Felix: One cool cat
It was a Sixties summit on Capitol Hill Wednesday, as Martha Reeves (of Martha and the Vandellas) and Felix Cavaliere (of the Young Rascals) were on hand with the Copyright Alliance to push for stronger copyright protections for artists. “I go on the road and I work,” Cavaliere told us, “but I’m at a point where I like to sit home and make money from my songs.” (For those under 50, those hits include “Groovin'” and “A Beautiful Morning.”)
But he saved his most passionate opinions for younger musical artists, whom he said aren’t getting involved in politics like his generation did. “I see it from the older guys — Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp,” he said. “Those are my guys. Where are the younger guys?”
He told us he worked for Bobby Kennedy in 1968, and dated a woman who was near RFK when he was killed. “So I get passionate in a political year,” he said. “When I see people who don’t care it disturbs me.”
Taking the legislative lead on the copyright issue was Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who feels the artists’ pain ever since his cameo in “The Dark Knight.” “Within a week or two [of the film’s summer release] you could buy bootleg copies in Singapore,” Leahy said. “That’s not right.”
Also in the room: local jazz composer and artist Marcus Johnson, who has placed three albums on Billboard’s jazz chart.
(Photo: Chester Simpson)
