jack

Last night, the Psychotronic Film Society of Savannah had a memorial tribute for one of our own.
The film chosen was "Kingdom Of The Spiders", starring William Shatner at a pretty low time in his career, just before his star again began to shine.
The science fiction piece was a warning of a future ecological disaster if DDT use was not stopped and also a nod to equal rights, with a woman as lead scientist.
In the world as it was in 1977, that was perfect fodder for drive-in movies.
I should know: I was 19 then and had been to plenty of those movies.
The guitarist had also been to plenty of those, as he grew up just two years ahead of me.
He had been a big fan of cheesy movies.
When PFS was barely more than a thought, he was right there to cheer it along.
And when Jim Reed had screened this film one night, the guitarist talked with him about how much he had liked the movie, not just that night, but when he'd seen it before.
He would have been just 21 years old that first time.

Carolyn called me, near midnight, in tears, with news of his death last Wednesday.
It must have been as the discussion of that night's PFS film was waning.
Jim had told her the news and she had reached out to me.
We talked for almost two hours.
It wasn't because we were both such good friends with him, but that he had been such a fixture on those Wednesday gatherings at the Sentient Bean.
He had a loveseat that he had claimed for his own, years ago, even going so far as to have a sign that marked it "Reserved", much as Sheldon on "The Big Bang Theory" had a seat on the couch that no one but him could use.
That was the puzzle piece that marked him as like my middle brother, Ronnie.
That brother expects - no, demands - that other people obey the rules in his world, whether he has shared those rules with them or not, and is not shy about voicing his displeasure when one of his rules is broken.
Moreover, that brother believes the laws are meant for others, not for him.
See where I'm coming from?
I already have a person of that type in my family and in my life; I was good with keeping the guitarist as an acquaintance, nothing more.
That's what I told Willie yesterday.
I also told him of the hours I spent last night and today online, searching for videos of the guitarist in action during his fifteen minutes of fame.
That was during 1984, when Jack Sherman was a replacement guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, as shown in this press clipping from February 1984.
The band had mistakenly opened for Oingo Boingo in Los Angeles and the crowd had actually booed them.
I might have done the same.
The drug-fueled antics of Anthony Kiedis and Michael 'Flea' Balzary on stage, in conjunction with that band's music at the time, were not my cup of tea.
I much preferred the indie flavor of the band with Danny Elfman (whose music I still love and who shares my birthday).
As it would turn out, the drug usage became a major point of contention between the guitarist and the lead singer, eventually leading to Jack's dismissal at the end of the 1984.
(Note: All told, RHCP has had an incredible seven changes to its guitarist position and almost that many in the drum department.)

That year of heavy touring to promote the fledgling band, which had not yet released an album, led to their appearance in the media, including television.
That man in the gray and black suit, to the left of the host on "Thicke of the Night"?
That's Jack, on March 16, 1984, almost two months past his 28th birthday and fourth month of touring with the band.

They played two songs on that episode, including "True Men Don't Kill Coyotes".
Jack must have been thrilled!
As a young man, he had to think he was truly living large!
There he was, on late-night tv, playing a song he had co-written with the other three guys!
(Later, it ended up as Track 1 on that first RHCP album.)

Then, more television appearances, this one from the August 1984 interview on MTV as part of "I.R.S. Records Presents The Cutting Edge".
Each member of RHCP was allowed to say a few words and Jack talked about playing funk music, a style he had introduced to the band.
(That elemental change he brought to the band's sound was acknowledged in a recent article celebrating the 36th anniversary of the first album's release.)

Chances are pretty good that I saw Jack in action on MTV.
I used to watch every music video the show had, much like I do with youTube now.
So, after the video for "RMDKC" was released August 10, 1984, I'm sure I watched it.
However, I did not rush out and buy RHCP's first, and newly-released, eponymous album.
Like I said, that flavor wasn't my kind of music.

And, yes, that's definitely Jack Sherman in that video, fingers flying and fringe swaying!
Had I not mentioned that the black on that gray suit was long fringe?
Yep, on the jacket and on the pants - I love fringe!
But why was he wearing that horrid curly-haired wig?
Because the writing was already on the wall of his departure.
The wig would allow a seamless transition of the video when the original guitarist returned a few months later.
That face, though, is 100% Jack.
He may not have been included as a member when the band was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2012, but his year with them led to his reputation as an excellent guitarist and many gigs with diverse other artists over the past 36 years, including Bob Dylan as well as George Clinton.
He absolutely loved playing, and did it well and with his whole heart.
In the end, it was his heart that finally gave out.
If there's a rock and roll heaven, I'm sure he's jamming right now.
That's a good thought.
Maybe he's even wearing that fringed suit that he liked.
(smile)