Zal Yanovsky - WikiHQ

Zalman Yanovsky (December 19, 1944 – December 13, 2002) was a Canadian folk-rock musician and restaurateur. Born in Toronto, he was the son of political cartoonist Avrom Yanovsky and teacher Nechama Yanovsky (née Gemeril). He played lead guitar and sang for the Lovin' Spoonful, a rock band which he founded with John Sebastian in 1964.

In 1967, he left the Lovin' Spoonful and was replaced by Jerry Yester. Yanovsky released a solo album in 1968 titled Alive and Well in Argentina. In 1971, he retired from music and became a restaurateur, opening his own restaurant in 1979 and writing cookbooks. He continued to perform occasionally.

Yanovsky was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1996. He was also inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 as a member of the Lovin' Spoonful.

Early life

Zalman Yanovsky was born on December 19, 1944 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada to Avrom Yanovsky, a Ukrainian-born political cartoonist and Nechama Yanovsky (née Germeil), a teacher of Polish heritage. As both parents were Jewish, Yanovsky attended Downsview Collegiate Institute in his teenage years.

Musical career

Mostly self-taught, Yanovsky began his musical career playing folk music coffee houses in Toronto. He lived on a kibbutz in Israel for a short time before returning to Canada. He teamed with fellow Canadian Denny Doherty in the Halifax Three. The two joined Cass Elliot in the Mugwumps, The Lovin' Spoonful had hits such as "Do You Believe in Magic", "Summer in the City", "Daydream", "Did You Ever Have to Make Up Your Mind?", "Darling Be Home Soon", and "You Didn't Have to Be So Nice". The group's only number one was "Summer In The City" (which stayed there for three weeks in August 1966).

In 1966, he was arrested in the United States on a marijuana-related charge. Yanovsky agreed to appear for the rest of the group's scheduled dates, and he last performed with the Spoonful on , at the Forest Hills Music Festival in Queens, New York. Four days later, on June28, Hit Parader magazine interviewed him to discuss what it termed his "uncertain future".

In September1967, Yanovsky signed as a solo act with Buddah Records. Bob Cavallo, the Spoonful's manager, continued to manage Yanovsky. That same month, Buddah issued his debut single, "As Long As You're Here". The label's general manager, Neil Bogart, announced the single's initial pressing numbered 100,000 copies, and he promised a major promotional campaign would follow. Billboard magazine's review panel predicted the single would reach at least the top 60 of the Hot 100 chart, The label announced in January1968 that it had scheduled a second single for imminent release, but no single followed.

In late1967, Yanovsky began recording his first solo album, Alive and Well in Argentina, but it spawned a partnership between Yanovsky and his replacement in the Spoonful, Jerry Yester, who produced the album. The two formed "Hair Shirt Productions", which produced recordings in Los Angeles for Pat Boone, Tim Buckley and the Fifth Avenue Band.

While a member of Kris Kristofferson's backing band at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970, he had a brief reunion with John Sebastian; Sebastian had been (apparently) unaware of Yanovsky's presence, and was made aware by a message passed through the crowd, written on a toilet roll.

He also appeared in the off-Broadway show National Lampoon's Lemmings at New York's Village Gate. Although not an original cast member, he contributed a musical number, "Nirvana Banana", a Donovan parody.

In 1980, he appeared in the movie One-Trick Pony and reunited with the Lovin' Spoonful. In 1996, Yanovsky was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and performed. In 2000, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Lovin' Spoonful, and performed alongside his former bandmates at the ceremony. The Hall of Fame performance was the last time Yanovsky performed live, and the last time the original line up of The Lovin' Spoonful performed together.

Restaurateur

After retiring from the music business, Yanovsky became a chef and restaurateur He subsequently married Rose Richardson. His step-mother was Anna Yanovsky (née Atanas), who died in 2022.

Death

Yanovsky died on December 13, 2002, in Kingston, Ontario, from a heart attack, at the age of 57. A funeral service was held in Kingston, Ontario, on December 16, 2002.

Discography

Singles

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

|+ List of singles, with selected chart positions

!width="30" scope="col" rowspan="2"|Year

!width="250" scope="col" rowspan="2"|Single details

!width="100" colspan="3"|Peak chart positions

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | US Billboard

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | US CashBox

! scope="col" style="width:2em;font-size:90%;" | CAN

! scope="row" |1967

|"As Long as You're Here" b/w "Ereh Er'ouy Sa Gnol Sa"

Released: September 1967
Label: Buddha

|align="center"|101

Label: Buddha