JAMES GURLEY, of Big Brother and the Holding Company, Dead at 69

MUSIC NEWS - James Gurley, guitarist with Big Brother and the Holding Company, the psychedelic blues acid rock band from San Francisco who helped Janis Joplin on her rise to music history back in the late 1960's died  from a heart attack on December 20th at a Palm Springs, CA hospital.  He was 69, and died two days before his 70th birthday.

Gurley was born in Detroit, MI on December 22, 1939 and started playing guitar at 19, immediately befcoming a fan, and student of blues, especially bluesman Lightnin' Hopkins. He moved to San Francisco in1962 and became part of the coffee-house circuit, playing in the folk and country blues tradition.

In the summer of 1965, respected promoter Chet Helms brought Gurleyo 1090 Page Street to meet Peter Albin and Sam Andrew of Big Brother and the Holding Company, and not much later, he joined the band. In June 1966, Joplin joined the band, and not long afterward she and Gurley began a short lived affair.

After leaving Big Brother, he lived in Palm Desert, CA periodicaly worked on solo projects. He last release was "Pipe Dreams", out in 2000.  He is survived by his wife, Margaret, and sons Hongo and Django.

BBHC members willbe holding a memorial event next month in San Francisco, details tbd.

More @ the official Big Brother... site,  BBHC.com

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Comments

[MSQ]

RIP James.

[rick]

I saw bbhc in pasadena Calif 3 or 4 times..I remember Janis handing out paper towels to the dancers up by the stage JG was what drove BbHC till Janis came along..certainly unlike any guitar player, Loud feedback kicked over amps, an original for sure..myself I liked bbhc best of the 3 diff bands she put together