A Young Carlos Santana (photo courtesy of @santanacarlos official Carlos Santana x.com account)
PEDRO IN “RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME”
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – Born on Bernal Heights in the Mission District of this famed “City by The Bay,” I took it for granted. But after closing my eyes in 34 other countries and countless American cities, no place comes close except maybe Cali, Colombia. Growing up, I was in a room with Bobby Kennedy 3 days before he was assassinated, talked with late actor Steve McQueen on set for the movie “Bullitt,” engaged Exercise icon Jack LaLane, and lived 2 blocks from subject of this offering, the musical Santana Brother’s, Carlos and Jorge!
LIVING 2 BLOCKS FROM CARLOS SANTANA’S MOM
The Santana family was rooted in the 100 block of Coleridge St. and both went to James Lick Jr. High School, where they met and took Music classes from Marshall Smith. Both brother’s credited Smith for their eventual success as Carlos was quoted as saying, “Mr. Smith might’ve believed in us before we did.” A little background: Carlos & Jorge’s mom lived across the street from our neighborhood playground, which was the Sports Center Bowling Alley parking lot.
PALACE STEAK HOUSE “BEFORE & AFTER” MUSICAL FAME
In 1969, a grumpy Persian immigrant named “Moe” opened the Palace Steak House on the corner of Army & Mission St., where my sister Denice and I would meet Mom after work to eat. The price for the 8-ounce New York Steak dinner was an unbelievable $1.59. So it’s Friday and Moe is “on a rant” because I want my Steak “Well Done”, and in walks Jorge Santana who says “Hello” before taking 10 steaks to go.
.WHY SANTANA’S MUSIC WAS “OLD TO ME BEFORE” IT WAS NEW?
While playing baseball or football in the Sports Center parking lot, we heard “Evil Ways, Black Magic Woman & Oye Como Va” 100 times, if not more as the Santana band practiced across Coleridge St. in Mom’s garage. To us kids, Santana’s music was aged by the time it was on the radio! One Santana scene, in particular, I’ll never forget from the early days was seeing defrocked percussionist, Chepito Areas, driving the band’s equipment around town “to and from gigs” in an old Black Hearse.
BOTH CHAMPIONSHIP WINS & LOSSES WITH MOE
Having had a slew of post-fight get togethers at The Palace Steak House, and even though we won far more fights than we lost, you could tell by the “energy” at the table whether or NOT we were celebrating or “thinking about WTF went wrong?”
CARLOS’ “CERTIFIED SUPERSTAR” & “JORGE IS STILL JORGE”
Thirty turns of the Roman Calendar later and Moe is still “giving me shit” over my “well done” steak and, as I look over, Jorge Santana is laughing at the exchange between me and the pushy Persian. Off to the side, Moe had a “Wall of Fame” with only 5 pictures on it: John & Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther King, the recently defrocked Farmworker’s Union leader Cesar Chavez, and Pedro. First, Moe had a boxing photo of me that was replaced by a KNBR radio publicity shot.
HOW COME “JORGE SANTANA AIN’T ON THE WALL” MOE?
Moe acknowledges in 1999 the fact that both Jorge and I have been his customers since 1969 and tells me, “Tell Jorge to bring me a picture.” So, I drop my food tray across from Jorge and we talk about things like Santana’s first hit “Evil Ways” playing on the radio, when I see Mama Santana leave Coleridge St. for the last time and head to Marin County in a white Limo, his band, MALO, and THEN his working alongside his famous brother Carlos on stage.
“HEY BRO, MOE WANTS A PICTURE PLEASE?”
After eating, I slid Jorge a joint and then said to him, “We’re both from the neighborhood. You are a world-renowned superstar musician. Moe would like to put up your picture up there, too!” Jorge’s response: “I am honored, but I want to be able to come in here without anybody knowing who I am, and get treated like everybody else.”
PEDRO’S RESPONSE?
I had NONE!
SUBSCRIBE TO PEDRO’S SUBSTACK PAGE FOR FREE!
I write on a wide range of Subjects. CUT & PASTE this link https://substack.com/@pedrofernandez393511
Pedro Fernandez
Note: Mr. Fernandez is a multi-award winning writer whose career in Journalism has taken him to 34 countries. He is also a former San Francisco Policeman who was Muhammad Ali’s “Executive Protection” & “Publicist” on some international junkets. Pedro also attained a National Ranking in amateur boxing and along the way snagged 4 Golden Gloves championships.
In addition, Pedro hosts “Ring Talk Worldwide” a syndicated radio talk show that has been on the air 41 years! Find Pedro on Facebook at RINGTALK