Steppenwolf. (Handout)
Goldy McJohn, a Canadian founding member of Steppenwolf whose roaring organ sounds and big hair brought a powerful presence to the group behind the classic-rock staples "Born to be Wild" and "Magic Carpet Ride," has died.
The keyboard player, whose given name was John Goadsby, died on Tuesday of a heart attack, according to a post on his Facebook page. He was 72.
A funeral service is scheduled for next Friday in Seattle.
McJohn and husky voiced lead singer John Kay were among the founding members of Steppenwolf. The group, which also included Canadians Jerry Edmonton on drums and Nick St. Nicholas on bass among its core members, got its start in Toronto as the Sparrows.
Rockabilly musician Ronnie Hawkins recalls them playing at his club, the Hawk's Nest, above the Le Coq d'Or Tavern on Yonge Street in Toronto.
"They were just starting when they were at the Hawk's Nest but I remember them and the piano player had that afro or whatever you call that great big head of hair," Hawkins said by phone Friday from his home in Peterborough, Ont.
"(The crowd) loved them. That's what got them started. They were so good at the Hawk's Nest, they started getting jobs everywhere."
After securing a deal with Columbia Records, the Sparrows spent time in New York and then migrated west to the San Francisco Bay area and Los Angeles, where they broke up and reformed as Steppenwolf.
"I kept needling the guys. I said, 'Man, I saw what's going on out on the West Coast,"' Kay recalled in an interview with The Canadian Press last October.
"I saw the formation of the Byrds and numerous other hot bands out there."
The group's self-titled debut album released in 1968 was a hit and included the iconic track "Born to be Wild," written by Mars Bonfire, who was the Canadian guitarist for the Sparrows and the brother of Edmonton.
"It came out and boy, that's what put 'em on top," said Hawkins.
"It became a big one and it's still getting work for them. You still hear that song. It sounded like one of them wild, teenage things."
The gritty biker anthem, as well as the group's hit cover of Hoyt Axton's "The Pusher," were on the soundtrack for Dennis Hopper's cult classic 1969 film "Easy Rider."
Steppenwolf also achieved success with the psychedelic "Magic Carpet Ride" and subsequent tracks including "Rock Me," "Straight Shootin' Woman" and "Move Over."
In '72, Steppenwolf "had kind of burned out" and disbanded, said Kay.
While they did reform with the core lineup, putting out a few more albums, they eventually broke up again.
"Toward the end of the '70s, my daughter was at a certain age and I said, 'let's disband the band,' so we went our separate ways," Kay said, noting St. Nicholas and McJohn had been kicked out of the band in the preceding years "for a variety of reasons."
Since then there have also been various incarnations of the group, including John Kay & Steppenwolf.
McJohn also went on to play in other groups including Manbeast and Humble Pie.
Last year, Steppenwolf was shortlisted for inclusion into the 2017 induction class for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame but ultimately was not selected.
Steppenwolf. (Handout)