New York Daily NewsA news reporter for a San Francisco television station has reunited rock guitarist Carolos Santana with a former bandmate he hadn’t seen in decades and who now lives on the streets of Oakland.
Reporter Stanley Roberts ran into percussionist Marcus “The Magnificent” Malone while working on a story about illegal dumping last week, KRON-TV in San Francisco reports.
Although he initially was skeptical of the homeless man’s claim that the Santana Blues Band got its start in his mother’s garage in the late 1960s, Roberts checked out the story and confirmed it. And on Friday, he took Santana for a surprise visit to the camper where Malone has been staying.
“You don’t know how afraid I am to let you see me,” Malone said softly after he and the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer embraced.
“We cherish you,” Santana replied. “It’s an honor to be in your presence.”
AP
Carlos Santana, left, greets his former bandmate Marcus Malone on the streets of Oakland, Calif.
Santana has credited Malone with being an important influence on his Afro-Latin sound, according to former Rolling Stone magazine writer Ben Fong-Torres’ book “Not Fade Away: A Backstage Ticket to 20 years of Rock & Roll.”
Malone played congas on Santana’s eponymous first album, but left the band in 1969 shortly before its seminal performance at Woodstock when he was imprisoned for manslaughter, according to Fong-Torres.
The two men told Roberts they had not seen each other since then. During their meeting on Friday, Santana promised to bring Malone a set of congas and to help him get on his feet.
Since Roberts’ story aired, another original member of the Santana Blues Band, percussionist Rod Harper, and producer Bobby Scott also have expressed interest in reuniting with Malone.
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Good article Angel. I always liked listening to old Santana. Now I am gonna have to listen to one of them thumb nails there as I haven`t listened to any Santana for a long time 😎
Here’s some more:
http://news.kron4.com/news/santana-plans-recording-with-homeless-ex-bandmate/
🙂
Yep, good report there too. I hope to here that new album they put out. Bet it will be good 🙂 Thanks Angel 😎
Aw man this brought tears to my eyes. What a great video.
My ex-boyfriend from 1994-2000 is still on the streets now at age 67. He too was a Blues musician with the Walter Trout band… played the B3 Hammond. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScWbx5gbILU
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Sorry to hear about your ex Cathleen. A lot of really good people have ended up on the street and it is damn hard to get out/off of the street 🙁 . Real good video there though Cathleen 😉 The blues are good especially the rockin` blues.
Ya … it’s a sad situation. 🙁
Without going into too much detail, the situation he’s in now is of his own doing. We are all given choices in life and we really must choose wisely, wouldn’t you agree?
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Oh Yes Cathleen, I well know as I am very lucky to have a – so called bought and paid for – roof over my head these days. America should be a nation with the fewest homless and disadvantaged people. Many on the street are there because of no other choices and many of those that I know just do not trust most people any more and turned to drugs and alcohol.