Rockstar to Wildlife Advocate with John Kay of Steppenwolf

In 1948 at age 4, Mother & I escape from Communism. At age 9, In West Germany, I become politicized and later become obsessed with Rock’n Roll. In Toronto, by age 14, I’m deemed ‘legally blind’ and become a High School ‘Drop In’ and bootlegger. I discover Ronnie Hawkins and his great band the Hawks (who later became simply “The Band”) and in 1963, while in Buffalo, I begin performing Folk Musi...

It's 1964, I'm playing "The New Balladeer" in West LA with Taj Mahal, David Crosby & others, At "The Troubadour" in West Hollywood I learn "The Pusher" from Hoyt Axton, see the great "T-bone Walker" and meet "Mr Tambourine Man". After hitchhiking from LA to Toronto I wind up playing "The Half Beat", one of 17 clubs in Yorkville Village, and there jam with "The Sparrows". I hitch to the Newport...

It's Oct 1965 and the clubs in Toronto's Yorkville Village are buzzing with bands like The Sparrows and The Mynah Birds with Rick James and Neil Young,...yes, you read that right. I meet the love of my life, Jutta, at a Sparrows gig, follow her home and move in with her. Lonnie Johnson, renowned blues / jazz guitarist, shares a little musical history with me before The Sparrows get a record deal i...

With not a penny to my name, it’s Jutta & The Pink Pussycat to the rescue. Music Moguls are no help, enter Gabriel Mekler, just in time. Garage band music brings the LAPD, but a cassette with “Born to be wild” sounds promising. The Demo session that almost wasn’t….thanks to the LAPD…spawns the name “Steppenwolf”. Dunhill Records takes a chance with ‘The Wolf’. Then it’s ‘Good bye’ Western and...

Magic Carpet Ride is number 2, but one of us is missing in action. “Steppenwolf The Second” is just released but Dunhill already wants the next LP, so it’s back into the studio. “Candy,” with Marlon Brando & Richard Burton, becomes the first film featuring Wolf music: “Magic Carpet Ride” and “Rock Me.” There’s a new - old player in the band, the “At your Birthday Party” LP is coming along and...

1969: We make it home for Christmas… and a 13 ft delight. Dick Clark’s American Bandstand “Tribute to Steppenwolf” kicks off 1970. Our “Concert for Peace” becomes the “Steppenwolf Live” LP, but we part ways with Gabriel. An evening backstage at the Grand Ole Opry, Jimmy Buffet’s review of our Nashville concert and a Sunday afternoon at Johnny Cash & June Carter’s home. Monster and more at Play...

Rockstar to Wildlife Advocate is hosted by John Kay of Steppenwolf. You haven’t heard of Steppenwolf? Well, maybe the iconic songs, “Born to Be Wild,” “Magic Carpet Ride” and “The Pusher” ring a bell. John Kay is the vocalist and primary songwriter of Steppenwolf, one of the world’s foremost rock n’ roll bands. John Kay tells his personal story in his podcast, from the birth of Steppenwolf to how...