The birth of this book can be traced to a panel discussion at the Matheson Historical Museum in Gainesville in August 2006, addressing the city’s thriving band scene of the sixties and seventies, an event created and organized by Barry Baumstein, the president of the museum’s board of directors. The panel was moderated by writers William McKeen and Bill DeYoung and consisted of Mike Boulware, Gary Gordon, Tom Holtz, and myself. I was inspired by the large, enthusiastic turnout for what seemed to be no more than a bunch of musicians reminiscing about the old days. People arrived with band business cards, concert posters, photos, memories, and—thanks to Mike Boulware—Duane Allman’s 1957 Les Paul, which I was allowed to briefly strum.
The research for the book was aided greatly by the assistance of Carl Van Ness, curator of the Manuscripts and Archives Department in the University of Florida Library’s Special and Area Studies Collections, who arranged access to back issues of the Florida Alligator. The eighteen consecutive years of issues I reviewed (1959–1976) became the core of the book’s chronology and served as the framework for the ensuing narrative.
For allowing me to interview them, I thank Jimmy Tutten, Tom Laughon, Boomer Hough, David “Lefty” Wright, Tom Leadon, Michael Hitchcock, Trantham Whitley, Don Felder, Benmont Tench III, Stan Lynch II, Jeffrey Meldon, Bruce Nearon, Jeff Goldstein, Charlie Ramirez, Jim Lenahan, Nancy Luca, Randall Marsh, Jeff Jourard, Dean Lowry, Charles Steadham, Lonnie Morris, Rick Reed, Charlie Souza, Bill Killeen, Bill Carter, Joe Folsom, Jim Garcia, Geoffrey May, Vinnie Fiorello, Drew Copeland, and Codi Lazar. Did I forget someone? Thanks for your help, too!
Red Slater provided photos from the early days of Mudcrutch and the local music scene, and these contributed greatly to the project. Carl Chambers’s website dizzyrambler.com provided archival information about Ron and the Starfires. Melanie Barr helped me with 1968. Ale Gasso helped me with aspects of chapter 11. Jeff Goldstein contributed memorabilia from the Rose Community concert promotion years, an organization that brought a lot of great music to Gainesville audiences.
Special thanks also to Gary Gordon and Steve Soar, for giving me my start playing in bands.
And last but most likely most, my thanks to University Press of Florida acquisitions editor Sian Hunter, whose organizational suggestions were vital to the form of the book and whose inherent tact and knowledge were the very thing we were looking for.