Billy G Dove (RIP)
Billy G was one of a kind. A real WILD man with a fiery personality... he played a Gibson "Dove" Guitar and wore a Marlon Brando leather... He dug John Lee Hooker at Bakers Keyboard Lounge on 8 Mile. His runnin' buddy... was the "Gerber Baby". Gerb came from Boston when he was a kid, and they all lived in the town of Clawson, just north of Detroit... The MC5 came along and turned their little world on it's ear. My sister Kitty met a bunch of these characters in '69 during a 5 Show at the local Hideout teen club.
Original MC5 Logo not used
This opened a whole new chapter in the BIG story. We went all over SE Michigan... goin' to clubs and concerts... we saw every band that came to town. I was drivin' a black VW beetle, with a "moon roof"... picture that! We got around. At the Grande, me and Billy G would stand up, smoke a joint and slap "fives'' till our hands throbbed then stick our heads in those Voice of the Theatre monitors when the 5 were playin'.. This was what we called the HIGH SOCIETY, brothers and sisters! I'm here to Testify!
Brother Jesse
There was a gig in Flint... Delta College it was... usual bands and mayhem... Iggy and the Stooges came on... Ron in his uniform... Pop went into the crowd... a thousand kids sittin' on the floor... white spots like "searchlights" shinin' back and forth over the crowd... Iggy doin' his stare at them, they stare back routine... he dropped into the crowd and came up with some chick across his shoulders... they went down in a heap, turns out she was the DEAN'S Daughter and the Stooges had to make their getaway... I think Rock said, later, they went to England.
IGGY crowd stare
Clawson,MI we called it the Monterey of the Midwest, Sin City USA... One night after another MC5 show at the Hideout, with the usual heavy cop scene as they didn't want 'em sayin' MF'er , so they did... we all went to a house party... the whole MC5 crew showed up, roadies and all, in all their glory... drinkin' beer (STROHS) and carryin' on.
Hideout show poster
We hung in the front room and tried to look cool... us 18, remember, while the band partied on... JC Crawford started cookin' up some breakfast... Anyway things were goin' fine, till late... Janet's Dad came home... there was people jumpin' out of windows and so on...makin' their get-a-way... as "Bad Bill", just commin' from a wedding and feelin' pretty good, stood there and hollered'... "Where's every body goin'?"
Billy G driving Truck
I ended up roomies with Billy... me top bunk... him bottom. One day I wrote "get a job Bill" with a magic marker, so he would see it when he layed down... pretty funny. Bill jumped up and grabbed me... threw my ass on the floor, right off the top. We were tight... we split for Texas one day with 5 cases of long neck Stroh's beer in the back of my GMC truck... we hit Nashville... ended up in Tallahasse... and met a lot of Lassies.
Gerber didn't pass the acid test... he OD'd on his 21st birthday in 1973. Bill went a little later on.
\RIP Billy G
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