Vincent Flaherty
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Vince Flaherty is an American film producer, actor, songwriter, musician and recording artist. He started in show business as a child actor in "The Texan" starring Rory Calhoun, and in the recurring role of a schoolboy on "The Donna Reed Show". His roles have ranged from television episodes, to actor and producer of feature movies such as "A Gun, A Car, A Blonde", starring Billy Bob Thornton and John Ritter; and “Sin-Jin Smyth” starring Jonathan Davis, Richard Tyson, Don Stroud and Roddy Piper.
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[edit] Early Music Career
His first record sessions included Ernie Freeman, and the then unknown Daryl Dragon, Jimmy James and Charles Wright. Also unsigned at the time, was a band called Love consisting of Bryan MacLean (rhythm guitar), Johnny Echols (lead guitar) , Ken Forssi (bass) and Don Conka (drums). Flaherty sat in with the group at L. A. clubs called The Brave New World and Bito Lido’s, and the group minus their leader Arthur Lee, backed him up on several records. Meanwhile, Love attracted a huge following at Bito Lido's, and word of Vince's distinctive style of harmonica playing spread, enableing him to become booked on sessions with L.A. Rock and Blues artists, such as Etta James.
He is quoted as saying that he wrote several of the songs "Amoeba Flashes", "Yes It's True", "Mothchild", Dead From You", to exploit the raw style and live sound of the original Love line up, often referred to as the precursors of punk and garage rock. "Yes It's True", for instance, is a song that bears one similarity to Love's biggest hit "7 & 7 Is", that came out a year later, and may well have been part of the inspiration for it, in that like "7 & 7 Is", it becomes faster until it reaches an expolsive crescendo, and then starts off slow again.
Songwriter Sharon Sheeley, ("Somethin Else", "Poor Little Fool") was Vince’s girlfriend at the time. Rumor has it that he reminded her of her first fiancé, rocker Eddie Cochran who was killed in a car crash in London. Sheeley took Flaherty to London for an audition with The Playboys, after their front man Vince Taylor overdosed on LSD. The audition didn’t work out and The Playboys became The Bobbie Clarke Noise, named after their drummer, who was the first known rock drummer to use a double bass. Later, Bobbie Clarke came to America and replaced Love's drummer Don Conka, on Flaherty's recordings with Love.
Afterward, Flaherty took over the front man spot for a group called The Elves Themselves, and recorded a single called "The Certificate" that included Jimi Hendrix on guitar, Ken Forssi on bass and Bobbie Clarke on drums. Vince and The Elves also made a record entitled "Feel Allright" produced by Vic Diaz of the Matadors, purportedly for Lou Adler, the producer of Jan and Dean, and The Mamas and Papas. More recordings might have been available, but Clarke soon garnered the distinction of becoming the first UK rocker to be busted for pot and swiftly deported.
Subsequently, Flaherty was cast to star in a western movie and departed for Italy. The movie was never completed. Instead, Flaherty was rendered unconscious, fed intravenously, and kept asleep for a period of two months. The producers maintained the star had gone insane, and they collected a large sum from the completion bond company. Meanwhile, no one had heard anything from Flaherty. Sharon Sheeley found out where he was, and with the help of Gordon Waller, half of the singing duo Peter and Gordon, obtained custody papers from Gordon’s father, a prominent London physician. Together Sharon and Gordon traveled to the Villa Belvedere outside of Rome where Flaherty was being held and obtained his release. The bizarre circumstance left Flaherty a wreck and he was not able to record or effectively pursue a career for some time.
In 1969, Jimi Hendrix had a surprise lineup change for the last day of the concert at Devonshire Downs, and he utilized Flaherty to deliver and set up the equipment of Buddy Miles. That date marked end of the Jimi Hendrix Experience and the advent of Jimi’s new group with Buddy Miles and Billy Cox. It is believed that at the time no one, including the Experience’s Noel Redding and Mitch Mitchell realized that Hendrix was changing his band because he was given to spontaneously jamming with so many different players.
[edit] Producer and Actor
Years later, Vince Flaherty re-appeared as a producer and actor in over 100 feature films and television movies. Some of his credits include "Ladies Man", "The Fall Guy", "Blacke's Magic", "Masquerade", "Capitol", "Law of the Sea", "The Legend of Billy Blood", "Pendulum" and "Championship Polo".
[edit] Filmography
[edit] Filmography - producer
- Sin-Jin Smyth (2006) (executive producer)
- Genevieve (2003) (associate producer)
- A Day for the Birds (2002) (producer)
- Missing, The (2001) (executive producer)
- Double Fault (2000) (executive producer
- Wendell's Sweet Christmas (1999) (associate producer)
- A Gun, A Car, A Blonde (1998) (associate producer)
- El Regreso (1996) (executive producer) aka Return of Billy Blood, The (1996) (Mexico)
- Viva Billy Blood (1995) (executive producer) (Mexico)
- Scoring (1995) (associate producer)
- La Leyenda (1994) (producer) aka The Legend of Billy Blood (1994) (Mexico)
- Junkyard (1993) (associate producer)
- Championship Polo (1991) (TV) (executive producer)
- The Lost Mines of El Diablo (1988) (associate producer)
[edit] Filmography - actor
- Sin-Jin Smyth (2006) Troublemaker
- A Gun, A Car, A Blonde (1998)....Petrovich #1
- Regreso, El (1996)....Billy Blood ...aka The Return of Billy Blood (1996) (Mexico)
- Viva Billy Blood (1995)....Billy Blood (Mexico)
- Leyenda, La (1994)....Billy Blood ...aka The Legend of Billy Blood (1994) (Mexico)
- Judge, The (1989)(TV)....Richard Bauer
- Deadly Addiction (1988)....Rockhouse Leader
- Divorce Court (1987)(TV)....Billy Coe
- Divorce Court (1986)(TV)....Dr. Jim Franklin (1987)
- Black's Magic (1986) (TV)....Captain Ryder
- Webster (1983)(TV)....Chad (1987)
- Masquerade (1983)(TV)....U.S. Commercial Attaché
- Capitol (1982)(TV)....Bartender (1985)
- Fame (1982)(TV)....Mounted Policeman
- Moonlight (1982)(TV)....Young Stockbroker
- Charlie's Angels (1981)(TV)....Nick
- The Fall Guy (1981)(TV)....Stan Edwards
- Strike Force (1981)(TV)....Detective Jim O'Brien, episode “Death Faire”
- Fantasy (1981) (TV)....Audience Plant/French Voiceover
- Park Place (1981)(TV)....George Simmons
- Ladies Man (1980)(TV)....Lawrence Stallings
- Knots Landing (1979)(TV)....Harold Waite (1983)
- A Man Called Sloane (1979)(TV)....Mat (1980)
- BJ and the Bear (1979) (TV) ....Deputy Carter
- Baa Baa Black Sheep (1976)(TV)....Lieutenant Adams
- Little House on the Prairie (1974)(TV)....Jim (1981)
- Barnaby Jones (1973)(TV)....Cal Brannon (1985)
- The Young and the Restless (1973)(TV)....Norman Wells (1984)
- Marcus Welby, M.D. (1969)(TV)....Rick Summers (1974)
- One Life to Live (1968)(TV)....Bill Davis (1980)
- Pendulum (1968)....Street Tough
- Law of the Sea (1968)....Lieutenant Harrington
- The Donna Reed Show (1963-1964)(TV)....Mike, episode “Episode in A Flat”
- General Hospital (1963)(TV)....Dr. Steve Reynolds 1973
- The Texan (1958)(TV)....Child
[edit] Private Life
The role he says he prefers most is his current one as a husband, and father of two boys. He is a director of the Pacific Palisades Historical Society and member of the Pacific Palisades Community Council, credited with saving a sixteen acre wooded area in Pacific Palisades, known as The Ocean Woods, from a tract of 23 homes. He still performs with his band The Invincebles at venues in the Los Angeles area.
