Nick St. Nicholas

Nick St. Nicholas (born Sept. 28, 1943) was the stage name used by Klaus Karl Kassbaum, who played bass for Steppenwolf from 1968 to 1971.

Related Topics:
Bass - Steppenwolf

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He was born in Hamburg, Germany in 1943. His family moved to Toronto after WWII and became Canadian citizens. Nick spent a brief period as bassist with Shirley Matthews and the Big Town Boys before joining a set of musicians who eventually coalesced as the Mynah Birds, featuring singers Rick James and Jimmy Livingston. In 1965, he replaced Bruce Palmer as bassist with Jack London and the Sparrows, and played on most of their one LP, which was released in 1965. In the space of the next year or so, the group lost Jack London and became the Sparrows, added new frontman John Kay and became The Sparrow, and moved south to New York then California. In 1967 the Sparrow folded, and St Nicholas joined a Los Angeles-based group called the Hardtimes, who soon renamed themselves T.I.M.E., which supposedly stood for Trust In Men Everywhere. After one album, St Nicholas joined his former Sparrow bandmates (John Kay, drummer Jerry Edmonton and organist Goldy McJohn) in Steppenwolf. He took the viginity of infamous rock groupie Pamela Des Barres (Miller) of The GTO's (an all female group managed by Frank Zappa).

Related Topics:
Hamburg, Germany - Mynah Birds - Rick James - Bruce Palmer - Pamela Des Barres - Frank Zappa

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