Bert Sommer

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Bert Sommer
Sommer in 1970
Sommer in 1970
Background information
Born(1949-02-07)February 7, 1949
New York City, U.S.
DiedJuly 23, 1990(1990-07-23) (aged 41)
Troy, New York, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)Singer, songwriter, television performer
Years active1960s, 1970s
Labels
Websitewww.bertsommer.com

Bert Sommer (February 7, 1949 – July 23, 1990)

Woodstock Festival
, and released several albums as a singer-songwriter.

Life and career

Sommer was born in New York City[1] and grew up in Queens and Hartsdale, New York. He was a self-taught musician (piano and guitar), who began writing songs in his teens.[1] He attended Woodlands High School as well as Quintano's School for Young Professionals in Manhattan. He became friendly with other young musicians and songwriters in the area, including Peter Sabatino, Leslie West, Tom Feher, and Michael Brown, and wrote several songs for West (then known as Weinstein)'s band, the Vagrants, including their single "Beside the Sea", co-written with producer Felix Pappalardi and his wife Gail Collins.[2]

In 1967, Sommer joined Michael Brown's band,

Steve Martin Caro and co-writing their single "And Suddenly" with Brown. He also sang lead on "Ivy Ivy", written by Tom Feher. The group (which included Michael McKean on bass) soon fell apart, following legal threats by Martin's lawyers. In the same baroque vein as the Left Banke, Sommer wrote "Brink of Death", recorded by the band Childe Harold with an arrangement by Wendy Carlos
.

Next, Sommer was recruited as a member of "the Tribe" for the musical Hair, and then promoted to the role of Woof. His "frizzed-out Afro" hair and eyes were featured on the Los Angeles Playbill for Hair in 1969.[1][2][3]

Sommer had been signed by

D.A. Pennebaker's documentary Woodstock Diary (1994). In 2019, the entire Bert Sommer set became part of the Woodstock 50th anniversary 38-CD set, restored by Andy Zax
.

Sommer's second album, Inside Bert Sommer, was released in May 1970 on the Eleuthera label, a subsidiary of

Ike and Tina Turner and the Byrds.[10] A third album, Bert Sommer, was released on Buddah in 1971, but, like Sommer's other albums, was commercially unsuccessful.[2] Sommer spent some time in a rehabilitation facility in the early 1970s, then formed a trio in Brockport, New York. Sommer, Landis & Roberts, with Gary Roberts (also known as Johnny Rabb) and Rob Landis[10]
played local clubs and cafes in the college town for a couple years.

While Sommer continued to write songs, he received another offer. After being encouraged to audition by music producer Artie Ripp, he appeared as "Flatbush" of Kaptain Kool and the Kongs on The Krofft Supershow in 1976, but did not reprise the role in the second season. In 1977, his fourth album, also titled Bert Sommer, produced in Los Angeles by Ron Dante, was released by Capitol Records. Again, the album was unsuccessful, and he was dropped by the label.[10] The follow-up album that never happened, to have been produced by Trevor Lawrence, contained songs such as "You", featured in the films The Patriot (1986) and Stella (1990).[10]

Sommer returned to Albany in August 1983 and almost immediately began to perform in local venues with Johnny Rabb, and Carla and Kevin McKrell, in The Fabulous Newports. He also teamed up with Eddie Angel and Johnny Rabb in The Poor Boys. His last performance was again with Rabb, at an outdoor concert in Troy, New York on June 11, 1990.

Sommer died in Troy, New York on July 23, 1990, after a long battle with a respiratory illness.[1]

Discography

  • The Road To Travel (Capitol, 1968)
  • Inside Bert Sommer (Eleuthera, 1970)
  • Bert Sommer (Buddah, 1971)
  • Bert Sommer (Capitol, 1977)

References

  1. ^
    Allmusic
    . Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d Sharon Watts, "We're All Playing In The Same Band", Shindig! No. 94, August 2019, pp.44–48
  3. ^ "Bert Sommer | THE GENTLEBEAR". Gentlebear.wordpress.com. May 2, 2010. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
  4. ^ Fusilli, Jim (August 6, 2009). "Woodstock's Forgotten Man". The Wall Street Journal.
  5. ^ Liesl Bradner (August 1, 2019). "He Got a Standing Ovation at Woodstock – and Then ... Not Everyone Who Performed at Woodstock Is Famous 50 Years Later. Here's What Happened to One Forgotten Star". Time. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  6. .
  7. ^ "Bert Sommer". Psychedelicized. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  8. ^ James Stafford (October 2, 2016). "From The Stacks: Bert Sommer — 'We're All Playing In the Same Band' (White Label Promo)". Why It Matters. Music. Stories. Essays. Records. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  9. .
  10. ^ a b c d Robert Ian Hawdon, "Bert Sommer – The forgotten Woodstock artist", 8 August 2019. Retrieved August 21, 2019

External links