An unforgettable interview

Visiting Santa Barbara, California, a pleasant university town north of Los Angeles. I meet singer John Kay, who became world famous for the biker anthem “Born to Be Wild.”

In the studio basement, the fierce rock rebel takes off his sunglasses. “My eyes are very sensitive to light, ever since I was a child in Hanover. That’s why I always wear sunglasses,” he explains to me. “I’ve never been able to ride a motorcycle. It’s the irony of my life that I made my breakthrough with the Easy Rider theme song.”

John Kay’s real name is Joachim Fritz Krauledat and he grew up in Hanover. “In the Hanover circus, I always sat in the last row as a little boy. But I couldn’t see anything because of my poor eyesight. Well, almost nothing. Just always those damn elephants,” he remembers and laughs. Elephants became his favorite animals.

We talk about his rise as a young musician, his arrogance, his LSD consumption. About his decline when the band broke up. And about his search for meaning in the years that followed. “I love the wildness of Africa,” Kay says. “When I was in the Serengeti, I saw Michael Grzimek’s monument*. It says: ‘He gave all he possessed including his life for the wild animals of Africa’.” Suddenly, Kay’s voice falters. His lips quiver. He cannot continue without tears flowing. Silence. Finally, he continues in a brittle voice. “These are true heroes. I’m ashamed that I didn’t start working for a good cause sooner.”

Elephants, LSD, Hanover – and a rock star on the verge of tears. I’ll never forget this interview in California.

*Grzimek, 1934–1959, a German conservationist and filmmaker, died in a plane crash while filming the documentary Serengeti Shall Not Die. The film won an Oscar in 1960.