Henry “The Sunflower” Vestine

Henry “The Sunflower” Vestine
Henry Vestine was born in Tacoma Park, Maryland on Christmas day 1944. In 1966 he joined “Canned Heat” as their lead guitarist. Newly christened as “The Sunflower”, Vestine’s guitar prowess incorporated acid-charged blues riffs punctuated by fuzzed distortion with a touch of feedback. On the back cover of the near extinct “Living the Blues” album released in 1969, he looks like a candidate for the Syd Barrett acid-causality award. “The Sunflower” was known to “buzz a bit” on the lead guitar, most notably on the 40 minute long “Refried Hockey Boogie” were he takes-off into orbit and does not come back down. Contrary to popular belief he did not perform at “Woodstock”. In early 1969 after a performance at the Fillmore he abruptly quit the band and was replaced by Harvey Mandel. (Woodstock was only Mandel’s third gig with the band) Eventually he rejoined a late incarnation of the band with “Fito” de la Parra long after the deaths of Allen “Blind Owl” Wilson and Bob “The Bear” Hite. After completing a tour of France he was found dead in a Paris hotel room on October 20th of 1997. He was 52 years old.