BTW, his name wasn't Don Van Vliet, he changed it in the 60s. He was born Don Glen Vliet in January 1941.
David Crosby was a "Van", he came from BIG money. His name is David Van Cortland Crosby. Trivia... but the whole 1960s music scene is fascinating, especially that part in and around Laurel Canyon... it is almost a horror story when you dig into it. So many murders and "suicides" in Laurel and neighboring canyons. So much weirdness and so many people who came from the same background, strangely interconnected. For a number of years Zappa was sort of the "man" there, living in the Log Cabin. He gave Beefheart his start along with "Wild Man" Fisher who was a homeless street performer who had, IIRC, tried three time to kill his mother. Zappa also released the first double album which was also the first "concept" album and the first album with the lyrics printed on the sleeve, Freak Out!. Dylan's Blonde on Blonde was also a double and was scheduled to be released earlier, but was delayed. So many "musicians" from Laurel could not play. The Byrds, Hilman was a mandolin player who got assigned to the bass. Jim McGuinne was the only other one who could play in the first group... Gene Clark could play but I don't think he was on the first recording of (I don't remember) either Turn, Turn, Turn or Mr. Tambourine Man. Buffalo Springfield actually had three people who could play. CSN... Steve Stills played everything on their first album CSN.
Back to the Byrds first album was worse, as far as musicians, than the first Monkees album. The musicians on the first Byrds album were: Glen Campbell on guitar, Hal Blaine on drums, Larry Knechtel on bass, Leon Russell on piano, and Jerry Cole on rhythm guitar. Then they added vocals by the Byrds members to the mix.
A bit of smoke and mirrors there... nothing new in show business.
Maybe Vliet was right... LOL.
The popularity of the live performances of many of these early folk/rock groups was due to the dancers of Vito and his dancing freaks who the people came to see. Vito and Carl were the first hippies. Vito Paulekas and Carl Franzoni.
Vito and
Godo, who died at 2 and a half yo after falling through a skylight while playing in the roof... (I know). It is said that Vito and wife had already begun exposing Godo to sexuality, passing him around a circle of friends. Yeah again... I know. Strange people, strange times. Involved with The Process church and worse. I've lately been digging in to a LOT of the culture that influenced me and so many others of that day and today and a lot of it is REALLY disturbing. Both John Phillips and Cass Elliott were on the defense witness list for the Charles Manson, but were not called. Manson and his girls were a part of the scene all over Laurel Canyon. Lived with Dennis Wilson of the Beach Boys for about 6 months, they were in and out of Johns house. Neil Young tried to get him signed to a label.
Strange time, really strange times... but I'll say this. Lynette Fromme was hot, IMO.
It amazes me what people will believe. I guess it goes back to the old saying: "If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything". So many of these people had so much going for them and threw it all away for nothing. Still more amazing are the number of people who sill believe in Charlie. I don't get it... and I don't get why a group of people would allow themselves to be held in a house for a month, underfed, abused, etc by Vliet to record his strange music. Why do grown people allow themselves to be abused? I really do not get it. There is a LOT I don't get.. "like Jimi said in "Earth Blues" on "his" latest release People, Hell, and Angels... "it must be the acid".
Sorry for the thread drift. It triggered some thoughts...