Author, Radio Host and Reggae Historian Roger Steffens on Bob Marley, Jim Morrison and Vietnam in the 60s: Part One
My Rock MomentShow Notes
In this episode of My Rock Moment, we sit down with Roger Steffens. Roger is a writer, actor, radio host, legendary reggae historian, and author of "So Much Things to Say: The Oral History of Bob Marley" (which Rolling Stone headlined in its review “…[arguably] the Best Bob Marley Book Ever.”). Roger was co-host of the Reggae Beat on KCRW from 1979 to 1987 and Reggae Beat International from 1983 to 1987, which was syndicated internationally to 130 stations. Seven rooms of his home in Los Angeles house reggae archives, which include the world's largest collection of Bob Marley material. While most of his career has been devoted to reggae and its luminaries, his love of rock ‘n’ roll started back in 1953 as a devoted fan of Alan Freed. Part One of our discussion starts with Roger remembering one particular concert in 1967 in San Francisco - it was an unforgettable night of rock ‘n’ roll, as Bill Graham introduced 2 then unknown acts to an anticipant audience. The concert was a poignant way to say goodbye to the U.S. as the next day he was sent off to Vietnam. We’ll discuss the 2 years he spent there working in Psyops while protest rock erupted across the nation. We’ll hear Steffens’ incredible story about meeting the Countess De Breteuil in Marrakesh in 1971 and how that connected him to the passing of Jim Morrison. Steffens will also share the serendipitous circumstances that led to him meeting Bob Marley for the first time. To find out more about Roger Steffens and his work, check out the links below:
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