- Bruce Berry
Bruce Berry was a professional
roadie for the members ofCSNY both as a group, and individually. He got his start by working at his brother Ken's store SIR (Studio Instrument Rentals ) which brought him steady gigs. His happy, charismatic personality endeared him to the group and he was always on the road with them. He used to load all of his instruments into his trademark whiteFord Econoline van, until he moved to England to work withStephen Stills .Supposedly, when he came back to America, he was a completely different person.Danny Whitten (ofCrazy Horse ) had turned him on toheroin and it now controlled his life.One time, he was working forDavid Crosby when he told everyone that David's car had been broken into and that his belovedStratocaster had been stolen. However, everyone knew that he was now a junkie and that he had sold the guitar for drugs (but no one knew it was for heroin). Berry died of an overdose of heroin June 4, 1973, just a few months afterDanny Whitten met the same fate. Bruce Berry's story has been immortalized in the lyrics to " Tonight's the Night", byNeil Young andCrazy Horse .Bruce Berry is also the brother of Jan Berry of
Jan and Dean .References
cite book
last = McDonough
first = Jimmy
authorlink = Jimmy McDonough
title = Shakey
publisher = Vintage Canada
date = 2002
pages = 357 - 654
isbn = 0679311939Xcite web
title = Tonight's the Night
url=http://www.thrasherswheat.org/tnfy/ttn_album.htm
accessdate = 2007-09-21
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