The Sixties-Remembering Laurel Canyon- Kiyo, Neil Young, John Densmore and a Twilight Zone Zodiac Synchronicity
July 17, 2019
Los Angeles
Yesterday, I was doing some research and chanced upon an excellent article, “Laurel Canyon is where the new Hollywood lives.” The article (full text as PDF) was written by journalist Nathaniel Freedland, and appeared in the Toronto Daily Star, on, Oct. 11, 1969.
Here is an excerpt from the article, referencing my ex-wife, Kiyo as a local Canyon resident and “Astrologer to the Stars”:
…
“the prototype of individualistic new-style Laurel Canyonite is Kiyo, the lovely Eurasian astrologer featured in Time magazine’s recent cover story on the revival of occultry. Kiyo casts horoscopes for clients like Jane Russell in a compound of forest chalets at the far end of one of the canyon backroads.
“There’s always something going on around here,” says Kiyo. “The kids are always sending runaways up to see me because they say I’m the only one they’d listen to. I try to get them off drugs because I don’t think they need it to expant their minds.”
The tenant in one of Kiyo’s bungalows is John Densmore, drummer with those controversial rockers The Doors.” (SKH Note- The other cabin was rented by singer Neil Young.)
Here’s a photograph of the Time Magazine cover and inserted photo of Kiyo and Neil Young from March, 1969 as referenced in Freedland’s article above.
Please click below to play 30 sec sound byte Intro before proceeding.
A Bizarre Synchronicity
On the very same day ( October 11, 1969) the Laurel Canyon article appeared in the Toronto Sun publication featuring Kiyo, my ex-wife and the former lover/mistress of my father, Dr. George Hill Hodel; George is up in San Francisco and commits the brutal Zodiac execution murder of cabdriver, Paul Stine.
GEORGE HODEL AS “ZODIAC” EXECUTES SAN FRANCISCO CAB DRIVER ON OCT 11, 1969 at 10:00 pm
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18127217/paul-lee-stine#clipboard
Alice gazed into her looking glass and asked herself, “Can things get any tripper than this?”
One can not, I repeat, can not, get any “Trippier” than this! Down the long and ever widening Rabbit Hole, ’round and ’round it goes and where it stops………..Not even the “Shadow” knows. Sorry for mixing my metaphors : ) This article covers the time I knew both, Young and Densmore and was aware of their living on Rid……. St. but I never meet of even saw Kiyo. Like Mawell Smart before me; “I was “This” close! “
Dennis E:
Just as well you didn’t see “The raven-haired, ruby lipped, “Witchy Woman” fly by back then. Who knew “she’d been sleeping in the Devil’s bed.”?
Six planets in LEO. Ouch!
Hi Steve – there was an effort to link Bruce Davis (Family member) to Zodiac. I read that book and see possible, but tenuous, connections. Makes me wonder if your dad ever had any crossover with ‘The Family’. Seems like an MD who specialized in STDs (and ran with a darker set of folks) might be someone some of them might seek out. Or that timeline might be off – not sure if your dad was still practicing medicine at that time.
Matt G:
No, I’m sure there was no connection with GHH and any of the Manson Family. I know there was the Laurel Canyon connections with Manson, but I’m sure all that was separate. Dad did keep an active M.D. license until his death at 91. He wrote Seconal R/X for June and when she saved up enough pills he took them to OD at age 91. Best, Steve
What exactly is a psychopathic killer? Does their psychopathy crave blood? Mostly, I think, serial killers are fantasy-driven creatures; half psychotics deep in gory dreams. So psychopaths are kind & loving folks? No, but I think real psychopathic killers appear when somebody bothered them, as revenge.murderers: “overkill”-culprits. That is when the hidden (active) sadist in certain sociopaths appear. Can a psychopath that women angered become so hateful that this makes him a rather unusual serial killer? Maybe.
Steve need help I am way over my head investigating Kristen Smart and Maria Ruggiero murders in San Luis Obispo, Ca.
Requesting a chat basically.
mcguirejason@gmail.com
I know my email is being published.
Jason M:
Hi Jason. I know none of the details about either of those victims other than just taking a quick look on the internet. Not really able to involve myself in them at this time, just too many of my own cold cases to examine. (Book 5- “The Early Years”) If you want to email me a question or? you can reach me at steve@stevehodel.com Best, Steve
The Halloween card sent by Zodiac, features eyes peering through wood fence slats, similar to the door of “Given.” Have you written someyhing about this before I can read? Also, I always wondered, was the Halloween card made by hand (paint? Marker?) Or an altered store bought card? Thanks for all your investigating. I can’t believe I didn’t learn any of this in art school!
A. Wayne:
Too much to try and communicate here re. the Halloween card. Actually, the inspiration for the eyes comes from the movie SPELLBOUND from the surreal dream sequence. You can search my blog site using keywords in the “Search” box under my badge. “Halloween card” or Surrealism or any word. The card was store-bought and altered using “white out”. Best, Steve
That IS bizarre.. Anything about Laurel Canyon is syncronistic to me. This article from Oct 13th 1966 was 5 days after LSD was made illegal. Also about the same time I moved into Laurel Canyon..
Was your dad by any chance, buddies with CIA doctor Dr. Sidney Gottlieb or Dr. Oscar Janiger? They were LSD distributors to celebs starting in the 50’s, Including Cary Grant, others and later Stanley Kubrick, who had apparently toured the Lookout Mountain film base when securing A Bomb,/H Bomb footage for the ending of Dr. Strangelove.
Some Laurel Canyon associations:
You probably are familiar with the book about strange events in Laurel Canyon by the late Dave McGowen. The mkultra CIA connections, etc. I myself lived in Laurel Canyon on Ridpath from late 1966-late 1969. My landlady was controversial Kathryn Kuhlman the evangelist, supposedly under surveilance by the intelligence bureaus.
Later, there were stories about experimental, “Voice of God” mind control technology being beamed from the “CONTROLLED AREA.” and CIA., LSD distribution . I was gifted some LSD at Schwabs drugstore by a stranger named “Silver.” In 1966. I was apparently a Guinea Pig.. I did hear the mechanical “Voice of God” loudly in my head. (but became a Buddhist. ) Was it real or Memorex?
Are you familiar with the Lookout Mountain Base military film installation in the Laurel Canyon hills? Lots of “trippy” info on that. It was surrounded with a tall scary fence with “no trespassing” signs and it said, “CONTROLLED AREA” When driving around the hills in those years and finding all the street dead ends with those bizarre signs, was quite a paranoid thrill when smoking pot.
One more syncronistic association. I should have included above, ..Dr. Sidney Gottlieb passed away on the same calender day in 1999, as Stanley Kubrick.
David C:
No, was not familiar with any of the military “off limits” locations or the drug scene. Lived on Utica Drive just off Ridpath. When I first married Kiyo in ’62 she had a house on Kirkwood, then shortly after that we bought the mansion on Utica Dr. from her friends, Mr. and Mrs. Lash LaRue. Doubt my father was into any of the Laurel Canyon scene back in the Forties, but one never knows? Laurel Canyon realtor, (Country Store) Wally Mann sold us about four different homes which we rented out.
I have many memories of living with Kiyo and you on Utica Dive, Laurel Canyon. My mother was Barbara, short black hair and blue grey eyes. We needed a place to stay and Kiyo let us. I used to walk Aurora, and the other dog, he was a malamute. I remember lots of stairs to get to the front door, and loved the small projector room that had the pay phone- the room was soundproof. Would love to tell you more of my experiences, especially when she had readings in den that you stepped down and there were people who wrote their names on the wall.
Kathleen M: Hi Kathleen. Thanks for the email and reflections on the Utica Dr. House. The house was built by film director Tay Garnett who was a WWI naval pilot and top director/writer. (The Postman Always Rings Twice, China Seas, Bataan etc.) He had all the top stars visit his home and had them sign their names in the step-down home bar which you mention. He would project his films from that room through a window into the large living room for home movies etc. He wrote a great Hollywood memoir called, “Light Your Torches and Pull Up Your Tights” Highly recommend the read. https://www.amazon.com/Light-Your-Torches-Pull-Tights/dp/B001AILRKI Best email for me is: steve@stevehodel.com