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Laurel Canyon, Los Angeles, California
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Laurel Canyon is a canyon neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It was first developed in the 1910s, and became a part of the city of Los Angeles in 1923 (prior to then, it was an unincorporated part of Los Angeles County).[1]
Much like Topanga Canyon, community life is focused on its central thoroughfare, Laurel Canyon Boulevard. Unlike other nearby canyon neighborhoods, Laurel Canyon has houses lining one side of the main street most of the way up to Mulholland Drive. There are many side roads that branch off the main canyon, but most of them are not through streets, reinforcing the self-contained nature of the neighborhood. Some of the main side streets are Mount Olympus, Kirkwood, Wonderland, Willow Glen, and Lookout Mountain Avenue. The zip code for at least part of the neighborhood is 90046.
Laurel Canyon is an important transit corridor between West Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley, specifically Studio City. The division between the two can roughly be defined by the intersection of Laurel Canyon and Mulholland Drive. In early 2005, the first section of the road on the Hollywood side was partially washed away in a heavy rainstorm, and traffic was redirected to a normally quiet residential side street.
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[edit] History
Prior to the arrival of the Spanish, the area of Laurel Canyon was inhabited by the local Tongva tribe of Native Californians. A spring-fed stream that flowed year-round provided water. It was that water that attracted Mexican ranchers who established sheep grazing on the hillsides in the late 1700s and early 1800s. After the Mexican government was ejected, the area caught the attention of Anglo settlers interested in water rights. Around the turn of the century, the area was subdivided and marketed as mountain vacation properties.
Between 1912 and 1918, a trackless electric trolley ran up the canyon from Sunset Boulevard to the base of Lookout Mountain Road where a road house served visitors. Travel to the newly subdivided lots and cabins further up in the canyon was at first made on foot or by mule. As the roads were improved, access was possible by the new automobiles of the era
Around 1920, a local developer built a hotel at the summit of Lookout Mountain and Sunset Plaza roads. The Lookout Mountain Inn burned completely just a few years after it opened.
Among the famous places in Laurel Canyon are the log cabin house once-owned by silent film star Tom Mix that later became home to the Zappa clan, and another (directly across the street) that legendary magician Harry Houdini may or may not have lived in.
Laurel Canyon found itself a nexus of counterculture activity and attitudes in the 1960s, becoming famous as home to many of L.A.'s top rock musicians, such as Frank Zappa, The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, and Love. Joni Mitchell, living in the home in the Canyon that was immortalized in the song, "Our House", written by her then-lover, Graham Nash, would use the area and its denizens as inspiration for her third album, Ladies of the Canyon. The bohemian spirit from that time period endures to this day, and every year residents gather for a group photograph at the country market.
Laurel Canyon has been mentioned in many films and novels of Los Angeles, including Laurel Canyon written and directed by Lisa Cholodenko in 2002, and is the subject of a book by Michael Walker, Laurel Canyon: The Inside Story of Rock and Roll's Legendary Neighborhood, published by Faber and Faber in May 2006.
Laurel Canyon was also prominently featured in the 2003 film Wonderland, which chronicled the 1981 Wonderland Murders that occurred at 8763 Wonderland Avenue in the Canyon, and involved porn star John C. Holmes and reputed gangster Eddie Nash. The Wonderland Massacre has been described as one of the bloodiest mass murders in California history.
[edit] Literary references
The short story "—And He Built a Crooked House" by Robert Heinlein mentions an address on Lookout Mountain Ave. as the residence of the mad architect Quintus Teal. In real life, that address, #8775, was the residence of Mr. & Mrs. C. M. Kornbluth and later of Mr. & Mrs. Robert Heinlein. The story wasn't about Laurel Canyon or Lookout Mountain, but was a mathematical fantasy which was republished in 6xH (original title The Unpleasant Profession of Jonathan Hoag) and in the four volume collection Fantasia Mathematica, edited by Clifton Fadiman.
[edit] Famous residents
- Jennifer Aniston, early-mid 1990s
- Christina Applegate, present
- Mary Astor, Appain Way
- Lex Barker (Alexander Crichlow Barker, Jr), international Actor (Tarzan, German Karl May movies), Mulholland Drive, neighbour to Errol Flynn, end of 1940s
- Saul Bass, graphic designer
- Harry Bosch, present (fictional)
- Clara Bow, 1920s
- Vicki Blue, 1980s - 2003, producer/director, bass player for the The Runaways
- Louise Brooks, 1927-28
- Jerry Brown, 1970s.
- Eric Burdon, 1970s
- David Byrne, present
- Neve Campbell, 1996-2000
- Canned Heat, their house and rehearsal studio on Lookout Mountain Ave. next to Joni Mitchell's burned to the ground in 1969. A photo of their charred amplifiers was used for Steppenwolf's album At Your Birthday Party
- Leslie Caron, 1950s (lived on Ridpath Dr)
- Danny Carey, drummer for Tool, present
- Stephen Christian, present
- George Clooney, present
- Chuck Connors, 1950s (lived on Ridpath)
- Alice Cooper, 1971-1976
- David Crosby, 1960's
- Richard Day, art director, lived on Oakstone Way, 1920-1940
- Pamela Des Barres
- Henry Diltz, photographer, 1960s
- Denny Doherty, 1960s (also lived in the Mary Astor house on Appian Way)
- Micky Dolenz, 1960s
- Troy Donahue, early 1960s (lived on Ridpath)
- Rob Dyrdek, Pro Skateboarder, MTV2 star, present
- Eliza Dushku, present
- Jensen Ackles, Supernatural, present
- Cass Elliot, 1960s
- Geoff Emerick, present
- Will Ferrell, present
- Fabian, 1960s (lived on Ridpath)
- Kim Fowley, 1970's
- Errol Flynn, early to mid 1950s
- Abigail Folger and Wojciech Frykowski, 1968-1969
- John Frusciante, guitarist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, present
- Glenn Frey, 1970's
- Roman Gabriel, former quarterback of the Los Angeles Rams, lived on Skyline Drive, 1970s
- Esther Galil, present
- Jackson Browne, 1960s-70s
- Robert A. Heinlein, 1940s
- Katherine Helmond, present
- Jimi Hendrix, summer 1968
- Chris Hillman, 1960s
- Harry Houdini, 1919-1921
- Anthony Kiedis, 1990s-present
- Ed Kienholz, artist
- Carole King, 1970's-90's
- C. M. Kornbluth, 1940s
- Robby Krieger, 1960's-70's
- K.D. Lang, musician, present
- Leadbelly, lived in a guest house on Lookout Mountain Ave. which burned down, 1940's
- Timothy Leary, 1990's
- Arthur Lee, and his band Love, in the Béla Lugosi house on Blue Heights Rd, 1960s
- Sharmagne Leland-St. John, poet, concert performer, film-maker, author, lived on Prospect Drive 1965, Fareholm Drive '68-'70, Ridpath '71 and on 34 acres known as Lookout Mountain Park with Paul Rothchild, record producer until '74, has lived in her present home off Lookout Mountain since 1986.
- Martyn LeNoble, bassist for Porno For Pyros, Jane's Addiction, and The Cult
- Tom Leykis, syndicated radio talk show host, 1989-93
- Bessie Love, silent film actress, lived at 8227 Lookout Mountain Ave, reportedly haunted, 1920's
- Béla Lugosi, Blue Heights Rd
- Sue Lyon, 1960s (during first marriage, on Kirkwood)
- Marilyn Manson, 1997-2004 (residence is on Appian Way at the famed 'Mary Astor House', built in the 1920s as a 'Hills hideaway for actress Mary Astor, who used the home secretly for her romantic trysts with studio execs and other notables; Marilyn Manson wrote the entire Mechanical Animals album at this house, and much of it was recorded at 'The White Room'--Manson's home recording studio in his pool house)
- Ray Manzarek, 1970's
- Gardner McKay, actor, author
- Steve Martin, late 1960s
- Bob Masse, late 1960s
- John Mayall, 1969-1979 (see the 1968 blues album Blues from Laurel Canyon)
- Mark McGrath, singer, Sugar Ray, host of Extra, present
- Roger McGuinn, 1960's
- Jillian Michaels
- Joni Mitchell, 1960's- 1970s
- Robert Mitchum, 1940s-'60s
- Tom Mix, cowboy film star, 1920's
- Keith Moon, mid-1970s (Studio City side of Laurel Canyon)
- Tom Morello, guitarist for Rage Against The Machine and Audioslave, present
- Jim Morrison, lived behind the Canyon Country Store, late 1960s
- Mark Mothersbaugh, musician, composer, artist, founder of Devo, present
- Graham Nash, 1960's- 70's
- Buzz Osborne, singer, guitarist for The Melvins present
- Mackie Osborne, artist, present
- Gram Parsons, early-1970s
- Adam Pascal, present
- Iggy Pop, 1970s
- Irving Ravetch and Harriet Frank, Jr. 1960s - present
- Trent Reznor, 1995-1997
- Keith Richards, 1970s
- The Rolling Stones, 1970s (interestingly, The Rolling Stones occupied the same house mentioned above, the 'Mary Astor House' in which Marilyn Manson lives today; their film, Cocksucker Blues was filmed here
- Paul Rothchild, producer, The Doors, Crosby Stills & Nash 1960's-70's
- Rick Rubin, and his studio The Mansion where the Red Hot Chili Peppers recorded Blood Sugar Sex Magic, Stadium Arcadium and shot the film Funky Monks. Others who have recorded here include Johnny Cash, Slayer, Audioslave, Jay-Z, Linkin Park, System Of A Down, Maroon 5
- Meg Ryan, present
- John Saxon, 1960s-70s (lived on Jewett Dr.)
- Slash, guitarist for Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver, 1976-mid-'80s
- Matt Sorum drummer for The Cult, Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver 2006- present
- Dusty Springfield, 1970s
- Danny Sugerman, Author, No One Here Gets Out Alive and Wonderland Avenue, Manager of The Doors & Iggy Pop 1970s
- John Taylor bassist for Duran Duran , 1995-1998
- Lloyd Thaxton, 1960's
- Justin Timberlake, Present
- Ian Thorpe, present
- Peter Tork, mid 1960s
- Mark Volman, late 1960s
- Victoria Vetri, actress, ex-Playmate of the Year
- Orson Welles, lived on Greenvalley Road, late 1970s.
- Pete Wentz, present
- Brian Wilson, 1960s
- Chuck Wright, bassist Quiet Riot present
- Neil Young, late 1960s
- Frank Zappa, 1968-1993
- Zack Braff, present on Lookout Mountain Ave.
[edit] Deaths in Laurel Canyon
- Frank Zappa (d. 1993)
- Ramon Novarro (d. 1968)
- Wonderland Murders, the 1981 quadruple murder of the Wonderland Gang, the then-leaders of the LA cocaine trade.
[edit] Notes
- ^ "Laurel Canyon" (1 ed.). 1997. by Leonard Pitt and Dale Pitt, published by the University of California Press, Los Angeles.
[edit] Further reading
- Michael Walker, Laurel Canyon: The Inside Story of Rock ’n’ Roll’s Legendary Neighborhood, Farrar Straus and Giroux (16 May, 2006), hardcover, 277 pages, ISBN 0571-21149-6 trade paperback (May 1, 2007) ISBN 0865479666
- Baerney Hoskins, Hotel California: Singer-Songwriters and Cocaine Cowboys in the LA Canyons, 1967 - 1976, Harper Perennial (2006), Paperback, 316 pages, ISBN 0-00-717705-4
[edit] External links
- www.laurelcanyon.org website for the Laurel Canyon Association, which contains an extensive history edited by Rick Seireeni
- www.laurelcanyonthebook.com website for Laurel Canyon: The Inside Story of Rock and Roll’s Legendary Neighborhood, by Michael Walker, published by Faber & Faber/Farrar Straus and Giroux, 2006
- "Music and Mayhem in 'Laurel Canyon'", from NPR.org broadcast September 6, 2006
- "Musical Journey about life in Laurel Canyon " Songs by long time Laurel Canyon resident Skip Haynes (formerly of Aliotta Haynes Jeremiah) and producer Christian Neeser
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