Johny Barbata, passed away on May 8th 2024 from heart complications. His death was unexpected and difficult to process for me as he was in relatively good physical health and it has come as a great shock to many, especially myself. I want to thank all those who have reached out to share their stories of my dad with me. I love hearing about all his great adventures and the people whose lives he’s touched.
If you ever had the pleasure of meeting my father, you would know his positive energy and “anything is possible” vibes were just about as infectious as his phenomenal drumming. He was a dreamer who believed in miracles and if you hung-out with him long enough, he’d have you believing in them as well.
My father lived two very different lives; His life as an iconic rockstar drummer for the Turtles, CSN&Y, and Jefferson Starship, living during one the most influential times in music history and then his life as a loving husband and father. I only knew my father as the ladder. He was always just my quirky Dad. The funny and loving kind of dad that only the lucky few get to experience.
My dad was born in Passaic, New Jersey on Easter Sunday 1945. He was born to Charles and Martina Barbata, both characters in their own right and very ahead of their time in many ways. My grandfather was born in 1908 and practiced yoga and was the captain of the fire department. My grandmother had immigrated from Austria as a small child and had my father in her 40s, just as my dad had me in his 40s. As she was Austrian, she also spoke Yiddish and after a chance encounter helping Albert Einstein in a broken-down boat on a Saranac Lake, they went on to become friends. My dad was the youngest of three and as a young teenager, his family relocated to San Bernadino and then San Luis Obispo to start a new adventure and that’s where it all started.
After being inspired by his brother, Chuck, my dad joined the marching band and formed a middle school band called the Velvatones and later in high school surf rock band called the Sentinals, who released a hypnotizing west coast hit called “Latinia” and later went on to open for acts such as James Brown, Marvin Gaye, the Beach Boys and Otis Redding.
After the Sentinals broke up after the Vietnam draft, my dad joined the Joel Scott Hill Trio which released an amazing album called “L.A. Getaway” later in my dad’s career which led him to meet Gene Clark of the Byrds. Gene introduced my dad to the Turtles who went on to release hits such as “Happy Together”, “Elenore”, “She’d Rather Be With Me”, and many more. My dad rubbed shoulders with just about every big named artist of that era and experienced the kind of fame where women where tearing at his hair as he passed by just to get a piece of him or would rush the stage to try and kiss him. My father gained a reputation as an excellent studio musician and everyone wanted him drumming on their albums. He recorded with many other artists such as Linda Ronstadt, the Everly Brothers, Booker T, and many more.
My father was friends with the road manager for Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young and after they fired their previous drummer, Neil Young and David Crosby asked him to replace him. My father went on to play on one of their most famous live albums, “4 Way Street”, and played with many of the band members on their solo albums and singles such as Neil Youngs protest song, “Ohio”.
David Crosby went on to introduce my Dad to the cult classic band the Jefferson Airplane who were also looking for a new drummer and had already released hits such as “White Rabbit” and “Don’t You Want Somebody to Love”. After joining Jefferson Airplane and touring with them, the band soon after reformed into the Jefferson Starship and released hits such as “Miracles”, “With Your Love”, “Runway”, and “Count on Me”.
My dad sold out stadiums with over 100,000 people throughout his career with all his bands. He was a renowned drum soloist with iconic rhythms that drove the heart beat of so many hits. His legendry solos and his flashy stick twirling combined with his astounding musical career made him one of the most influential drummers of his time.
All that potential and momentum came to a halting stop in 1978. At the age of 33, at the peak of my father’s musical career, he was in a massive car accident which hospitalized him for 6 months. It took him 8 years to fully recover and forced his musical career into early retirement. It was during this time that my father met my mother, Angela Barbata, and he created a new life for himself as a husband and a father.
My mother was a talented musician and painter in her own right and our home was always filled with music and laughter. My parents never missed a sunset together and taught me to slow down and appreciate the simple things in life. I will always be grateful to my parents for always supporting me in all of my endeavors in this life. I couldn’t of asked for more supportive and loving parents. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without them. There’s new star in the sky tonight that will continue shining and guiding me through this life. I will always love you, dad. I will miss you every day. I hope you’re out there somewhere making music with the one you love.
His adoring daughter,
Leah
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