 
Old_guy
Member
Username: Old_guy
Post Number: 25
Registered: 04-2008
| | Posted on Saturday, September 06, 2008 - 5:55 pm: |    |
A while back, someone was wondering if anybody could connect any dates with the times at the Garwood. I can't seem to and it's been driving me nuts. I've been trying to put a connection on the date that Leon Russell was at the house. I remember that he had a female singer with him and I think it was Rita Coolidge. Anyway, they wanted to practice a few vocal harmonies before they performed. They, and a few other people went upstairs to one of the bedrooms above the library to do so. I got the unlucky chore of standing on the stairway to keep people from going up and bothering them. I remember I had people trying to climb over me and under me for about a half hour. It was a real pain in the ass. But as I remember, Leon and Rita Coolidge were touring with Joe Cocker at the time with the Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour. I'm pretty sure they played at the Grande. I tried looking the date up on the motor city music archives page for the Grande but it's not complete for all months. I know they played at the Fillmore West in April, 1970, and Van Morrison was on the ticket with them. If that was the same night that Van Morrison was at the house, that would make sense. He's always been one of my favorite musicians, but he was extremely drunk that night and people were booing him. He could hardly stand up. So I asked him if he wanted to go to our room and drink some beer. He was all for it. We went and sat on the couch and drank beer for a couple of hours. He did end up stealing my harmonica and custom harp case, but I still liked the guy. It was like sitting around with an old friend, throwing back a bunch of beers and just bullshitting. So, I think that was the same night and I'm guessing they all might have come from the Grande. By the way, that was the tour when Leon wrote the song 'Delta Lady' about Rita Coolidge. I'm thinking it might have been November of 69 or 70. There were a few other great bands there that night. So, if that makes sense, I'm trying to narrow it down to at least a year. 1KD, if you run across that copy of Earth Magazine, I'd be curious as to what date's on it. |
Old_guy
Member
Username: Old_guy
Post Number: 26
Registered: 04-2008
| | Posted on Saturday, September 06, 2008 - 6:09 pm: | |
This is a photo from the 30's showing a structure by the bridge.
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1kielsondrive
Member
Username: 1kielsondrive
Post Number: 105
Registered: 08-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, September 07, 2008 - 10:58 pm: | |
Yeah Old-guy, I was there the night Leon Russell, Rita Coolidge (it was her!) and the Mad Dogs and Englishmen played. They weren't expected. They just showed up. There was a buzz in the air beforehand because they were in the house, the rumor mill was roiling and the air electric as their equipment was set up. I'm not sure of the two following points, help me if you can. I remember Joe Cocker there also, but I'm not sure if he sang. Maybe it was another time. Second point: was this the night that started out so badly because everyone was depressed that Breeze had just gone to jail/prison for sales and possession? Sorry to throw these back at you, but you know how all these years get into your head. I'm going to hazard a guess that this was 1970. Not sure though. I was one of the people with Leon and Rita for a while, but not long. I thought we were in Gar Woods Master Bedroom. If I'm correct, that was Breeze and Linda's room at the time, though Breeze was no longer with us. I'd been friends with Linda prior to her meeting Breeze when we were all in college. I'm going to hazard another guess, Hooper and one of my friends was also there. You and I probably crossed paths that night. Some people might not believe it and I don't give a s*#t, but I left Leon and Rita to go party elsewhere in the house. I've never been a particularly star struck person. Celebs don't ring bells with me - not then, not now. And I was probably trying to get laid. I didn't think it likely I was going to get laid by Rita Coolidge. Getting high and laid were my two objectives in life, at that age. I hitched out to the house after a Van Morrison and Moody Blues concert at Cobo Arena. Van Morrison was at the Gar Wood when I arrived. I guess that's not the night you're speaking of. I'll add some comments about that night and also about Johnny and Edgar Winters and Rick Derringer another time. |
Old_guy
Member
Username: Old_guy
Post Number: 27
Registered: 04-2008
| | Posted on Monday, September 08, 2008 - 4:51 pm: | |
1KD, I know Johnny Winters stopped by on occasion, but I remember one night when the three you mentioned all stopped by. I was shooting pool and drinking a big jug of cheap wine. They all walked in the pool room and took us by surprise. It seems like it was right around the holidays. Were you there that night? It was a pretty quiet night as far as the Garwood went. |
Drwstanley2002
Member
Username: Drwstanley2002
Post Number: 14
Registered: 08-2005
| | Posted on Monday, September 08, 2008 - 5:22 pm: | |
My grandmother on my fathers side was the youngest of the 13 Wood Children. I was not born til 1973(yep my dad was 46 when I was born) but I have been told many many stories of the place. I want to get with my aunt and my dad and see what kind of stories they can remember. The history of the Woods is awesome. |
Lefty2
Member
Username: Lefty2
Post Number: 2097
Registered: 07-2007
| | Posted on Monday, September 08, 2008 - 6:40 pm: | |
I like the posts on this stuff. But please break up into paragraphs more so it's more easy to read. 
I'm trying to get some photos from a friend of mine to post. |
Ahartz
Member
Username: Ahartz
Post Number: 24
Registered: 04-2007
| | Posted on Monday, September 08, 2008 - 8:00 pm: | |
yea...agree....nice work guys, keep it coming...andy |
1kielsondrive
Member
Username: 1kielsondrive
Post Number: 111
Registered: 08-2008
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 09, 2008 - 12:36 am: | |
Sorry Lefty2, I mean this politely and sincerely - I spend enough time getting spelling and grammar correct. I really shouldn't be spending the time on this that I do. You're on your own with paragraphs. One night Johnny and Edgar Winters and Rick Derringer showed up. Breeze, Linda, I and others, were in the room in the basement across from the pool shower room. This was the room, Old-guy, I'm sure you remember it - with the fireplace, at the bottom of the stairs, under the den/pool table room, on the right, across from the pool. Anyway, we were getting high, or higher, or staying f*3+k*d up, whatever it was. You know, I was just thinking maybe I hallucinated all of this. Well, I'll tell you my hallucinations. We were playing pool and listening to music. We decided to go downstairs to the room I mentioned. We eventually headed to the swimming pool through the shower room. As I turned to enter the shower room, Johnny and Edgar were blocking the doorway. I started to go around and they politely restrained me. None of these guys is very large, so it wasn't confrontational. As soon as I saw Derringer sitting on a chair blocking the way to the pool room, I knew the situation - he was hitting up. So we gave him his spiritual time, went back across the hall and continued our partying. It was no big deal, because most of us were doing it too. The Winters and Derringer hung out and partied that night and part of the next day. They were at the house at least three or four occasions that I remember. Another time, I'll tell you a story that Johnny Winters related to me and I think, Stone, Charlie and Fergie. Not sure who all was there. Maybe you were too, Old-guy. |
1kielsondrive
Member
Username: 1kielsondrive
Post Number: 112
Registered: 08-2008
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 09, 2008 - 12:49 am: | |
Old-guy, how long have you had the photo above? I've had it for many years. It's pretty much the way the island stayed until the Grayhaven condominiums were built. The difference being that it was much more wooded during our time at the house. If you remember, the road was like a minefield. You had to drive very slowly. You'd see deer, possum, raccoon, fox and pheasants at most any time. Kielson island had a haunted vibe to it. I think we called the house 'Dark Shadows'. Maybe 'Dark Shadows', the series came later. |
Det313grrl
Member
Username: Det313grrl
Post Number: 315
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 09, 2008 - 11:08 am: | |
Hey 1kielsondrive,
That girl in the picture swinging from the tree would be me! I would love to see that photo again. Deja vu BIG TIME! The photo with the group in front was originally printed in the Detroit Free Press when they/Collier did a piece on the mansion. |
1kielsondrive
Member
Username: 1kielsondrive
Post Number: 119
Registered: 08-2008
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 09, 2008 - 3:04 pm: | |
Det313grrl, so you're the darling girl in the photos. Never thought I'd live long enough to meet you(again?). If you were around the house for any length of time we must have crossed paths. Have you read any of the previous comments posted here? Do you know any of the people mentioned? How about Breeze and Linda? Ronna Rittner? Mark Hooper? Etc, etc. Give us some feedback, stories and comments and I promise to get you copies of the EARTH magazine article and photos. |
Det313grrl
Member
Username: Det313grrl
Post Number: 316
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 09, 2008 - 6:00 pm: | |
1kielsondrive, I have been reading the posts, with fond memories. I used stay in the attic apartment/cubby hole, above the space that David and Roselyn were living in, you got there thru their closet. They had one of the two spaces across from the master bedroom, off the ballroom, with the bay windows. I was sharing the space with a chick named Linda, sorry I don't recall her last nane. I remember quite a few people, I don't remember names well. Eugene, Victor, Gus, Stonefront has always been a favorite all these years. |
Old_guy
Member
Username: Old_guy
Post Number: 28
Registered: 04-2008
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 09, 2008 - 6:36 pm: | |
Det313grrl, Was that the sort of, secret room above the bedroom? |
Det313grrl
Member
Username: Det313grrl
Post Number: 318
Registered: 01-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, September 10, 2008 - 1:38 pm: | |
Well, Old-guy as far as it being "secret" I can't say. It was a cool space to be utilized. Pretty groovy. |
Rocketwhit
Member
Username: Rocketwhit
Post Number: 55
Registered: 11-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, September 11, 2008 - 2:15 pm: | |
Drwstanley2002 Along with the stories, There must be some great pics please try to find out we all would be super pumped up for either, But both would be as classic as Garfield's great races. I'm thinking you are the person i've been waiting to meet for 30 yrs my friend. |
Old_guy
Member
Username: Old_guy
Post Number: 29
Registered: 04-2008
| | Posted on Friday, September 12, 2008 - 2:10 am: | |
Hey, John Collier, we didn't scare you off did we? That was some of the most exciting news I've had in years. The fact that you showed back up on the radar. Couldn't you send a teaser photo, print sample over it or something? Everybody just wants to see a photo of the inside of the mansion. I don't know if you'd remember me from this but... One day I was sitting just inside the ballroom entrance, just to the left. I was waiting for someone, and I fell asleep. I can't remember if I was leaning against the wall or sitting on something, I remember someone saying something, I don't know if it was you or someone with you. But someone said, "How could anyone sleep in that position?" And I remember you, taking a picture, and then I fell asleep again. I know this is a long shot, but I was just wondering. I hope you get back into this thread again. Also, didn't you also used to do sculptures too? |
1kielsondrive
Member
Username: 1kielsondrive
Post Number: 133
Registered: 08-2008
| | Posted on Friday, September 12, 2008 - 12:55 pm: | |
Yes, please, John Collier, do stick around and post. My memories are fading and any input you can provide, particularly photos, would be a huge rush. I have a number of photos of the house from other sources - newspapers, magazines, etc. But I have nothing personal. I might even be able to experience a flashback. Ha, ha. Joke. No one's laughing. Or, are you laughing AT me? No, you can't do that, I'm getting paranoid. Must've taken too much.......... |
Old_guy
Member
Username: Old_guy
Post Number: 30
Registered: 04-2008
| | Posted on Sunday, September 14, 2008 - 11:23 am: | |
1KD, or anybody. Do you happen to remember when the city managed to shut down the main weekend parties for a while? Eugene, or someone, rented an old burlesque house turned porn theatre out in Inkster. As I remember, we had it Saturday nights from midnight till sun up. The bands played all night. People would carry in cases of beer and bottles of everything. It got shut down after a while, but I don't remember how long. I remember being asked to MC the show. I'm not sure why, and I can't remember if it was the first show. I do remember that Catfish wanted to MC the show and was pissed off that some nobody like me was going to do it. For some reason, somebody had a limo and sent it over to the house to pick me up. I remember cruising across town in the limo, slamming 89 cent bottles of cheap wine with a couple people. I was kind of nervous and probably was doing quite a bit more than just drinking cheap wine. The next thing I remember, and the last thing I remember, I walked out on stage to the microphone and a full house. I could hardly stand up at that point and fell face first into the front row of people. Somebody helped me back into some old dressing room and Catfish was the MC. When I came to, I was laying in this funky old dressing room, the sun was up, everybody was gone and the place was all shut down. I remember Fergie was sleeping in a chair. I woke him up and we walked all the way back to the Garwood. I can't remember if those shows only lasted for a week or two, or if they ran for a while before being able to have the big Saturday night parties at the house again. |
Chitaku
Member
Username: Chitaku
Post Number: 2139
Registered: 03-2006
| | Posted on Sunday, September 14, 2008 - 4:52 pm: | |
man you folks had it good. These days young'ns could never get away with that much fun. |
1kielsondrive
Member
Username: 1kielsondrive
Post Number: 142
Registered: 08-2008
| | Posted on Monday, September 15, 2008 - 2:22 am: | |
Old-guy, it's funny and a nice coincidence that you mentioned the theatre in Inkster. I've had a note on my desk for a week or two to talk about that theatre - the Melody Theatre on Michigan Avenue. It was a burlesque house before and after the concerts you mentioned. I was planning to post about it tonight to check your memory. I don't recall, clearly, the house parties being shut down. But I did attend the Melody for a number of performances. It's been too many years to be certain, but I don't think it was Skuratowicz' gig. I believe it was Breeze and Hooper who put it together. Breeze and I talked about it and, of course, I was more than game. Your description's of the gigs at the Melody are quite accurate from what I recall. I know for certain it was a free for all. Drugs, booze, bikers, and broads. And that was just in the parking lot. I had a great time there. Catfish and his brother Dallas Hodge hung at the house fairly frequently. Catfish was always a jerk. I liked and got along well with Dallas. I did business with Catfish in later years after he returned to Detroit from the east coast. He was still a jerk. The end result was that I didn't do business with him again and I no longer had a desire to see his shows. Do you remember groups of us from the house going to the Dump on Kercheval to see Dallas Hodge's band, Salvage? Tag, your it! And then I'll talk about the other bars we would occasionally hang at. |
1kielsondrive
Member
Username: 1kielsondrive
Post Number: 143
Registered: 08-2008
| | Posted on Monday, September 15, 2008 - 2:30 am: | |
Old_guy, if you walked all the way back to the Gar Wood from the Melody Theatre in Inkster, you were in righteous good shape or you were totally f*#@+d up. That's gotta be 40 miles, at least. And on top of that, you did it after a night of partying at the theatre. I drove there and drove home or back to the house no matter how f*#@+d up I was. |
Old_guy
Member
Username: Old_guy
Post Number: 31
Registered: 04-2008
| | Posted on Monday, September 15, 2008 - 10:36 am: | |
It's unlikely that I would have walked that far. Good shape? Not so much. Maybe we hitched along Michigan, I can't really remember. I do remember that we were on the pavement most of the day. The only thing I do remember was walking past Tiger Stadium. I do have to agree with your opinion of Catfish. As far as road trips from the house to clubs, I might have but also don't remember. I always felt the need to be extremely medicated before leaving the house. As far as who put those shows together, that's interesting. I was just kind of guessing at that one. I remember that there was a bit of controversy as to where all the party money was going at the house for a while. Or at least part of it. Maybe that had something to do with the shows out there. Breeze was always a straight up guy, in my opinion. Eugene was a little questionable, in my opinion. By the way, hope your brother survived that day in A2. |
Jarvo
Member
Username: Jarvo
Post Number: 1
Registered: 09-2008
| | Posted on Friday, September 19, 2008 - 10:03 pm: | |
...do any of you guys who lived at the garwood recall there being some rather large dogs on the property?...like maybe german shepherd type mixed or something along those lines...I went there a couple times after the Eastown let out and once to buy some weed. I distinctly recall a big dog greeting us as we got out of the cars...maybe someone who lived there owned the dogs?? they were'nt viscous, just kind of loud and intimidating... |
1kielsondrive
Member
Username: 1kielsondrive
Post Number: 159
Registered: 08-2008
| | Posted on Friday, September 19, 2008 - 11:00 pm: | |
My brother survived the bad trip resulting from the HUGE dose of acid Breeze layed on us. I would've likely been as bad as he was had I not had to care for him. He kept taking his clothes off, running around Otis Spann Memorial Field, screaming, singing and dancing wildly during the concert, providing a pretty (I imagine, though I didn't think so at the time) funny side show. I'm chasing behind him putting his clothes back on just to have him strip again. I managed to get him up the hillside into the woods and to the OD tent. My plan was to get him some downers so I didn't have to worry about him climbing into and falling out of a tree and killing himself. There was a bunch of sad ass hippies at the tent saying, 'oh no, we can't give him anything, he has to come down naturally'. My ass. It took him about two weeks to get back to normal. Our father kept saying to me, 'is there something wrong with your brother, he's acting so strange?' Yeah dad, he's f*#k+d up on a million mikes of acid. He's in an entirely different universe. Well, at some point after this Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers re-enactment went on most of the day, I decided, brilliantly, to try driving back to Detroit. Before we even got to US-23, I was holding him by his ankle because he was trying to jump out of the back window of our truck. I reversed course and headed back into A2. We made it as far as Fuller Road behind the UoM hospital, which in those days was still fairly rural. I could no longer drive, so I pulled over. My brother jumped out of the truck, took his clothes off again, ran across the road and into the woods toward the Huron River. It took everything in my power to keep him from jumping in the river. Shortly thereafter, a guy came by on a bicycle. I practically assaulted him, begging him to take my keys and wallet and find our truck. For all I knew I was hallucinating him. Well, in a short while he came back and we got my brother and this guy's bike in the truck and headed into A2. We ended up on the Diag at what is now Ingall's Mall and used to be a parking lot. This guy said 'wait here, I'll be right back'. Okay! So my brother gets out of the truck, takes his clothes off and runs off to the Diag, with me chasing behind him. It was a battle keeping him in check. I'd get his pants on, that was all he had left at this point, and he'd get 'em off. Our saviour showed up again saying, 'come on we're going to a drug center on William Street'. By this time I'm carrying my brother and he's determined to get free. He did. We had an ugly, almost violent confrontation with some rather large 'queens' hanging at the intersection of State and William which was only averted by my brother running across State Street naked, almost getting killed in the process. The OD center was upstairs from a market at William and Maynard. They put both of us in cold showers and we managed to get some downers. We didn't leave A2 until almost daybreak the next morning. I had a hard time driving back to Detroit because I was still hallucinating. My brother couldn't talk right for a few days. I was exhausted for days. Thank the gods of the universe for our saviour. He disappeared after getting us to the OD center never to be heard from again. His Karma is still with us. We laugh about it now when reminiscing. Thanks Breeze. |
1kielsondrive
Member
Username: 1kielsondrive
Post Number: 162
Registered: 08-2008
| | Posted on Friday, September 19, 2008 - 11:30 pm: | |
I don't personally remember dogs living at the house. Maybe Old-guy, Mortalman or Det313grrl could elaborate. I did take my dog to the house on occasion but he wasn't big and mean. More like, medium size and crazy. There were wild dogs on the island occasionally along with all of the other wildlife. |
1kielsondrive
Member
Username: 1kielsondrive
Post Number: 163
Registered: 08-2008
| | Posted on Friday, September 19, 2008 - 11:33 pm: | |
Jarvo, you obviously had some experiences at the house, so tell us of some of your reminisences. |
Old_guy
Member
Username: Old_guy
Post Number: 32
Registered: 04-2008
| | Posted on Saturday, September 20, 2008 - 1:31 pm: | |
Yeah, there were a number of dogs at the house. I had a small dog. There were a number of German Shepherd, mix, mutts. There was Rex the Wonder Dog, a yellow lab, or whatever. That photo of the front yard of the house with a dog laying there is Rex. Somebody adopted a huge, pure German Shepherd police dog that had been locked up in a cage his entire life. I think he might have been partially blind or just wasn't used to being able to run around free. I remember being outside throwing a frisbee around with some people and the dogs would chase them. Someone threw the frisbee towards the house and the police dog went after it. He ran right into the house full speed just after the frisbee hit it. He also came walking up to me one day in the yard and had an ounce of pot in his mouth. I told him to sit, and he gave me the sack. Good doggie! The dogs weren't mean, but a couple of the female shepherds would come up behind you once in a while and bite you on the ass. Does anybody remember those cops that everybody called the big 4. They rode around in an un-marked cop car and were really violent. Real assholes. They'd pull you over, shake you down and if they found drugs on you they'd slap somebody around and then split with the drugs. Anyway, I remember one night when they came to the house to shake people down and, without any warrants, search the house. There was a box of puppies in the closet of the master bedroom and when they wanted to search the closet, a female shepherd was growling at them trying to protect her pups. One of them drew his gun and was going to blow her away. A couple of people managed to drag her out of the room. Also, the main staple of food at the house was a bowl of sugar & cinnamon on the kitchen table and a bunch of loaves of white bread that somebody used to pick up at a bakery day old store. One Thanksgiving somebody brought over a huge turkey and cooked it at the house. We were all set for a big Thanksgiving dinner and the finished Turkey was sitting on the counter. I think we might have walked away for a few minutes to do something to enhance the meal, like smoke a dozen bowls of hash or something. When we went back in the kitchen, the dogs had the Turkey on the floor and there wasn't much left. I think Larry blamed me, even though my dog couldn't reach the counter. Wow, that really sparked my memory about the Big 4. Does anybody else remember them? Actually, I just googled them and it came up on Wikipedia that there were a number of patrols called the big 4 or Tac Squads set up to patrol neighborhoods after the riots. I remember that these were always the same guys though. |
Old_guy
Member
Username: Old_guy
Post Number: 33
Registered: 04-2008
| | Posted on Saturday, September 20, 2008 - 1:45 pm: | |
Throughout this thread, people have stopped by that say they visited the house or had relatives that were at the house when the Wood's lived there. I used to sit in the house and try to imagine what it was like when they lived there and threw parties. I read that Gar, was 5' 3" tall. That must have made the place really big. Anyway, I'd love to hear some stories, if anybody has any, of the old days at the mansion. |
1kielsondrive
Member
Username: 1kielsondrive
Post Number: 164
Registered: 08-2008
| | Posted on Saturday, September 20, 2008 - 2:49 pm: | |
Old-guy, see how we each have memories that others don't have or they're buried. You mentioned the dogs and some memories have re-surfaced. I'll have to think on it for a while. My dog was a mutt about 40 pounds, white with mottled orange and brown. He'd wander in and out and all around. He'd take off for days and wander back when it suited him. His favorite at the house was the woods and fields along the road because he could flush all manner of critters. He'd jump in the canal periodically. If I was driving to the house, I'd leave the window down on the passenger side so he could get out quickly upon spotting a critter, thereby avoiding him jumping on me to get out of the drivers window, causing an accident. His name was Toke. He made it to a lot of concerts and events with me and my brother. Yeah, I remember the Big 4 and the TAC or TMU squads. I remember the Big 4 coming to the house. We'd pretty much make scarce if we saw them approaching. They rode around in big, black, 'unmarked', 4 door Chrysler sedans. Give me a break. They may as well have had neon signs on their cars. If you saw a car fitting that description, you split. I saw a lot of them during the riots. TMU's were specially marked cars, different than the regular patrol cars. The last I saw one was at the Bob Lo Dock downtown at what is now Hart Plaza. Some guys really raised hell on the boat and they were put in the 'cage' on board until return. Upon docking, TMU showed up and carried the guys off in cuffs and leg shackles. Your memories of the day to day stuff of the house seems much more detailed and accurate than mine. I really only paid rent and stayed when I could, between school, work and home. Thanks for jarring my memories. I'm going to have to figure out how to get a complete transcript of all of the posts here for the day when (god forbid) Detroityes is no longer. |
1kielsondrive
Member
Username: 1kielsondrive
Post Number: 165
Registered: 08-2008
| | Posted on Saturday, September 20, 2008 - 2:55 pm: | |
Old-guy, there have been some past postings here regarding the Big 4, the TMU and TAC. I don't know how to find them. Some of the old posts are no longer accessible. The Big 4 were real MF's. |
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