J.D. Blackfoot

by William Ruhlmann
J.d. Blackfoot is a Native American-themed artist who was actually born Benjamin Franklin Van Dervort in Cleveland. The frontman for an Ohio band called The Ebb Tides (as Benny Van), he re-formed the group under his most famous name around 1969 and recorded a single for Mercury called "Who's Nuts Alfred." An album, The Ultimate Prophecy, followed soon after and found the group dabbling in acid rock and folk/country-rock. The group soon melted away after the LP's lack of success -- though it's still prized in prog/psych circles -- and Blackfoot went on to record the mid-'70s albums The Song Of Crazy Horse and Southbound And Gone for Fantasy Records.