Just wonderful, thanks for sharing this doc. Never knew Kay was from East Germany. Wish my Dad, who was also an E. German child refugee would have known. Would have loved to watch this brilliant doc together.♡♡♡
I share your respect for John as a person. This guy is a true leader. He could've just packed in, but he got everybody involved in defending their work and making their reputation stick. I shake my head in amazement.
After watching this documentary, I feel that way too. He's genuine and he's an artist. It's now 16 years later since this bio was made, I wonder what he's up to now.
John is a survivor of a catastrophic historical event, and he has a beautiful heart. He is one of the greatest musical artists of our time, and his music will last forever.
When John Kay was in my cab, I said that wh3en it comes to the music, I have only one thing to say--- thanks. Mr. John you have the most iconic voice and deserve all the best.
Met John in '69 after a concert in Waterloo Ontario Canada. He was a gentleman then and remains so today. Keep howlin' John ! Why Steppenwolf isn't in the Rock Hall of Fame is a disgrace - they sang about the things that really matter and delivered it with soul and moxy. Long Live the Wolf !
@Grizzly Echols His dad was German and about all German men had to join that army then. He was born in that then Königsberg area, which now is part of Russia as some kind of a satellite, surrounded by Lithuania, Poland and Baltic Sea.
Was at their last gig in Canada at Thistletown Collegiate (in Mississauga, if I remember right). My father, a professional musician, drove me the 60 miles to the gig and back. I was about 14 at the time. Good gig.
John Kay does not know this and I understand musicians don't always want to spend time with the fans, but I went to see 'John Kay's Steppenwolf ' in the 80's at Poole Arts Centre England (1st October 1980). Had been a fan of the whole Steppenwolf thing since the 60's............ would the back of house crew let us meet him..... hell no, I remember being told to this day "Close friends & Family Only". Felt very disappointed, but as I said it was the back of house crew that said it...... under instruction I believe from the boss ;) . I've met bigger artists and the one thing the majority taught me was they always had time for the fans.
John Kay is an absolute musical genius, and all around good person. I have tremendous respect for the recorded output of both Steppenwolf, and John's solo work. I wish all the best for John and his lovely wife. Good luck in 2021 !
This was a really good doc. I love the fact that his partnership with his wife survived the trials and tribulations of rockstardom. It says a lot about them both.
When I was a kid my big sister had the double album Steppenwolf Live. I remember standing in front of the stereo playing air guitar and digging that unmistakeable Gibson through a Marshall sound. It was one of my influences to play guitar and I have played all my life. I never knew John Kay's story until I watched this and am surprised how articulate and cool a man he is. What an intense life he's led. Would be a great movie
what an intelligent and thoughtful man. I've loved his voice and stuff since I was mid teens but didn't know his story. Also great to see a lasting marriage
I was there in the 70's and of course Steppenwolf played anthem music for us. His story is incredible- he has come out of it sane, real, and whole. Impressive in every conceivable way. Rock on, John.
Love steppenwolf my sister bless her soul played there albums when we were going to sleep and John Kay is a brilliant man thanks for the memories steppenwolf
John Kay's a lesson and inspiration for all of us. He was knocked down many times and fought his way back up each time. An amazing man who never gave up on his dreams. There's no other voice like his anywhere.
absolutely. he was blessed w/a growl and a fondness for Howlin' Wolf. his next stop should be the Hall of Fame.but those pretenders in Cleveland may not agree.I am impressed w/ his blues playing, and that he remains true to the blues.
@@tonym994 John won't make it only because he never signed a contract with the devil (not kidding) just like Grand Funk they sold more LP's than the Zep but will never be inducted in the Hall of Shame because they never sold their soul to make a buck. you will never see them throw up the 666 hand sign, or have a photo taken covering one eye.
It's a shame that John has written so so many GREAT solo tunes that only the hard core fans know about, it's a crime that these songs aren't more well known as they are truly great, truly great.....
Great rock and roll band, I actually jumped on stage in Detroit around 1989 or 90, I think I kinda startled John and the other guys it was during born to be wild, but they never missed a note, probably only lasted 3 seconds until the Detroit police kindly through me back over the rail. One if the greatest shows I ever saw.
anyone who can write Monster, those lyrics can be put up along with Simon and Garfunkels "America" as anthems of what the mid sixties and early 70's were all about. It was a time of searching for honesty, fairness, acceptance of our shortcomings as a nation and a people. Well, it's 50 years later and not much has changed except that no one writes lyrics to inspire us and hasten the necessary changes. But for those whose soul demanded those things be brought out and pronounced such as John did, We thank you. Most of us will live and die and have an affect on only those close to us. It is hard to imagine the number of people who lives were changed and who went on to do good things because of those lyrics. If I could have done a small amount of that good, I would consider my life a success. Oh yeah, remember another John Kay song, "It's never too late".
I can't say John was a prophet, but the song Monster is just as appropriate today as it was 50 years ago. America does not seem to care about its sons and daughters. Where is America now?
I had the Easy Rider soundtrack as a kid, "The Pusher" and "Born to be Wild" were the only songs I knew from Steppenwolf. Later on I bought the greatest hits on album and damn I was hooked. I have tremendous respect for these guys.
On my bucket list ever since 1969 to meet John Kay. Outlook on life is prophetic words. Bravo, ⚘ music and great minds great loves live FOREVER. And to his pretty Mrs🌹 stuck by him and his family raised.
John Kay, is a man that has my UTMOST RESPECT. He is a true genuine inspiration, I do not personally know John but would be an enormous honor to do so. John if you're out there, here my most sincere words, A GOOD MAN. Thanks for sharing your story, very humbling!!!
I seen them in Lincoln Nebraska At Earth Day 3 The Group Sounded Great! They Were On Fire That Day 🔥 Neil Young & Willy Nelson played that Day Too. As Far as I was concerned The band will always be Great 😊👍😁
Saw John Kay & Steppenwolf at Harras Lake Tahoe in the late 80's, there no more than 200 people there. My brother and I had a table that was next to the stage (I could have reached out and touched him it was so close) The first time I saw him was in '68 at my very first concert (I was 12). But that night he played in Tahoe it almost felt like he was playing just for me , (Like he recognized me haha) because he kept looking and coming up to our table. Now I DO realize he's near blind and my table being front center was probably the thing he could see so in a sense he was playing just for me. But he sounded GREAT that night and his band was great. I wanted to see if I could talk to him after the show but he just disappeared OH WELL don't blame him a bit for that. LOL
The Ostrich resonates today just as it did back then, maybe more, at least to me. The same goes for Monster. It still gives me chills! Thanks for posting this documentary.
Thanks John 4 that great concert in 1989 in Hawaii. It was a dream come through, I remember that a local motorcycle biker gang met Steppenwolf at the airport and escorted them to the hotel. great times rock on brother...
Phenomenal .... Three bands influenced me growing up ... Creedence, The Doors and Steppenwolf ... The three bands that were also on the outskirts of the current music scene at the time ....
Thank you John for being a true showman and acknowledging your audience, I saw the band in the summer or '93 at a small outdoor venue in the small town of Trempealeau WI., the weather was perfect and so was the music, I'll never forget the vibe and how I was amongst a small group of people enjoying the whole experience and nearly 30 years later its a memory I cherish and was lucky to be a part of...
Got to see Steppenwolf in the early 70s , great show !! Got lucky to see John Kay again in the early 80s in Clearwater FL and the show was just as great as the show I saw in the early 70s .. The Man love his fans and gives it all on stage .. Still have the t-shirt from the last show ..
Very COOL! I had no idea about John K's background, and tribulations. Legally blind? WOW! Escaped the Iron Curtain? Double WOW! He fought hard for, and deserves his success. Thumb up.
Very interesting & talented gentleman. He hung in there & always believed in finding a way to bring his Love of music into form. Unique material, voice & blues & rock blending like no other. Thank you for sharing the history of this band.
I remember seeing John Kay Steppenwolf in a small beer club in Des Moines Iowa. They were fricking awesome I can remember to this day Monster-suicide-America. Screaming night hog and of coarse the standards. Good times.
I was 17 when the hit Born to be Wild was first aired in Chicago. It immediately gave my generation a spirited affection towards individual freedom, enhanced by a rally cry of those passionate times as a war was fracturing the nation. Monster was a masterpiece surrounded by a lot of other dandies like From Here to There. Love that Steppenwolf and thanks for the bio.
In 1969 Steppenwolf was headlining a show and John sat down backstage with my friend and showed him how to play "The Pusher" on guitar. It's the only song my friend ever learned on guitar. He was a super nice person that I still respect to this day.
I did as well... I knew he didn't belong there but if he was gonna play a dive bar in my town I was damn sure gonna be there to appreciate it.... Thank You John!!!
I saw John Kay And Steppenwolf on July 18 1981, in of all places, Moundsville, West Virginia. It was in a muni park and they packed the place for the daytime show. It was awesome, they rocked the whole Upper Ohio Valley that day.
So glad I came across this documentary. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am very moved by this humble man. I celebrated the destruction of The Wall but it was not until I heard his story that rejoiced for the German people. Thank you for sharing your gifts with us. And thanks to the producers for recording this piece of history.
I loved this documentary, what a story. This whole band and especially John and Jutta paid their dues. I had no idea they had gone through all this. I thought Steppenwolfe just retired and went gracefully into somewhere. What a great story. This band may very well have worked harder than almost any band out there. I had no idea that John was from East Germany and still had real memories of it. I lived in Germany when I was his age with my father in the US ARMY. I'm going to share and spread the word about this video. I'm glad I saw this.
When they fled Prussia, he must have been no more than 3 or 4. "Renegade", off the album "7", documents this. It's a great song with a searing guitar over a tight Steppenwolf band.
I have not seen any interview with John Kay prior to this documentary, and I am truly impressed by this man. You can see the integrity he has and the determination to succeed.
My first Rock hero was John Kay and Steppenwolf broke my heart when they broke up. I cut 2 yards to buy the album. Years later in the late 80s I got to meet John in Nashville where they played 328 Performance Hall. We spent a little time talking and I got my favorite picture ever the day with John Kay.
Great documentary, with lots of comments from John Kay and other members of the band as well as record producers, and others (also John's wife). I saw Steppenwolf in 1969 at Memorial Hall, in Kansas City, Kansas. They did look stoned but they did sound great. hahahah
I saw them in Sacramento in the mid 70s when they were Sparrow and they impressed me then. This was one F A N T A S T I C interview. The producers should be proud. Long live John Kay.
@@lesschoenberger3070 You have to be right. Of course you are. I guess I am confused, because from 1967 to 1970, I was in the army. I must have come home from leave and went to see them. Thank you..
Steppenwolf the Second was the first album I ever bought! Magic Carpet ride and Born to be wild were the coolest tunes I had ever heard and at 14 years old inspired me to learn to play guitar and bass.
Always loved this band since I was a kid..I had no idea of their personal life. This is the best Doc I have seen in a while. What a great story about John . Steppenwolf Forever!
This Man has been a long time favorite since he first hit the airwaves. As a West Coast teenager in the 60s his music was everywhere. Even his lesser known songs reach out and Grab you. Truely a Remarkable Musician considering everything he has gone through in his Illustrious life...
Wow! I am so happy I found this wonderful documentary. Beyond Steppenwolf, I didn't know anything about John Kay. I saw him perform live back in 2005 or so at a "hippie fest." Going in, I honestly didn't expect much but I couldn't have been more blown away. He was over the top sensational! So great to hear about his full journey here. Cheers to you John!!
I grew up on this music. I don't care what you say, I love this group and John Kay with all my heart. I'm an immigrant myself a canadian, and his songs just hurt me so good. "Moving on" the Kentucky concert is one of my favored. and the solo album of John's "Many a mile" will be played on my funeral. He is my soul brother. I saw the group in the 80's in Detroit at the Harpo's, and I cried even when the group played DOORS songs before Steppenwolf got on stage.
Steppenwolf was one of my and my friends favorite bands. They had broken up for the second time when I saw an ad in the paper that Steppenwolf was playing some club in LA. Sine my best friend and I lived in the area we decided to go check it out. It was Nick St. Nicholis in a bogus Wolf. We just walked out during the show, very angry. Then in the paper I saw that the John Kay band was playing in a dive in North Hollywood. We went and it was the Wolf. We'd go to that club as often as possible to see John and his band. That band morphed into John Kay and Steppenwolf and we were happy as hell over their return to success. We even went to Wolffest 2000 in Nashville Shores Tennessee. I think the two people that I've seen the most are John Kay and Steppenwolf and Ray Manzarek. Never regretted going to see either.
I always liked Steppenwolf since a kid still do ...after Slow Flux they went kind of downhill but John Kay keeps it happening in spite of a decrease..John Kay's solo albums are really good ...even as Steppenwolf decayed..love Kay's voice attitude etc...he's legally blind..and he's still one my all time voices in all of rock folk Blues etc
Thanks for posting this marvelous bio. My favorites Steppenwolf albums are "At Your Birthday Party" and for me, their very best "Seven". All songs from that album, are solid rock and blues.
Lo más importante es que el talento no se puede ocultar , por ÉSO, yo , mis hijos y mis nietos escuchamos a este gran grupo y por sobre todo a mi me fascina John kay
John somehow I just feel you are an amazing man and person. You are so cool and so ahead of your time. Thank you for all of the amazing music and my you always be blessed
I grew up in the sixties hearing my mom's 'big band' music and my dad's country 'blue grass', but also the Beatles and Elvis. I actually like a lot of that stuff, especially the Beatles, but when I saw Steppenwolf on Ed Sullivan I said "That's it!" That's what I want to do, and I've been a rock 'n' roller and musician ever since.
Seems like the money did as much damage as the drugs to the band. I was surprised Hoyt Axton wrote "SNOWBLIND" and "THE PUSHER". John is a monument to rock 'n roll, love watching him play slide guitar. Great documentary!!!
Always been a big fan of yours John Kay.. may God keep you and bless you and your family you're an inspiration to me and rock and roll. Career I've have reached my twilight's last gleaming and now at the age of 70 I will keep playing the Lord thank you John Kay for inspiration and I was a kid be going up started my own Coyote red skies❤
I saw him down at Bean Blossem ,a once a year Indiana Harley meet that happens in mid July....this was about 1994 or 5.The rest of the band I wasn't sure ...as they looked like younger guys but Steppenwolfs original voice was there and sounded great.They did all their hits and I said to myself...….wow....this is rock history before my eyes.John was seen here and there walking around during the day and I recognized him and said hey John.....you rock.....and he said thanks a lot......hope you enjoy the show.Great humble guy..!!!!
Always loved steppenwolf.....and John Kays love of the blues.....wih he'd come to the Showbox in Seattle and I'd be there in a minute....their venues are intimate....charge a fair price and still sell paper tickets I have collected since 1965.....John Kay rocks .....thank you for all your musical effort.....
