I first met the Bergen twins Jeff and Jon during the summer of 1967, in Fire Island, New York, as my uncle had a house there, and they were staying there too….I think my uncle and their father Sidney knew each other.

 

We all enjoyed each other’s company, and wound up forming a rock & roll band, and wound up being booked to play gigs fairly continuously throughout that year. We were 15 years old, and were lucky to have a friend Tony Igel who was a couple of years older than us, and conveniently, who also lived in the Bergen’s building at 275 Central Park West, and, who, coincidentally, was the best manager one could ever ask for. Unfortunately, when Tony went off to college in St. Louis, the band we had broke up…but not before us playing many private schools and temples in upper Manhattan. Tony tells me he remembers 1200 kids showing up to our gig at Temple Emanu-El on Fifth Avenue. Jeff was the rhythm guitarist,(second from right in photo), his brother Jon, the bass guitarist, along with an excellent lead guitarist, a mediocre (at best, unfortunately) drummer, and I was the lead vocalist. (Photo of us rehearsing attached). We were pretty good if I do say so, …..as we also won a “battle of the bands” contest, and were actually played (once!) on the radio. I should mention that we played the hits of the day, and that our show-stopper (in my estimation), was the Vanilla Fudge’s dramatic, emotive version of “You Keep Me Hanging On”. I want to mention that Tony would have loved to have attended the memorial for Jeff that evening, but was dealing with a health issue at that time, preventing him from accompanying me….but he was very fond of Jeff (and Jon), and was definitely there in spirit.

 

After being in that band, I also subsequently wound up attending a summer camp (known as Shaker Village) with the twins during the summer of 1968. 

 

I loved both Jeff and Jon, and always enjoyed my time…both playing music with them, or just hanging out, as we all had the same mutual interests. (The only difference is that being born, bred, and buttered in Brooklyn, I had to take the train into Manhattan.

 

After the band broke up,and after that summer at camp with them in 1968, we, unfortunately, lost touch with each other for quite some time. I remember calling Jeff sometime in the 80s, and him telling me of his brother Jon’s passing, which I was sad to learn of.

 

I wound up finally re-connecting, and going to dinner with Jeffrey along with our friend/ex-manager Tony about 2 1/2 -3 years ago, and got to see his apartment, the art gallery, and meet his lovely family.

 

I know he was usually very busy with the gallery, but I was hoping for us to be able to see each other more often. (as I had finally escaped Brooklyn, and had been living on the upper west side for quite some time)….but….unfortunately, that wasn’t meant to be.

 

As anyone who had the good fortune to cross paths with Jeffrey could say…he was a very special guy….who had his own unique way of talking, walking, living, and dealing with people and life in general. He was one-of-a-kind….a unique and lovely person, and a most distinctive individual who will undoubtedly be remembered fondly by many.