By Nels Johnson
Special to the Ross Valley Reporter
Rick M. Lavine of Sleepy Hollow, whose Objects of Pleasure store in Fairfax was among the oldest retail head shops in California, has joined the spirit in the sky.
Lavine, who had two strokes in recent years, and suffered from a failing memory, died in his sleep at home June 3. He was 76.
Lavine opened his psychedelic pipe, paraphernalia and poster shop on Bolinas Road nearly five decades ago. The shop, a cluttered throwback to the 1970s, was closed more often than it was open in recent years as Lavine held forth not far from the jukebox at a neighboring saloon.
He had an encyclopedic knowledge of early blues and rock music, and delighted acquaintances with the stories behind pioneer musicians and their songs. A guitarist and folk singer, he released a CD in 2001 called All Over the Map, and performed at the Fairfax Festival.
Lavine appeared in several concerts at 19 Broadway in Fairfax, once performing before his friend, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, took the stage. On another occasion, he joined Violet and Shana Morrison, Van Morrison’s mother and daughter, for an impromptu show.
Lavine was a familiar figure in downtown Fairfax, walking with a shuffling gait as he greeted friends and talked about music. “He spread his love for music to all around town,” said Candace Neal-Ricker, a bartender at Nave’s saloon. “He always played the best music on the jukebox,” noted Lew Tremaine, former Fairfax mayor. The walls of his Sleepy Hollow home were lined with hundreds of CDs and albums, added Leslie Russo of Woodacre.
Lavine was born in Allentown, Pa., the son of a dentist, and graduated from Allentown High School. He attended Ohio State before embarking on a cross country road trip, selling pipes and paraphernalia as a wholesale dealer. He lived in Fairfax for several years before opening Objects of Pleasure in 1976.
Lavine never married, but had a number of partners over the years, and fondly recalled his time with Honey Bruce, ex-wife of the comic Lenny Bruce. Lavine escorted her and an entourage of others to the gala opening of the film “Lenny” at the Fairfax Theater in 1974.
Survivors include a sister, Jessie, of Utah.
A celebration of life will be held in Fairfax at 3 p.m. July 29 at Mac’s at 19 Broadway.
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