Frazier Mohawk (Born Barry Friedman) December 12, 1941 – June 2, 2012
Frazier Mohawk was a man of many talents who was a prominent if not well-known figure of the Los Angeles music scene of the 1960s. One of his earliest jobs was doing publicity for radio and television host, Bob Eubanks. He quickly parlayed that into doing sound mixes for bands performing on TV. He also worked as a publicist for Ike & Tina Turner and the Troubadour nightclub in those early days as well as the Beatles‘ Hollywood Bowl performance. In 1966, while Stephen Stills was staying at his house, Mohawk was driving Stills and Richie Furay along Sunset Boulevard when they passed Neil Young and Bruce Palmer who were driving in a hearse in the opposite direction. Mohawk turned the car around and the four met and soon formed Buffalo Springfield with Dewey Martin. Mohawk took care of much of the band’s early business – including landing them a career-defining slot on the Byrds tour, before they hired on management. As a producer, Mohawk worked with Nico, Paul Butterfield, and John Cale. He went on to open and run a studio/commune that was partially funded by Elektra Records in Northern California, but it eventually closed when it became more of a hang-out than a productive recording studio. Tired of the music industry, Mohawk moved to Canada during the mid ’70s and started a traveling circus, and later, Puck’s Farm which was a recording studio surrounded by family attractions. Frazier Mohawk was 71 when he passed away on June 2, 2012. Cause of death was not immediately released.
Nico (Born Christa Päffgen)
October 16, 1938 – July 18, 1988
Nico was a German-born singer, actress and model who is best remembered for her work with Velvet Underground as well as Andy Warhol. As a young adult, Nico worked as a model, appearing in such magazines as Vogue and Elle. After landing the lead in the 1963 French film, The Strip-Tease, Nico recorded the Serge Gainsbourg produced theme song. In 1965, Nico recorded her first single with the help of Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones. It was around this time that Nico began working with Andy Warhol who managing the Velvet Underground at the time. The band reluctantly agreed to let Nico sing lead on three songs on their 1967 debut, The Velvet Underground & Nico, considered one of the most influential albums of the era. The partnership soon dissolved with Nico moving on to a critically acclaimed solo career. She recorded and performed into the 1980s. On July 18, 1988, Nico fell from her bicycle after suffering a minor heart attack. Unconscious, she was taken to a hospital where she was misdiagnosed with heat stroke. She died the next day of a cerebral hemorrhage from the fall.