BIOGRAPHY

Born Richard Marsh, Sky Sunlight Saxon emerged from the Los Angeles music circle during the early 60s.

The 60's
"In 1965 he formed the Seeds, arguably the city's finest punk/garage group, which later evolved into a psychedelic / flower-power attraction."1  Sky Saxon and guitarist Jan Savage formed the Seeds with keyboardist Daryl Hooper and drummer Rick Andridge in Los Angles in 1965. By the end of 1966, they had secured a contract with GNP Crescendo, releasing "Pushin' Too Hard" as their first single. The song climbed into the Top 40 early in 1967, and the group immediately released two more singles, "Mr. Farmer" band "Can't Seem to Make You Mine," in an attempt to replicate their success; the latter just missed being in the Top 40. "Best known for their rock & roll standard "Pushin' Too Hard," the Seeds combined the raw, Stonesy appeal of garage rock with a fondness for ragged, trashy psychedelia. The band continued to record for the remainder of the '60s, eventually delving deep into post- Sgt. Pepper's psychedelia and art rock."2 As the April 1967 cover of Teen Scene said, "Flower Power has arrived." While their singles were garage punk, the Seeds attempted to branch out into improvisational blues-rock and psychedelia on their first two albums, The Seeds (1966) and Web of Sound (1966). With their third album, Future (1967), the band attempted a psychedelic concept album in the vein of Sgt. Peppebr's. The record reached the Top 100 and spawned the hit "A Thousand Shadows." Two other albums followed: Raw & Alive: The Seeds in Concert at Merlin's Music Box (1968) and A Full Spoon of Seedy Blues (1969), which was credited to the Sky Saxon Blues Band.

The 70's
During the early '70s, Saxon led a number of bands before joining The Source Family, retreating from society and eventually moving to Hawaii. Sky Saxon became Sunlight upon joining the Source Family and he began an intense spiritual journey that included music at its forefront with Father Yod creating and leading a few family bands including the most famous and cult favorite, YaHoWha 13. A collection of rarities and alternate takes, Fallin' off the Edge, was released in 1977."2

The 80's
"Saxon, who habd not produced any new albums since 1978, returned on the U.K. Psycho label in 1984 with Starry Ride, which featured support from Steppenwolf's Mars Bonfire (composer of "Born to Be Wild"), as well as formermembers of Iron Butterfly and Fraternity of Man. The Saxon/Bonfire collaboration reached full fruition in the group Firewall, who debuted with the album A Groovy Thing in 1986 (Destiny's Children features the same songs in a different order). Firewall featured guest appearances from members of such California neo-psychedelic bands as the Dream Syndicate, the Plimsouls, the Droogs, and Yard Trauma, demonstrating Saxon's enduring influence and appeal, particularly among that set of musicians. That same year, Saxon recorded a largely unrehearsed live album with his Purple Electricity band, a project featuring members of Redd Krosbs and the Primates, entitled Private Party. Firewall returned in 1988 with In Search of Brighter Colors, which was released in the U.S. as World Fantastic, with several rare '80s cuts replacing the former version's weaker tracks. "3

The 90's
The 90's find Sky Sunlight Saxon married and settling down for a while but he, with the help of his wife at the time, Marianna DaPello, released an early pre-Seeds album of doo-wop music called, A Starlight Date, that Sky did under the name, Richie Marsh.  He also released an album called Golden Vaults I.  The biggest accomplishment of the 90's was contracting with Captain Trip in Japan to release an amazing YaHoWha collection of music in a beautiful wood box called God and Hair that also included three albums of Sky Sunlight Saxon music.  It was also during this time that Sky worked with his friend Ken Dembinski a.k.a. Kenny Roland in Mount Shasta on an album released as Tyrants in the House (now currentlly re-released in 2009).   

The New Millineum
In 2002, The Seeds reformed and hit Europe and the U.S. three tours in the mid-2000's.  In 2004, The Seeds recorded the Red Planet albbum with The Seeds lineup at the time: Sky Sunlight Saxon as lead vocalist, Drummer Dave Klein, Keyboardist Mark Bellgraph and Bassist Rik Collins.  The Seeds returned to Europe again in 2006 and Sky left there with two albums under his belt - Transparency with Sky Sunlight Saxon and Lighter out of Great Britain released by Jungle Records and Atlantic Rising out of Greece. 

In 2007, The Seeds lineup changed for the Goodstock Festival and became lovingly known as the Goodstock Seeds with Sky Sunlight Saxon as lead vocalist, Lead Guitarist and Vocalist Jimmy Valentine, Rhythm Guitarist and Vocalist Sean M'Lady, Bassist Dave Waller, Drummer Tommy Gunn, and Harpist Christopher Robin.

The last lineup of The Seeds consists of amazing veteran musicians including Sky Sunlight Saxon as lead vocalist, Drummer Gary Stern, Bassist Don Bolles, Keyboardist Geoff Brandin, Lead Guitarist Atomic, and Rhythm Guitarist Kevin Dippold.  Long-time friend Justino joins Gary on a 2nd set of drums for extra oomph! Justino is also the drummer for Sky's band, King Arthur's Court.

Sky Sunlight Saxon also had a solo career as Sky Sunlight Saxon, the Psychedelic Experience, with various musicians backing him as he continued to tour and play as many gigs as he could perform.

On June 7, 2007 (777) Sky married Sabrina Smith on a bandstand at a Summer of Love party in Forest Knolls, California and she became his Business Manager and Co-Partner in the business that is Sky Sunlight Saxon The Seeds.  With Suzanne Graeber starting the process of an amazing album released in 2008 as King of Garage Rock by Cleopatra Records, Sabrina helped facilitate the release of this amazing album.  King of Garage Rock shows Sky going back to his roots and performing his favorite hits from the 60's including thee of his own hits.   Danny B. Harvey and Clem Burke produced this album with an amazing line-up of musicians backing Sky including Guitarist Danny B. Harvey, Keyboardist Don Randi, Bassist Trent Strohb and Drummer Clem Burke. The album was engineered by Gilby Clarke and Danny B. Harvey at Redrum Studios, S.I.R., and Bedworth Studios. ". . . take a look at the current indie rock tree of life from The Vines to Brandon Flowers and you'll find traces of what Sky Saxon and The Seeds planted in the fertile of the 60's blossoming everywhere. Yes, The Seeds are still with us and for good reason - pure, powerful, passionate rock n' roll never dies."

November, December 2008 and January 2009 found Sky in Europe with a tour lasting from November 14 - December 14 and followed by various recording sessions with various bands in Germany including Vibravoid. 

Sky Sunlight Saxon lived to perform and record music and for that his fans are eternally grateful as he is eternally grateful for all of his fans who still follow him and his music to this day. The Flower Power and some may say Flower Punk movement is alive and well in Sky Sunlight Saxon The Seeds.

Sky Sunlight Saxon passed over to be with YaHoWha 6/25/2009 at 9:10am. Sabrina Saxon and spiritual brother in YaHoWha Joshua Aquarian were at his side. He passed peacefully and with no pain.  

1. Encyclopedia of Popular Music
2. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
3. Steve Huey, All Music Guide
4. Cleopatra Records on The King of Garage Rock album

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