Lenny Kaye, the influential guitarist and composer perhaps best known for his work with Patti Smith, turned 70 today.
On this occasion, EVG reader Jennifer, who lives on 15th Street between Second Avenue and Third Avenue, hung a Happy Birthday Lenny Kaye banner from her terrace this morning. (Unfortunately, we didn't get a great shot of it. The winds this morning prevented the banner from staying up for too long.)
Anyway, per Jennifer: "We wanted to salute his many talents!"
There's a sold-out 70th birthday concert tonight at the Bowery Ballroom in his honor.
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At a Patti Smith Group concert a while back at L.A's Wiltern Theater, Lenny rushed up to me backstage and said for all to hear (including Michael Stipe), "Here's the woman who gave me my start in rock & roll!" Big hugs and kisses all round.
Because I did. I was the editor of Jazz & Pop magazine, a well-thought-of progressive music rag, and Lenny's college roommate David Walley, the boyfriend who had become ex when Jim Morrison came along, had introduced Lenny to me as a possible writer. I grabbed him and ran.
He was of course terrific, and among many great things he wrote for me was an amazing piece on doo-wop. Which was read by a young poet called Patti Smith, and she sought him out at Bleecker Bob's Records (I think it was). And they got together and the rest is history.
So I like to think that in some small way I am responsible for the PSG. Like a First Cause. Or something. Anyway, Happy Birthday, dear Link! Love ya!
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