Saxon was born Richard Elvern Marsh in Salt Lake City, Utah on August 20, 1937. Different sources suggest a birth year of 1937, 1945, or 1946. His widow has said that his birthday was August 20, but would not confirm the year because he believed age was irrelevant. However, 1940 census records indicate he was born in Utah in 1937.
Career
Saxon began his career performing doo-wop pop tunes in the early 1960s under the name Little Richie Marsh. After changing his name to Sky Saxon, he formed the Electra-Fires in 1962 and then Sky Saxon & the Soul Rockers. Several of these early songs were collected on a 1983 album on AIP called New Fruit from Old Seeds / The Rare Sky Saxon, Volume One. In 1965, Saxon founded the psychedelic flower power band The Seeds with Jan Savage, Rick Andridge, and Darryl Hooper. Hit songs for Saxon and the Seeds included "Can't Seem to Make You Mine", "Mr. Farmer", and "Pushin' Too Hard," which became a top 40 song and enduring rock anthem in 1967. Saxon's singing performance was dismissed by critic Lester Bangs as an American imitation of Mick Jagger, while Michael Hicks considered it a more complicated synthesis of Jagger, Eddie Cochran, and Buddy Holly. The music on the Seeds 1966 albums The Seeds and A Web of Sound have been described as "weird psychotic blues highlighting Sky's demented, vocal sermonizing." A spinoff project, The Sky Saxon Blues Band, recorded one album, A Full Spoon of Seedy Blues, with members of Muddy Waters' band. At the same time, Saxon continued The Seeds, recording Future and . Later, in 1977 producer Neil Norman compiled and released Fallin' Off the Edge. an album containing rare "B" sides and unissued material. "Pushin' Too Hard" was named one of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.
After The Seeds
In the 1970s, Saxon continued to work on the music scene, releasing a number of 45s and a few independently released LPs, often using the name Sky Sunlight Saxon, the New Seeds, or variations thereupon. His 1977 EP is particularly noteworthy. In 1973, he became a member of the Source Family religious group, a Hollywood Hills commune led by YaHoWha who gave Saxon the names Sunlight and Arlick. Consequently, he became a vegetarian. In 1998, Saxon orchestrated the release of a 13-CD set of the psychedelic tribal music recorded by the commune's band Ya Ho Wa 13 during the 1970s. In subsequent years, Saxon released a number of albums under various band names including The Starry Seeds Band, Sky Saxon & Firewall, The Hour, Wolf Pack, Fast Planet, Back to the Garden, King Arthur's Court, and Shapes Have Fangs. In late 1999 Saxon teamed up with his friend Djin Aquarian from the Ya Ho Wa 13 band on guitar, with drummer David Walas and bass playerDavid Phillips. This led to an album released after the band stopped playing together called "This Band Was From Mt. Shasta". Additionally, Saxon had several times reformed The Seeds with different musician line-ups. In 2008, Saxon and the Seeds collaborated on some new songs and recordings with Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins. Saxon later appeared in the music video of the Smashing Pumpkins' song "Superchrist". Sky Saxon's last performance and recording was done in Austin, Texas.
Death
On June 25, 2009, at age 71, Saxon died unexpectedly in an Austin, Texas, hospital of heart and renal failure due to a simple infection that had spread throughout his organs, which he had contracted at some point that had not been treated. Saxon's death was overshadowed by the death of Farrah Fawcett, which in turn was heavily overshadowed by the death of Michael Jackson, all on the same date. At the time of his death, he had been scheduled to commence a tour of the United States and Canada as part of the "California '66" tour, featuring reformed versions of The Seeds, The Electric Prunes, and Love. On July 24, 2009, members of The Smashing Pumpkins, Love, and The Electric Prunes performed a tribute concert at the Echoplex in Los Angeles in Saxon's memory.
