Keith was a fabulous person, who loved the Incredible String Band,
having fun times , making ceramic brains , staying up all night playing
chess and driving his minivan at 100 mph through Charnwood forest.
He was a great driver, I never felt afraid when he was at the wheel,
no matter how unroadworthy he really was, ( and there were times when
he was REALLY , REALLY unroadworthy ) one always felt safe with him ,
he exuded calm and confidence.
I have a particular love of the first three ISB albums as I would
often stay up all night listening to those songs with a dear
friend called Keith Blackham - who hailed from Hereford.This was around
1970. We would play them over and over , getting more and more involved
in the music , which never ever became stale. Keith was having a really
bad time with a married lady, who he loved deeply and she was forever
messing him around. I was mooning over a girl who never reciprocated my
feelings . The music helped both of us put life into perspective and those
nights in that bare room will live with me as long as I draw breath .
I lost touch with Keith over 20 years ago.He was a great potter who created
some wacky stuff. But the main thing about him was that he was a wonderful
guy and his happy, open , caring personality always seemed to me to personify
the good feelings one used to get listening to the String Band . I spent
a mad fortnight with him once chasing around the Gower peninsula- a magic
place if ever there was one - in his minivan, where we hardly ever seemed
to sleep and generally lived it up, with a String Band soundtrack wherever
possible- which suited those wildly different gower vistas.Whether at
the marshy estuary of the North side , with cockle pickers and lava bread,the
majestic Three Cliffs Bay - where we sunbathed,dune walked, then climbed
over the ruined castle- or
amongst the sweep and wild variety of Rhossilli Bay- there was something
from the String Band to perfectly accompany each environment.What a great
time that was to have been young!
Sadly Keith disappeared into the south american jungle and was last heard
of helping out the sandanistas in the middle 70s.I moved to Australia
in 81. Our paths never were to cross again.
Is he still alive ? .I hope so. But whatever, whenever I hear
A Very
Cellular Song, First Girl I loved ,Painting Box, Hedgehog Song- and in
particular- No Sleep Blues- I think of him.....
Last heard of in South America, helping freedom fighters of some
sort of left wing persuasion - typical Keith .
Keith was Spotted in California in the mid 70s, then disappeared.
I'm an ol' middle-aged guy from Dallas, Texas (USA). I've been trying
to get back into writing over the last couple of years...poetry, short-stories,
essays, etc, etc......
Anyway, I was jotting down some notes about my first move to San Francisco
and Berkeley back in 1974....remembering this long-haired leaping gnome
(as the old sixties song says)
named Kieth Blackham. My wife (at that time) and myself shared a ride
with him from Fort Worth, Texas to San Francisco, Ca.
On a lark, I thought I would run his name through the inter-net and see
what showed. I can't believe it. I only stayed in touch with Kieth for
about a year after that. The last time I saw him, was in Campbell, California,
just outside of San Jose. We went on a HUGE drunk and smoke-in...played
pool all night. I found my way back to Berkeley the next morning. I think
we talked on the phone once or twice after that. Then we lost contact.
I'll always remember him as one of those great combinations of being incredibly
intelligent, funny, intense, and very likable...all at the same time.
Just a good guy.
If you should ever hear from him, please give him this e-mail address.
By the way...he was a damn good driver. I'll share a couple of stories
sometime if you're interested.
Lonnie Pritzen,
Dallas, Texas ( I can't believe I'm still stuck here!)
