Even in high school Jim was a notorius boozer, one of the highlites of his life was at the peak of PBC's sucess, Jim went down to the store and fully loaded a shopping cart with every kind of booze he had ever heard of just to throw a party and share it.
Jim loved people and sharing, he was very gregarious and genuinely caring. Truth was he had a deep need to be loved so he loved first. As open and giving as he was, the little house on Mount Washington soon had a constant parade of friends, chums and admirers with every kind of substance to share. Somehow it worked, there was never a bad scene or a problem mostly I think, because Jim had an aura of quaintessential cool and people just naturally respected him.
Everyday was an adventure of party, music and look who just showed up!!! Jim and Barb always kept maracas, tamborines and noise makers on hand and many an afternoon fell into evening with a living room full of high floating rythm makers enjoying life.
Before making it big, Jim had worked as a gardener (landscape engineer was the joke) he had married and had a beautiful little girl. They had split early but the divorce happened to come thru just as he finnished his first year of big income. Thinking the money would last forever Jim did not contest the high child support because he wanted his daughter to have the best. This came back to haunt him because the money did quit.
Time can move fast and Jim had ignored making payments, shortly after moving back in with his parents the L.A. county came a knocking at the door. This was a story to be repeated several times because Jim could not keep up with any payments even after they were reduced. Everytime he had to face a judge he would shave his beard and cut that hair in fear of the bias that judges so freely exhibted in those days.
One night at a party on Mt. Washington Jim made an unusual entrance. Scrapped and bruised, he had been riding in the passengers seat on an extreme curve when the door flew open and he just slide right out! "Man I just floated out into space and tumbled, I just floated man, just floated!" He was in awe that he survived and was sure it was a message from the fates.
There are many stories I won't tell about Jim because I do not want to glorify certain behaviors but I will say Jim had a very broad range of experience in getting high and he loved every minute of it.
I intend to add to these pages someday but for now I want to close by saying the world lost more than one of the best damn rock drummers ever, it lost a loving, caring, wonderful character the rare likes of which are a blessing to have pass thru anyones life. Love you Jim-Rock in peace! Barbara as a singer
PeanutButter Daze
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