tune came on, Hal would say, “That’s me” (on drums).
