Local music community mourns Lane Tietgen

Gifted with formidable musical skills, a disarming intellect and a great head of hair, Lane Tietgen was an impressive individual. A longtime Sonoma resident, Tietgen passed away on July 7, having lost his battle with esophageal cancer. When he left “his Earthly gig,” he was in his little trailer in the Sebastopol countryside surrounded by a small group of friends and family. All of them, and many more, will miss his strong but quiet soul. He was 74 years old.

Tietgen was born in Topeka, Kansas and raised in Wichita. As a young rocker, he formed a band called the Serfs and became a well-known guitarist and songwriter there. The band was a mainstay in the clubs of the Jayhawk State, and some of his songs became well known inside its borders.

Here in Sonoma, music lovers knew Tietgen as great singing guitar player in several local bands. His songwriting successes were known only to his close friends. His modesty kept that information close.

Tietgen had two songs recorded by Manfred Mann’s Earth Band; “Martha’s Madman” and “Captain Bobby Stout.” “Captain” appeared on their 1972 album “Manfred Mann’s Earth Band,” while “Martha’s Madman” was included in their 1998 album, “Mann Alive.”

Dave Mason included Tietgen’s song, “It Can’t Make a Difference to Me,” on his 1974 album, “Dave Mason.” On the track, Tietgen’s old bandmate from the Serfs, Mike Finnegan, played organ.

John Mellencamp selected Tietgen’s “Early Bird Café” as cut 10 for his 2017 album “Sad Clowns and Hillbillies.”

Another major album inclusion that Tietgen was proud of was Ringo Starr performing his “Red and Black Blues” as one of the tracks on Starr’s “Stop and Smell the Roses” in 1981. That cut was produced by Stephen Stills.

One of Tietgen’s claim-to-fame stories took place in 1968 and concerns organ player Finnegan from the Serfs, who was hired to play on two songs that were to be included in Jimi Hendrix’s “Electric Ladyland” album. Though his considerable guitar talent was not tapped, Tietgen was able to be in the studio during the recording process. What a thrill it was for the young Tietgen to witness the virtuoso Hendrix in the studio.

In 2009, Tietgen and the Serfs were inducted into the Kansas Music Hall of Fame. Tietgen was given special recognition as the songwriter for the band. That same year, he released an album called “Wheels of Fortune.” On that record, he played accordion, bass, guitar, harmonica, mandolin, organ, slide guitar, trombone, vocals… everything but the drums. He even wrote the horn arrangements and wrote all the songs.

Tietgen moved to California and lived in Sausalito in the mid-1970s. He married Wendy Westerbeke, and the couple moved to Sonoma in 1979.

Westerbeke and Tietgen split just a few years later. “We remained good friends,” Westerbeke said. “Lane was so very talented, so handsome, and so attuned to his audience. He was always playing music.”

While living in the Valley, he played in a few bands, one called the Pick and one called Murphy’s Garage. The Pick was a rockin’ force in the late 1970s and had Richard Niece, Kevin Wells, Dave Westerbeke (Tietgen’s brother-in-law) and Tietgen as members. Murphy’s Garage followed and featured Kerry Daly, Cliff Zyskowski and Johnn Murphy.

Johnn Murphy played in the Sonoma area behind Tietgen for “five or six years in our band, Murphy’s Garage. We played the circuit, you know, Marioni’s, Steiners, Valley of the Moon Saloon.” Murphy added, “Lane was a real good guitar player, and a very good singer. Kinda had a ‘twangy’ voice.”

While music was the outlet for his soul, Tietgen was actively employed for many years capitalizing on his strong interpersonal and management skills. He was integral in the success of building the Westerbeke Ranch business. Tietgen was a ropes course designer and operator at a location in Lake County. He also spent time as the Spa Coordinator at the Sonoma Mission Inn.

Always concerned with fitness and health, Tietgen was very conscientious of his diet, and was an active and chatty member of the Parkpoint Health Club.

Along about 1998, at a party at Westerbeke Ranch held under a full moon, Tietgen met Miriam Volat. They fell in love and were together until the end. Westerbeke remarked, “Miriam was the love of Lane’s life.”

Despite his illness, Tietgen kept playing until very recently. He appeared last summer at Tips Roadside in Kenwood and was the featured vocalist at a Live Band Karaoke show at Starling Bar last July. John Arntz, leader of the Live Band Karaoke night, commented, “I remember him doing a Barry Gibb song called ‛To Love Somebody,’ but he wanted to do it with an Otis Redding feel. I then saw his deep understanding of American music and to take a song and personalize it to fit his style.“

His last public performance was just a few months ago at the Monday at Murphy’s event.

Scott Hales was a longtime friend and fan of Tietgen’s who saw many a show of his over the years. Hales wrote, “He gave our young eyes a glimpse behind the curtain. He made what he saw into a rhyme, gave it a pulse, and created a magical background of music that will live into the lives of our children and their children.”

Ever the clever wordsmith, Tietgen fronted a jazz trio in recent years that played at Barley and Hops in Occidental. Tietgen called the band the “Occidental Tourists.” Hales commented, “When they played at Hops and Barley, a tiny local bar, they were lovingly supported by local regulars.”

That would seem to be the curious case with Tietgen. He was a tremendously talented musician who was content to work his magic to small crowds. As Wendy Westerbeke said, “Lane was the kind of person who might become more well-known after he dies than while he was alive.”

Tietgen is survived by his partner of many years, Miriam Volat and their daughter Cora. Private services will be held, and a public celebration is planned.