Universal Truth #2 – For most people, the Summer of Love was 1972

Yes 1967 was a big year for hippies. More than 100,000 of them converged on San Francisco that summer. It was the year of The Monterey Pop Festival . It was also a year that saw large gatherings of hippies in big cities across North America.

But let’s face it, cultural trends tend to take a few years to make it mainstream. By 1972, the same small towns where people would have shot a hippie on sight were suddenly full of men with long hair, massive sideburns and tie-dye shirts

Which brings me to this photo.




Oh my. I actually remember this party.

Of course, what I remember mostly consists of sitting in a corner pulling images from a Popeye comic with Silly Putty. We children were easily amused then. However, I do remember the band and the band was probably why I was there.

My grandmother was something of a musical legend in and around Madoc, Ontario. Not only did she play piano at the Legion every Saturday night – she also played the organ in the United Church first thing on Sunday morning. Believe me, the way they all drank at the Legion that couldn't have been easy, She was so admired as a piano player that no jam session or gathering of musicians was the same without her.






She was probably in her 70s when these photos were taken but would likely have been the life of the party – along with my dad who at some point donned my mother’s wig (yes wigs were big in 1972 – VERY BIG) and played drums. Much to my dismay, I can no longer find that photo anywhere.

If I ever do find it, I will put it on this site and my father will likely strike me dead from heaven.

Oh, I do have more to say about these photos, but I will leave that until the next blog post.