InvestorsHub Logo
Boards
News
Market Data
Markets
Discover
Discover
Subscribe Login/Register
S&P 500
5,113.46
(
0.26%
)
US TECH 100
17,280.20
(
0.23%
)
Dow Jones
38,317.78
(
0.20%
)
Brent Oil
87.40
(
-0.33%
)
Bitcoin
63,013.06
(
0.02%
)
Post# of 1767
Next 10
Reply Private New
Public Reply Private Reply New Post
Keep Last Read
Replies (1) Keep Next 10 Report Keyboard Shortcuts
Replies (1) Next 10 Prev Next

Colt1861Navy

Send PM Follow Ignore
Followers 3
Posts 10516
Boards Moderated 3
Alias Born 03/07/2001

Colt1861Navy

Member Level

Re: Colt1861Navy post# 646

Wednesday, 06/19/2002 7:00:15 AM

Wednesday, June 19, 2002 7:00:15 AM

Post# of 1767
Rock 'n' Roll Artists A-Z...Mountain

http://www.pappalardi.com/

Felix Pappalardi returned to his fashionable apartment on Manhattan's Upper East Side after a Saturday night out. He would not live to see another sunrise. Sometime in the wee morning hours of Sunday April 17; 1983, he was shot once in the neck with a .38 caliber derringer. He died on his bedroom floor without ever receiving medical attention. Gail Collins, who was his musical collaborator, designer of the Mountain artwork used on all of their albums and stage outfits...and to whom Felix was married...was the person who fired that fatal shot.

Pappalardi was well established in the Rock community. He was a founding member and bassist of the rock group Mountain and was an acclaimed record producer, most notably for the supergroup Cream. But Gail Collins, perhaps ironically, possessed enormous artistic talent as well, having co-written many songs with Felix (primarily as a lyricist) for Mountain. She also is credited as a co-witer for Cream's Strange Brew. Even though she received little acclaim for her contributions, there is no evidence to suggest that professional jealousy provoked the shooting.

There was, however, strong evidence to suggest that jealousy of another kind may have led to the shooting: Felix Pappalardi's relationship with another woman.

Valerie Merians, 27, blonde, attractive and an aspiring singer, is purported to have been the girlfriend of Felix Pappalardi. She described her approximately 10 month relationship with Felix to investigators as serious, stating that they had even "discussed marriage". She seemed to back up much of her claim by producing gifts given to her by Felix expressing his love and affection for her.

Gail Collins notified police of the shooting at approximately 6 a.m. on the morning of April 17, allegedly after calling her attorney. In all the confusion she apparently forgot to call for emergency medical help for her dying husband, as he reportedly was not examined until after the police arrived. She was immediately taken into custody and arraigned the next day on charges of second-degree murder.

Gail Collins remained jailed from the time of her arrest to the end of the trial. Initially she was held without bail, but her bond was lowered to $100,000 dollars, which she was never able to post. Her defense, on it's face, seemed a bit odd: That Felix Pappalardi was shot accidentally as he was instructing her on how to use the firearm.

It was apparently not as odd as it seemed, because on the evening of Wednesday September 22; 1983, a jury of six men and six women acquitted Gail Collins of second-degree murder, convicting her instead of the much lesser crime of criminally negligent homicide, which carried a maximum sentence of four years. And the maximum is exactly what she got from an angry Manhattan Supreme Court Justice James Leff. Apparently displeased with the verdict, Leff ignored pleas of leniency from Gail Collins' attorneys, stating "all the clemency and all the leniency was given to her by the jury".

A more detailed account of the events described above can be found in the "Articles" section of this website.

What became of Gail Collins is a mystery. She is rumored to have quietly moved to California and Louisiana, among other places. More recently there have been stories that she has passed away. The simple fact is that no one...even those in the Mountain inner circle...knows for sure. And anyone who does know is certainly not talking. But the Webmasters of this site are not interested in espousing rumors, nor do we have any desire to disturb whatever peace, assuming she is alive and has found it, that Gail Collins enjoys. The jury has spoken. The conclusion one comes to, upon examining Gail Collins and her story, is that the Mountain that we all love simply would not have been the same without her artistic talents.

This is a sad story about a true rock legend who was taken from the world far too soon. One can't help but wonder what Felix Pappalardi, possessing the talents that he did , might have accomplished. Maybe we would be listening to the brilliant new band whose CD Felix produced. Maybe we would be making plans to see him with Leslie and Corky as they rolled into town on their summer tour. But even though that will never happen, we should all find solace in the idea that surely Felix would take pleasure in knowing that his work has stood the test of time.

Maybe he already does.

The Vagrants (1964 - 1968) [from Long Island, New York, USA]

Leslie West - guitar - b. Leslie Weinstein, October 22, 1945, Queens, New York, New York, USA.
Larry West - bass/vocals - b. Larry Weinstein.
Peter Sabatino - vocals
Jerry Storch - keyboards
Roger Monsour - drums

Album:
"I Can't Make A Friend" (1996) - Single: "Respect" (1967)

Mountain I (1969 - September 1969)

Leslie West - guitar/vocals
Felix Pappalardi - bass/vocals - b. December 30, 1939, Bronx, New York, New York - former producer of Cream.
N. D. Smart II - drums - b. Norman Smart, Dayton, Ohio - formerly with The Mark V, The Knights/Thee Rubber Band, The Remains, The Bait Shop/Bo Grumpus, and Kangaroo.

Album:
"Leslie West - Mountain" (1969)
N. D. Smart II joins Ian and Sylvia's band Great Speckled Bird, and was later member of Gram Parson's Fallen Angels and Todd Rundgren's band.

Mountain II (September 1969 - 1972)

Leslie West - guitar/vocals
Felix Pappalardi - bass/keyboards/vocals
Corky Laing - drums/percussion - b. April 26, 1948, Montreal, Canada.
Steve Knight - keyboards

Albums:
"Mountain Climbing!" (1970) - Single: "Mississippi Queen"
"Nantucket Sleighride" (1971) - Single: "The Animal Trainer and The Toad"
"Flowers of Evil" (1971)
"Mountain Live: The Road Goes Ever On" (1972)
Group disbands.

Mountain III (1973) (reformed)

Leslie West - guitar/vocals
Felix Pappalardi - bass/vocals
Alan Schwartzberg - drums
Bob Mann - keyboards

Album:
"Twin Peaks" (1974)

Mountain IV (October 1973 - 1974)

Leslie West - guitar/vocals
Felix Pappalardi - bass/vocals
Corky Laing - drums
David Perry - guitar

Album:
"Avalanche" (1974)
Group disbands.

Mountain V (1985 - 1996) (reformed)

Leslie West - guitar/vocals
Corky Laing - drums
Mark Clarke - bass - formerly with Uriah Heep.

Albums:
"Go for Your Life" (1986)
"Man's World" (1996)

Compilations:

"Best of Mountain" (1973)
"Over the Top" (2-CDs) (1995)

Leslie West solo:

"The Great Fatsby" (1975)
"The Leslie West Band" (1976)
"Theme" (1988)
"Alligator" (1989)
"Leslie West Band / The Great Fatsby" (2-fer) (1999)
"Live" (1993)
"Dodgin' the Dirt" (1994)
"As Phat As It Gets" (1999)

Felix Pappalardi solo:

"Felix Pappalardi And Creation" (1977)
"Don't Worry Mum" (1978)

Corky Laing solo:

"Makin' It On The Street" (1977)
"The Secret Sessions" (2000) - featuring Felix Pappalardi (bass), Mick Ronson (guitar), Ian Hunter (keyboards), and Leslie West (guitar).

Photo Gallery

http://www.pappalardi.com/GTHUMBS.html



Breaking Clay Makes My Day!
Public Reply Private Reply New Post
Keep Last Read
Replies (1) Keep Last Read Next 10 Report Keyboard Shortcuts
Replies (1) Next 10 Prev Next

Join the InvestorsHub Community

Register for free to join our community of investors and share your ideas. You will also get access to streaming quotes, interactive charts, trades, portfolio, live options flow and more tools.

Sign Up