MAN OF GLASS

I was going to write more about Bob Marlowe in the Coffee Gallery post, but then decided to give him his own.

To the mind of the daughter who heard the tales from her mother, the Jesus Movement of the 60's was fronted in part by a band called The Salt Company from Hollywood Presbyterian Church. They wrote original songs about God's love, played guitar and sang in three-part harmony, wore their hair long and proud, and performed free concerts on beaches and in coffeeshops. The band was comprised of Pamela Van Valin (mum), David Covington, Bob Marlowe, and a bass player who has since passed on and whose name I can't remember. David and Bob (along with my dad and another fellow named Michael McGinnis) were my earliest musical influences--long before I knew what an album was or even radio--and I do feel uniquely blessed that I was raised with good, live music by trustworthy friends in the livingroom or in church (or both simultaneously). It's fed much of my philosophy regarding art and faith.

The peak of our Coffee Gallery show, for me, was twisting Bob's arm to close us out with a song of his own called "Maranatha." I'd forgotten how well I knew it, and surprised us both while I was singing along with him on stage. I felt connected to a piece of my parents' history without them being there, which was a new experience for me and one that couldn't have happened anywhere else in the world. Thanks for humoring a young girl, Bob. It was an especially meaningful day for me.