Alan “Blind Owl” Wilson

Alan “Blind Owl” Wilson
Alan Wilson was the driving force behind blues turned acid-rockers “Canned Heat”. In addition to being an accomplished guitarist, Al was an accomplished harmonica player. Al wrote most of their songs including “Going up the Country”. The group also raised quite a fuss while performing at the Monterray Rock Festival and Woodstock. Alan was also instrumental in the rediscovery of “Son House” and actually re-taught Son how to play his old songs. In fact Al played on “Son House”‘s comeback album in 1965. In 1968 along with Frank Cook, Bob Hite, Henry Vestine, and Larry Taylor as “Canned Heat” they released their debut album which contained mostly blues standards and rollicking versions of “Bullfrog Blues” and “Rollin and Tumblin”. Frank Cook left to join “Pacific, Gas and Electric” and was replaced by Adolfo De La Parra. Later that year they got the boogie fever and put out “Boogie With Canned Heat”, which featured “On The Road Again” and the 11 minute mindblower “Fried Hockey Boogie”. For this album they all sported nicknames on the backcover: Bob “The Bear” Hite”, Al “Blind Owl” Wilson, “Henry “The Sunflower” Vestine, Larry “The Mole” Taylor and “Fito’ De La Parra.Then came the ultimate fusion of “blues on LSD” with the double set “Living The Blues” released in 69. This album contained their biggest hit “Going Up The Country”. It also had the 40 minute boogie blow-out “Refried Hockey Boogie” that took up an entire record. Put that in your pipe and smoke it ! They closed out the 60’s with “Hallelujah” which yielded “Same All Over” and “Time Was”. In 1970 they released a greatest hits package entitled “The Canned Heat Cookbook”. Their last studio album with the “Blind Owl” was “Future Blues” which charted the hit single “Let’s Work Together”. One of Al’s last projects was to record an album with John Lee Hooker which was entitled “Hooker and Heat”. On September 3rd of 1970, Al was fished out from the bottom of his pool, dead at 27. His death was ruled a suicide. “Canned Heat” forged on but with minimal success. DEATHROCK UPDATE – The “Blind Owl” was found dead in sleeping bag behind Bob “The Bear” Hite’s house, a victim of an overdose of heroin. The exact details remains shrouded in mystery. DEATHROCK UPDATE TWO : Again there are more disputes about Alan Wilson’s death. He was found dead in a sleeping bag in Topanga Canyon, not behind “The Bears” pad. He died from mixing seconal and alcohol