12 Comments

I miss Phil Ochs. His songs hold up so well after all of these years as history repeats itself.

Expand full comment

I used to cook dinner for Phil when he was on the streets in his Luke Train phase. He would come by my loft at 124 W. Houston St. and I'd strip him and stick him in the shower and get him clean and then I would feed him. One time I roasted a chicken and he ate the whole thing. He'd sit there in my loft at my dining room table spinning all of these wild conspiracies he saw everywhere around him. Sometimes he would just get up and go. A few times he racked out in my spare bedroom for a few hours. A sad, sad time. I had him over for Thanksgiving dinner a couple of times when he was well. A great guy. One time I invited Phil, and he came. And then Maurice, the old gray haired street guy who sold Voices on the street (whom I invited every year) walked in with Odetta on his arm. What a night.

Expand full comment

Yeah, I have a few stories, not that good, though. Sadly, last time I saw him was at party at Kunstler's when he crashed and waved a golf club over his head dangerously, until deposited outside. Very underrated songwriter, which is often lost....

Expand full comment

Tim Hardin's version of "Small Circle of Friends" at Phil's concert for Salvador Allende was the single most moving performance by a singer I've ever heard in my life. He gave that wonderful song an entire new life and new meaning. I had tears running down my cheeks. He was that good.

Expand full comment

I suspect it was "Pleasures of the Harbor"--it's up on You Tube and I may use tomorrow.... confirm?

Expand full comment

That's it. I got them confused. Incredible rendition however.

Expand full comment

also it was phil's memorial...not allende

Expand full comment

Jeez, my brain is Swiss cheese.

Expand full comment

yeah, I was there also, there were many highlights no matter the chaos back stage....At Crawdaddy we earlier had a great piece by Stew Albert about his trip to Chile with Phil (and Jerry Rubin?) and tribute to Victor Jara

Expand full comment

I ran into Abbie at a coffee shop across the street at the Statler Hilton before we went in to the concert. He was in disguise, not a great one, but okay. But he couldn't disguise that laugh. What a character. He was at the concert too.

Expand full comment

Our longtime "Travel Editor" at Crawdaddy. He liked to send in ms. with return address on envelop with name of a celeb, such as "Paul Simon." Had to pay him by running cash in a brown paper bag uptown to an attorney.

Expand full comment