No matter if you lived through the 1960s and ’70s, or were born decades after, come experience the music of the era and be a hippie for a day at HippieFest.
On Thursday, HippieFest brings diverse artists from around the world like Rick Derringer, Mitch Ryder, the Family Stone and Badfinger to Tucson.
“It’s great fun, I see a lot of old friends,” said Joey Molland, rock guitarist and original member of the Welch rock band Badfinger.
“People of all ages come to see the HippieFest,” added Rick Derringer, a Grammy-award winning producer, guitarist and vocalist. “Everybody that loves great music should come to see it.”
Not familiar with the hippie era? Here’s a primer on this year’s fest:
The hits: “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo” — Rick Derringer; “Baby Blue” — Badfinger; “Everyday People” — Sly and the Family Stone (performing Thursday as The Family Stone sans Sly); “Good Golly Miss Molly” — Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels.
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Bring the kids: Expect to see grandparents, their kids and their kids’ kids in the audience. This is music that crosses generations.
The bands:
- The Family Stone, featuring original founding members Jerry Martini, Cynthia Robinson and Greg Errico, and featuring Alex Davis and Phunne Stone on vocals. The band, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, fuses rock and soul in songs that connected with the rising counterculture of the 1960s. Formed by Sly Stone in 1966, the band’s early iconic hits include “Everyday People,” “Hot Fun in the Summertime” and “Family Affair.”
- Badfinger featuring Joey Molland, the last remaining original member of the Welsh rock band that was popular in the late 1960s and ’70s. Known for their hits “Come and Get It,” “Baby Blue,” “No Matter What” and “Without You,” Badfinger’s pop-rock sound made them worldwide stars, but financial troubles tore the band apart in 1974.
- Rick Derringer got his first taste of success with The McCoys, which rose to the top of the charts with “Hang on Sloopy” in 1965 when Derringer was only 17. His solo hits include “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo” in 1973. The Grammy-winning producer, guitarist and vocalist, is a respected collaborative and solo artist who also has worked extensively with Edgar and Johnny Winter and with Steely Dan.
- Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels fused soul and rock ’n’ roll in an era in the mid-1960s Detroit where rock ruled. Their strong stage presence made them hometown stars and their songs— “Jenny Take a Ride,” “Little Lupe Lu” and “Good Golly Miss Molly” — vaulted them up national charts. The band lasted just three short years before splitting up. Mitch Ryder went on to pursue a solo career.
Annie Dickman is a University of Arizona journalism student apprenticing at the Star.
