Frazier Mohawk

{{redirect|Barry Friedman|the American academic|Barry E. Friedman}} {{more citations needed|date=February 2017}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2012}} {{Infobox person | honorific_prefix = | name =Frazier Mohawk | honorific_suffix = | native_name = | native_name_lang = | image = | image_size = | alt = | caption = | birth_name =Barry Friedman | birth_date = {{birth date|1941|12|12}} | birth_place = | disappeared_date =  | disappeared_place = | disappeared_status = | death_date = {{death date and age|2012|6|2|1941|12|12}} | death_place = | death_cause = | body_discovered = | resting_place = | resting_place_coordinates =  | monuments = | citizenship =American | education =Happy Valley School | alma_mater = | occupation = Record producer<br />Photographer<br />Publicist<br />Circus owner<br />Farmer | years_active = | employer = | organization = | agent = | known_for = | notable_works = | style = | spouse = | partner = | children = | parents = | relatives = | website =  | footnotes = }} '''Frazier Mohawk''' (born '''Barry Friedman''', December 12, 1941 – June 2, 2012) was an American record producer and sometime photographer, publicist, circus owner, and farmer.

==Life and career== Friedman attended the Happy Valley School in California. He then spent time working in circuses and as a photographer, living in France for a period. In 1962 he returned to Los Angeles, becoming a radio show producer. He also became a publicist, handling the press conferences for The Beatles around their Hollywood Bowl performance in 1964.<ref name="allmusic.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/frazier-mohawk-mn0000144567|title=Frazier Mohawk - Biography & History - AllMusic|website=AllMusic }}</ref>

He went on to work for the Troubadour club, becoming friendly with Stephen Stills, and helping him put together a new group,<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PxSVs5e3vxUC&q=neil+young+barry+friedman+demo&pg=PT127 |title = Waging Heavy Peace Deluxe|isbn = 9781101616833|last1 = Young|first1 = Neil|date = September 25, 2012| publisher=Penguin }}</ref> which became Buffalo Springfield. Friedman was driving the car with Stills and Richie Furay which passed on Sunset Boulevard the hearse carrying Neil Young and Bruce Palmer from Canada, a meeting which led to the formation of the band.<ref name="allmusic.com"/><ref>{{Cite news | url=http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/entertainment/music/one-moment-that-made-music-history-375979631.html |title = Apr 2016: Chance encounter between Young and Stills in L.A. Traffic changed music forever|newspaper = Winnipeg Free Press|date = April 17, 2016|last1 = Einarson|first1 = John}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OCL_DAAAQBAJ&q=barry+friedman+neil+young&pg=PT24 | title=Neil Young: Heart of Gold| isbn=9781783235797| last1=Kubernik| first1=Harvey| date=November 9, 2015| publisher=Omnibus Press}}</ref> As their de facto manager,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.uncut.co.uk/features/part-8-buffalo-springfield-manager-frazier-mohawk-37469|title=Part 8: Buffalo Springfield Manager Frazier Mohawk - Uncut|date=March 5, 2009}}</ref> he got the Springfield to tour with the Byrds, subsequently becoming involved in the Byrds’ own work. He also started to work as a producer, with Paul Butterfield,<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/the-monkees-our-life-in-15-songs-w435214/mary-mary-1967-w435250|title=The Monkees: Our Life in 15 Songs|magazine=Rolling Stone |date=August 23, 2016}}</ref> Kaleidoscope,<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bANZjtz2qUkC&q=kaleidoscope+barry+friedman&pg=PA102 |title = Canyon of Dreams: The Magic and the Music of Laurel Canyon|isbn = 9781402765896|last1 = Kubernik|first1 = Harvey|last2 = Calamar|first2 = Scott|year = 2009| publisher=Sterling Publishing Company }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OCL_DAAAQBAJ&q=chris+darrow+barry+friedman+kaleidoscope&pg=PT25 |title = Neil Young: Heart of Gold|isbn = 9781783235797|last1 = Kubernik|first1 = Harvey|date = November 9, 2015| publisher=Omnibus Press }}</ref> "Spider" John Koerner and Willie Murphy,<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/running-jumping-standing-still-mw0000111339 |title = Running, Jumping, Standing Still - "Spider" John Koerner, Willie Murphy | Songs, Reviews, Credits| website=AllMusic }}</ref> the Holy Modal Rounders<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xZ-8rdzvABgC&q=holy+modal+rounders+barry+friedman&pg=PA57 |title = Sam Shepard|isbn = 9780306807701|last1 = Shewey|first1 = Don|date = March 22, 1997| publisher=Hachette Books }}</ref> and others. Notably, he produced Nico’s album with John Cale, ''The Marble Index''.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2007/mar/16/popandrock3|title=From the Velvets to the void|first=Simon|last=Reynolds|date=March 16, 2007|newspaper=The Guardian}}</ref> During this time in the late-sixties, Barry Friedman also worked as an A&R man for the record label Elektra in Los Angeles.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zwoEAAAAMBAJ&q=barry+friedman+a%26r+elektra&pg=PA6 |title = Billboard|date = June 22, 1968}}</ref>

By this time, Friedman had decided to change his name to Frazier Mohawk. Around the same time the stresses of living in the city led him, supported and funded by Elektra boss Jac Holzman, to build a studio and mountain retreat at Paxton Lodge in northern California.<ref>{{Cite magazine | url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/a-childs-garden-of-jackson-browne-19740523 |title = A Child's Garden of Jackson Browne| magazine=Rolling Stone |date = May 23, 1974}}</ref> This was a centre for creative endeavours but, according to Holzman, relatively little usable output. Mohawk also met and married singer Sandra Hurvitz, who had previously recorded with Frank Zappa, and who now changed her name to Essra Mohawk.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mtv.com/artists/essra-mohawk/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170218224715/http://www.mtv.com/artists/essra-mohawk/|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 18, 2017|title=Essra Mohawk - Music Videos, News, Photos, Tour Dates - MTV|website=MTV }}</ref> He subsequently produced her second album (and first as Essra Mohawk) entitled ''Primordial Lovers'' on the Reprise label,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/primordial-lovers-mw0000845082/credits|title=Primordial Lovers - Essra Mohawk - Credits - AllMusic|website=AllMusic }}</ref> which Rolling Stone magazine in 1977 proclaimed as "one of the best 25 albums ever made" in their top 500 list of best albums.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AVQbF9lTBwgC&q=frazier+mohawk&pg=PA227|title=The Mojo Collection: 4th Edition|first=Various Mojo|last=Magazine|date=November 1, 2007|publisher=Canongate Books|via=Google Books|isbn=9781847676436}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.popmatters.com/review/124028-essra-mohawk-sandys-album-is-here-at-last/|title=Essra Mohawk: Sandys Album Is Here at Last!|date=April 28, 2010 }}</ref>

By the early 1970s, burned out by the music business, he moved to Canada, producing a few obscure acts and becoming seriously ill for a period. After his recovery he established and ran his own travelling circus for several years. Eventually he settled at Puck’s Farm north of Toronto, developing it as an attraction for families, and also including a recording studio.

He died from liver disease in 2012, at the age of 70.<ref>[https://bradspurgeon.com/articles-as-opposed-to-posts/in-remembrance-of-frazier-mohawkbarry-friedman/ Brad Spurgeon, "In remembrance of Frazier Mohawk", ''BradSpurgeon.com'', 2012]. Retrieved 10 May 2022</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *[http://perso.orange.fr/brad.spurgeon/fraz.HTM 1997 interview] {{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mohawk, Frazier}} Category:1941 births Category:2012 deaths Category:Record producers from California Category:American emigrants to Canada