Bert Sommer

Bert Sommer (February 7, 1949 – July 23, 1990) was an American folk singer, songwriter, and Broadway performer born in New York City who grew up in Queens and Hartsdale, New York. A self-taught pianist and guitarist, he began composing songs during his teenage years, attending both Woodlands High School and Quintano's School for Young Professionals in Manhattan.

Early in his career, Sommer developed connections with fellow young musicians in the New York area, among them Peter Sabatino, Leslie West, Tom Feher, and Michael Brown. He contributed several songs to West's band the Vagrants, including the single "Beside the Sea," which he co-wrote with producer Felix Pappalardi and Pappalardi's wife Gail Collins. In 1967, Sommer joined a reconstituted touring version of the Baroque pop group the Left Banke, assembled by the band's manager to capitalize on the success of "Walk Away Renée." During that period he co-wrote the Left Banke single "And Suddenly" with Michael Brown and sang lead on "Ivy Ivy," a song written by Tom Feher. The lineup, which included Michael McKean on bass, dissolved after legal action initiated by original Left Banke singer Steve Martin's lawyers. Sommer also wrote "Brink of Death," subsequently recorded by the band Childe Harold with an arrangement by Wendy Carlos.

Sommer made his Broadway debut in 1968 in the musical Hair, initially as a member of the ensemble known as the Tribe before being promoted to the role of Woof. His appearance in the production extended to the Los Angeles company, where his distinctive hair and eyes were featured on the 1969 Playbill. A fellow cast member during that run was Jennifer Warnes, who would later inspire one of his most recognized songs.

Having signed with Capitol Records, Sommer released his debut album, The Road to Travel, in June 1969, produced by Artie Kornfeld. Kornfeld's concurrent involvement in organizing the Woodstock Festival led to Sommer receiving an invitation to perform there. He appeared as the third act on the festival's opening night, Friday, August 15, 1969, performing ten songs accompanied by Ira Stone on guitar, Hammond organ, and harmonica, and Charles Bilello on bass. His set included "Jennifer," written in tribute to his Hair castmate Jennifer Warnes, and a cover of Simon & Garfunkel's "America," after which he received the festival's first standing ovation. Because Sommer was signed to a label that competed with the festival's official recording partners, his audio performance was not made publicly available until 2009, though his rendition of "Jennifer" appeared in D.A. Pennebaker's 1994 documentary Woodstock Diary. In 2019, his complete Woodstock set was included in the festival's 50th anniversary 38-CD collection, restored by Andy Zax.

Kornfeld also produced Sommer's second album, Inside Bert Sommer, released in May 1970 on Eleuthera, a subsidiary of Buddah Records. The album featured the single "We're All Playing in the Same Band," which Sommer wrote about his experience at Woodstock; the song reached number 48 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 1970. During this period he performed regularly in and around New York, opening for acts including Ike and Tina Turner and the Byrds. A third album, Bert Sommer, followed on Buddah in 1971. After spending time in a rehabilitation facility in the early 1970s, he formed a trio called Sommer, Landis & Roberts with Gary Roberts, also known as Johnny Rabb, and Rob Landis, performing in clubs and cafes in Brockport, New York.

Following encouragement from music producer Artie Ripp to audition, Sommer took on the role of "Flatbush" in Kaptain Kool and the Kongs on The Krofft Supershow in 1976, though he did not return for the show's second season. In 1977, Capitol Records released a fourth album, also titled Bert Sommer, produced in Los Angeles by Ron Dante; the label dropped him after the record failed commercially. A planned follow-up album produced by Trevor Lawrence was never released, though it contained the song "You," which appeared in the films The Patriot (1986) and Stella (1990).

Sommer returned to Albany in August 1983 and resumed performing, working with Johnny Rabb, Carla McKrell, and Kevin McKrell in a group called The Fabulous Newports, and later with Eddie Angel and Rabb in The Poor Boys. His final performance took place at an outdoor concert in Troy, New York on June 11, 1990. Sommer died in Troy on July 23, 1990, of a respiratory illness, at the age of 41.