“The universe is made up of stories, not of atoms.”
- Muriel Rukeyser
Yesterday was the birthday of musician/songwriter/producer Al Kooper (It was preempted for big album release news). He was born Alan Kuperschmidt in NYC in 1944. I knew a little about him before, but I read his memoir last year, Backstage Passes and Backstabbing Bastards: Memoirs of a Rock and Roll Survivor, and I learned many things. Foremost, Al Kooper has been the Forrest Gump of rock and roll. When numerous iconic rock moments were happening, Al just happened to be around. I'll bullet point a few.
- He co-wrote the hit song This Diamond Ring recorded by Gary Lewis and the Playboys.
- He famously and extemporaneously played the defining riff on the Hammond organ on Bob Dylan's Like a Rolling Stone. He wasn't really an accomplished organ player and he certainly wasn't supposed to be in the studio playing it at the time of recording, but he snuck in and played it anyway. Dylan liked what he heard on playback and said leave it in. It's not the same song without Al's contribution.
- He played organ in Dylan's band at his famous appearance at The Newport Folk Festival in 1965.
- He formed the band Blood, Sweat and Tears.
- He played piano on Jimi Hendrix's album Electric Ladyland
- He played French horn and organ on The Rolling Stones song, You Can't Always Get What You Want.
- He discovered and signed Lynyrd Skynyrd and produced their first three albums.
- He played on and/or produced albums for Bob Dylan, The Who, Bo Diddly, Roger McGuinn, The Tubes, Leo Sayer, The Atlanta Rhythm Section, George Harrison, Marshall Chapman, Ringo Starr, Roy Orbison, Neil Diamond, Rita Coolidge and Phoebe Snow.
In 2023 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame with the award for Musical Excellence.