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Wavy Gravy backstage at the 50th anniversary benefit concert for Camp Winnarainbow on Oct. 1, 2025. Credit: Jay Blakesberg<\/p>\nWavy Gravy backstage at the 50th anniversary benefit concert for Camp Winnarainbow on Oct. 1, 2025. Credit: Jay Blakesberg<\/p>\n
Wavy Gravy \u2014 the legendary figure of the counterculture movement who emceed Woodstock, clowned for the Grateful Dead and ran a pig for president against Richard Nixon before co-founding a local summer camp and an international nonprofit \u2014 turns 90 on Friday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Our profile of Wavy\u2019s scarcely believable life<\/a> of pranks, protests, music and charity has been read by more than 100,000 people, a testament to his enduring power to fascinate. A Berkeley resident since the late 1970s, he is scheduled to attend a documentary screening of \u201cSaint Misbehavin\u2019: The Wavy Gravy Movie\u201d<\/a> Friday night at the Presidio Theatre in San Francisco, and will be honored Saturday at a 90th birthday party and benefit concert<\/a> at the Masonic.<\/p>\n After our story was published, readers wrote in by the dozen to wish Wavy a happy birthday and share their memories of far out times.\u00a0<\/p>\n Reader feedback is lightly edited for length and clarity, though we left your creative punctuation mostly intact.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI met him at Woodstock and he introduced himself as Hugh when I volunteered at the field hospital on Sunday am. He asked me to ride around in a makeshift ambulance with my cousin Jimmy, riding in the back of a rented UHaul pick up truck with two army cots and pick up people experiencing bad acid trips, bringing them back to Wavy where he took over and helped people get down from the bad high they were having. He spoke to me inches from my face which I think he was just messing with me. He did a great job as MC on stage too. Happy birthday Wavy!\u201d \u2014 Joe Coakley<\/p>\n \u201cI saw Wavy Gravy in 1995, he MC\u2019d a concert where Ben Harper performed. The line I remember from him was \u2018All I learned in the \u201960s was that you can\u2019t get snot off suede.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI was at Wavy\u2019s birthday party at the Wetlands in NYC 1997. The Zen Tricksters with Jonny Dworks speed of light show was unforgettable \u26a1\ufe0f\ud83d\uddfd\ud83c\udf2c\ufe0f\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI first met Wavy in 1981 at the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant demonstrations, and spent a few days with him in the \u2018jail\u2019 they put us in. After that, I would run into him in the Haight and subsequent demonstrations against the DNC in SF, and other actions during the \u201880s\/\u201990s. Always a beacon of hope, happiness, and love. We need more people like him now more than ever.\u201d \u2014 Alexis Neel<\/p>\n \u201cI had the pleasure of meeting WG 1x at the Third Eye Benefit in Toronto, June 21, 1984. He knew I was dosed and barraged me with bubbles from a bubble gun.\u201d \u2014 Larry Gottenberg\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve known Wavy for over fifty years. I happen to know that Hugh\u2019s discharge from the Air Force in the 1950s was due to his bad back, and that the claims of his back pain stem from that and not from purported \u2018beatings\u2019 from Police during protests. I do happily remember his blocking of Buses at Lawrence Livermore Labs wearing a 7 foot white Bunny Rabbit suit daring the Busses to run over him.\u201d \u2014 Zacheriah Harmony<\/p>\n \u201cI only seen him one time in Laytonville Black Oak Ranch. Hope the best for his Berkley Birthday Splash.\u201d \u2014 Steven G. Thiele<\/p>\n \u201cKnow Wavy since the Trips Festival in SF; a true human being! Left out the financial genius of his wife Jahanara (former \u201cStar Trek\u201d actress) who provided the businesses to fuel their philanthropy. Their first endeavor in Berkeley was an \u201calternative\u201d answering service called Babelyon on Woolsey Street (a Hog commune). Later they moved into Will Scarlet\u2019s (Grateful Dead Road Mgr) house near Live Oak. All my kids went to Camp Winnirainbow and became stilt walkers!. Wavy and Jahnara are an amazing couple!\u201d \u2014 Matthew F Kelleher<\/p>\n \u201cwavy gravy is the fellow!! I lived down the street near Live Oak Park for a couple decades near his house. Supported his 1990 Berkeley city council run in my district. I\u2019ve Known many people that were close to him \u2014 a truly influential nice man. His work on children\u2019s eyesight is his core achievement in my mind. But he is a humanistic counterculture icon\ud83d\ude4f\ud83c\udffb\u201d \u2014 Al Geyer<\/p>\n \u201cI went to one of Wavy Gravy\u2019s birthday parties years ago at the Hog Farm. It was called the Pig Nig or something like that. \u2026 I was with an old hippie named Apollo and it is one of the best experiences of my life!! Wavy Gravy is and has been a huge inspiration in my life and he still continues to try and make our world a better place!! I know Blue (Big Bear) is looking down on him with a smile from ear to ear!!! \ud83d\udc3b\ud83d\udc99\u270c\ud83c\udffc\ud83d\ude01\u201d \u2014 Timothy R Rowe<\/p>\n \u201cMe and Wavy became good mates spending three days together locked up in SLO after our No Nukes demonstration at Diablo Canyon nuke plant in \u201978. Our conversations seemed to be never ending!!! He\u2019s a National Treasure!!! Thanks for all that you\u2019ve done for the human race brother. Happy Birthday and Jah Love.\u201d \u2014 Joseph Che D\u2019Amico<\/p>\n \u201cHey there Wavis, HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Do you remember me (Rocky Raccoon gal from Ellensburg WA?) Those were College Daze in the big red house at the end of town with Red Dog and the boys. You used to wake us up with my Who albums (full volume) then crash on our couch! I got a quiet place now in Alaska. Enjoy your 90th, I\u2019ll tip one for you, Peace Be.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGROOVY y\u2019all made my day. Best energies to\/for continued safe happy journeys.\u201d \u2014 Cher [Editors\u2019 note: We\u2019ve done nothing to verify, but it\u2019s certainly a possibility at least that this is the Cher.]<\/p>\n \u201cCultural icon is an understatement. His outcry \u201cDon\u2019t EAT The BROWN ACID\u201d saved lives!!!\u201d -Voo Doo Chile<\/p>\n \u201cI really enjoyed my granola cup at Woodstock while listening to an unknown person speak to all of us. Made me a life long granola fan!\u201d \u2014 Steven Rose<\/p>\n \u201cWe are always entertaining Angels. Sometimes unwittingly, and sometimes along with legendary wit.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHappy Birthday \u2018Wavey Gravey\u2019\/A fluidity of thinking. . .\/The conscientiousness of thought. . .\/A lengthiness of measure\/T\u2019is divine wisdom of love. . .\/\ud83e\udd17\u263a\ufe0f\ud83d\ude1a\ud83d\ude07\u201d \u2014 John W Pavlic<\/p>\n \u201cI am approaching 3\/4 of a century traveling on this spaceship called Earth and have known of Mr gravy for over 50 years. I am very glad this article found me as it is my pleasure to know what a fine person he is indeed.\u201d \u2014 Bill Candler<\/p>\n \u201cI met him at the West Palm Beach Festival. After everyone left he was alone in a field of trash and discards picking up garbage and bagging it up.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI met wavy at Watkins Glen he was part of the scene very open and happy.\u201d \u2014 George Mariani<\/p>\n \u201cAlways wondered about the guy behind the name. Jubilant to find out he is such a humanitarian & do-gooder!\u201d \u2014 Patty Knox<\/p>\n \u201cI just turned 67. Woodstock happened just after my 11th birthday. I was always a follower of hippies and their beliefs and music. Keep on keeping on, Wavy!\u201d \u2014 Mark Gannett<\/p>\n \u201c\u200b\u200bWavy Gravy sucks. Part of a failed generation.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m a 75 year old lifelong Republican who LOVES MAGA but thoroughly enjoyed this article! I\u2019ve always regretted my decision to turn down an offer to go to Woodstock. My life is a study of dichotomies but I\u2019m sure I\u2019ll figure it out eventually! Thanks For the wisdom and HAPPY BIRTHDAY WAVY!\u201d \u2014 Chip Boyd<\/p>\n \u201cBrings back great memories of the 1960s and 1970s. Wish all human beings were like Wavy Gravy. The world would be a much better place. But people are stuck in the corporate slavery society blind fold to see beyond their noses and make any meaningful changes.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy favorite part of Wavy Gravy\u2019s City Council campaign was that his lawn signs were in the shape of flamingo bodies, with the stake making the leg.\u201d \u2014 Nancy Schimmel<\/p>\n \u201cHappy Birthday Wavy! May you enjoy your day the best way with family and friends!\u201d \u2014 Kenneth Edgar<\/p>\n \u201cHappy 90th Birthday to Wavy Gravy. Xoxo.\u201d \u2014 Lisa Bullock<\/p>\n \u201cWavy is wonderful. Shut Diablo Canyon.\u201d \u2014 Sunny Wasserman<\/p>\n \u201cRemember the \u201cNobody for President<\/a>\u201c campaign? Nobody loves the poor, will lower taxes\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n