EAGLE CONDOR Roderick Greengrass Eagle Condor on Facebook
I am not your average Ho-Chunk full blooded tribal member (Bear Clan - Chief Clan). I currently reside in San Francisco (Where I have retired, but not quite because of my love and involvement in the Music Industry and being an environmental activist.) and planning to buy land (17 acres on top of a hill overlooking a valley with eagles.) in the Viroqua Valley to build a cabin and recording studio (With the assistance and consulting from the producer of the Eagles, Doobie Brothers, America, Chicago, Beach Boys and many other recording artists and Timothy B. Schmit of the Eagles) this fall. I have been involved in the Entertainment Industry for over 45 (I lived in Los Angeles for over 17 years because of the Music Industry.) - Music & Film. I promoted my first concert at the Fox Venice, Venice, California with Redbone at the age of 24 in 1978, following the '78 Longest Walk as the benefit concert promoter/producer. I have worked with Stevie Wonder, Mohammed Ali, Richie Havens, Dick Gregory, Wayne Newton, Loretta Lynn, Sammy Davis Jr., Vincent Price, Richie Havens, Hoyt Axton, Cheap Trick, Luther Allison, The Drifters, Etta James, Linda Hopkins, Bonnie Bramlet, John Lee Hooker, Keyboardist Deacon Jones, Ruby Starr (Black Oak Arkansa), Ernie Rodriguez of Canned Heat, Blackfoot, Tim Davis (Paul Butterfield Blues Band), Johnny Otis, Los Lobos, C-Weed Band (Juno Award Winner Band from Winnepeg, Manitoba, Canada.), Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt (You may have recognized their names from the televison show - The Beverly Hillbillys.), Vassar Clements, Johnny Hartford, Doc and Merle Watson, Bill and James Monroe, Will Sampson (One Flew Over The Cucoo's Nest) on five productions, Marlon Brando, Jon Voight, George Kennedy, Jeff Bridges, Dennis Weaver, Charlie Hill, Professor Irwin Corey (Comedian Actor), Bud Cort, Robert Waldon (Lou Grant Show), twice with Misty Rowe (Hee Haw Television Show) on two motion pictures, Woody Strode, Buffy Sainte-Marie, Will Sampson, Redbone, Buddy Red Bow, XIT with Tom Bee, Jesse Ed Davis (Comanche Guitarist, performed with Eric Clapton and George Harrison at the Concert for Bangladesh.), Paul Ortega, Sharon Burch, Micki Free, John Trudell, and Indigenous and other musicians and actors to name a few and many more. I had worked under Loren Green (Executive Producer for the Night of the First Americans production at the Opera House, Kennedy Center, Washington, D.C. in 1980) as his stage manager, Harry Waterson (Benson) and Bill Angelos (Carol Burnett Show) and worked on five motion pictures, and there after on as the producer for an Airlift Benefit Concert for Yellow Thunder Camp (Near Pine Ridge, SD and Big Mountain (On Hopi land in Arizona), Embassy Auditorium, Downtown Los Angeles. I toured with several bands coast to coast, promoted, produced, directed, stage managed, and mixed sound, worked with Billy Preston (Considered the 5th Beatle, now deceased.) in the recording studio at his home in Topanga for two weeks on a demo tape, with the engineer for Earth, Wind and Fire, and the engineer for the Live BB King album...as I studied recording engineering and sound reinforcement at the age of 28 in Hollywood. Toured coast to coast with National Recording Artists. And will work with Apache Guitarist Stevie Salas, who toured with Rod Stewart for two years and ofter plays guitar for Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones. this fall. I am multi-talented in playing the piano (Studied Piano 2 and Keyboard Theory at MATC, Madison following High School and will purchase a Concert Grand Piano for my apartment in San Francisco.), several guitars, duo Tama drums, and congas and bongos. I currently own and the CEO of a concert production company - Eagle & Condor Productions. Google it on the internet.
I studied cinematography in Los Angeles (Thanks to my friend Billy Mills), with Sydney Pollack (Director for Jeremiah Johnson, Tootsie and other major motion pictures.) and Jim Frawley, director of the Muppet Movie as film instructors. And I was editor of the Award Winning Circle Newspaper in Minneapolis and Smoke Signals Newspaper in St. Paul in the mid-eighties as a one man newspaper (Teacher for UM Journalist students, for 35mm Photography and Dark Room Technique.).
I am currently writing a biography and a Ho-Chunk story handed down from my father - John Greengrass, which I plan to approach Steven Speilberg or James Cameron (Avatar) in producing the future motion picture. I directed and was the camera man on two films (Film School - Culver City, Los Angeles). And I am a science intelect and at times simplify Quantum Physics and the String Theory to other intelectual friends. I am also currently comtemplating the opening of an Indigenous Coffee House / Gift Shop in Milwaukee and San Francisco this fall.
I fell into a coma because of a high level of ammonia in my system, which had an affect upon my brain, the beginning of the year and was kidnapped by Samantha (Greendeer) Skenandore upon my release from the West Allis hospital and had been in and out of the West Allis and Madison UW hospital for three times earlier this year, and she had taken care and watched over me during my recovery and I made her my medical and financial POA. I have recovered to date, and now seeing doctors and specialists. Having medically stumbled, I again picked up myself and continue my quest to save Mother Earth for our youth, the unborn and endangered species that we share this planet with.
Over the decades I have supported many Indigenous causes without compensation or recognition for over a 40 year span and now continue to support national environmental activists. I am a minamalist and also a grassroots activist and concert promoter. This winter I plan to meet with the Comandanta of the Zapatista Army in Chiapa, Mexico (Regarding the theft of their Indigenous lands by the Mexican and American Governments for their mineral resouces.), Panama to meet with the Indigenous Peoples regarding their environmental struggles and land theft by oil corporations such as Exxon and others oil barrons, visit with RAONI, a documentary film narrated by Marlon Brando in the Amazon with a French filmmaker friend Jean-Pierre Dutilleux (I assisted Jean-Pierre with his film premiere at the Chinese Theater in Hollywood and worked with Jon Voight as our host which was arranged through my friends, actors Max Gail of the televison show Barney Miller Show and Cheech Marin of Cheech and Chong.) regarding the destruction of the forest by farmers for crop development and oil theft, Ecuador to visit the Indigenous Peoples on evironmental issues and and land theft by oil corporations, and then onto Machu Pichu, Peru to research the deteriation of the sacred site, due to global warming. All of which to be filmed for a future documentary film, and I plan to present at the Cannes Film Festival in France and Robert Redford's Sundance Film Festival next year, and other film festivals internationally. I will edit and produce the documentary film this fall in Los Angeles with other filmmakers.
I am looking forward to this fall, to having an audience with Robert Redford, Johnny Depp, Leonardo DeCaprio, Kevin Costner, Daryl Hannah, Stevie Wonder, Carlos Santana (As I will be working with his son Salvador this fall) and also meet with Timothy B. Schmit of the Eagles and Neil Young, and other National Recording Artists regarding a major environmental music festival for next June 1st through the 3rd in the Midwest, the size of Woodstock. The producer for the Eagles, Doobie Brothers, Chicago, America, Beach Boys and other National Recording Artists will be assisting me on engineering behind a 36 channel sound mix board this August to record a live CD compilation to support environmental activists globally. And I will have three camera crews filming this August for a future environmental documentary film. Also planning a 2017 World Tour with Indigenous bands, beginning in Paris, London, Italy, Germany, Switzerland (All of Europe), New Zealand (I have been invited several times over the decade to meet with Indigenous Peoples.), Australia, Japan, China, Viet Nam (Asia, as I speak some Vietnamese, as well as French and Spanish), and continue on to other countries. And hopefully squeeze in some skydiving time this fall on the West Coast...love the rush.
I have been with the American Indian Movement since the mid-seventies and support the Black Panthers (Bobby Seal, founder of the Black Panthers has invited me to meet with him regarding a documentary film he produced about the history of the Black Panthers), West Coast Brown Beret and Black Beret. I speak some Ho-Chunk and Vietnamese, Fluent French and Spanish.
Monday, April 10, 2017 "Watching The Concert for Bangladesh DVD while making jewelry today. The video brings back memories of musicians Jesse Ed Davis, Comanche/Kiowa (Playing guitar on George's right.) and Billy Preston (Considered the 5th Beatle) who perfomed with George Harrison. I once spent an afternoon with George Benson's musicians and Jesse was brought up in our conversation. They had all admired his unique signature on the guitar. In the mid eighties, Jesse and I would often meet in Venice to talk music during our walks on the Boardwalk. I also stayed at Billy Preston's house in '85 as an assistant tech in Topanga for two weeks, while he was recording a demo in a recording studio he had built with guest rooms next to his house. Billy was quite gifted and brilliant in the studio, and I learned much working with Billy and the engineers. The engineer for Earth, Wind and Fire and the engineer for the B.B. King Live Album both pulled up in a Porsche to work with Billy on the demo. At the end of his recording daily, we'd jump into his Rolls Royce or Bentley and head to a saloon down the road to shoot pool. During that two weeks, Billy would always address me by my last name 'Greengrass', which he thought was a cool name." ~ Eagle Condor
John Trudell, George Harrison, Bob Dylan and Jesse Ed Davis
BILLY PRESTON with Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Tom Petty and many other musicians.
The Rolling Stones with Billy Preston
Monday, April 10, 2017
"I got to reminiscing today and thought of my old friend Deacon Jones (Who was John Lee Hooker's keyboard player). I remember the time we had to load his B3 Hammond organ and Leslie speaker onto the tour bus after a gig in Redondo Beach and take Deacon to LAX and deliver his keyboard to be loaded onto a jet bound for San Francisco to meet up with John Lee Hooker, and from the Bay they would fly to NYC to connect with the rest of the band and onto London to tour with the Rolling Stones throughout Europe. Hooker would often come down to the Redondo Beach club and jam with the band. I'd often head to The Roxy, Whiskey A Go Go (Where I would often connect with James Quill Smith of Three Dog Night), Rainbow Bar & Grille, House of Blues and many other rock clubs in West Hollywood. The mid 80's was a good period in my life...national tour coast to coast, unique concerts and festivals like Monterey Jazz Festival with Etta James, recording studios and much more. All of which will be written into a future book, which when I have free time, I will work on." ~ Eagle Condor
Deacon Jones - 6/30/2010
Webpage created April 10, 2017 - I will add more of my life experiences soon, with over 45 years of memories in the entertainment industry. I also began writing two books in what little spare time I have. ~ Eagle Condor