By Chris Rockwell

I unexpectedly met Reggae artist, Junior Toots (also known as “Crown of Fire”) a few years back while I was camping and diving for abalone near Mendocino with my brother-in-law, Butch. We made the trip to dive Navarro Beach, actually a rock outcropping just north of the beach that requires wading across a swift moving river and crawling through a wave battered rock tunnel to reach it. There are old pictures of my mom and dad in dive suits carrying me across this same river on their shoulders when I was just a baby. When I was nineteen I witnessed two great white sharks attack and kill a sea lion, as we were diving nearby! Navarro is legendary to me. And that’s why I instinctively return every year, like salmon swimming from the vast Pacific Ocean to the mountain streams where their lives began.

(I first met Junior Toots at the Caspar Inn – this shot was taken back in the late 1960’s)

After a day of tripping on the underwater world we decided to slowly cruise the back roads along Highway 1 to explore some uncharted territory as the sun was hanging low. We had the windows down listening to “The Slider” album from Marc Bolen (T Rex), while the smells of the clean ocean air and eucalyptus trees were taking me back to my endless summer memories of camping and diving on the coast with Beck and our families. It was one of those perfect north coast days from a Renoir painting, created by the ocean mist in the air dancing with the sunlight. It was dreamlike.
So, I wasn’t surprised when we stumbled upon this little saloon overlooking the Pacific Ocean called the Caspar Inn, a historic roadhouse that has been serving drinks and great live music since 1906, back when Caspar was a booming logging town (I’ve been told it also served as a brothel). Legendary rock critic Joel Selvin coined the phrase “Caspar Inn, where rock and roll meets the sea”.

The place looked deserted but we decided to stop in for a drink and chill on the porch to watch the sun set. Before we knew it we were surrounded by a friendly group of north coast gypsies that had just climbed out of an old rusted out VW Van (my parents used to have one just like it, minus the rust). I finally asked one of the dread locked locals lighting up next to me what was going on. He said, “Bro… Junior Toots is bringing the Rasta vibes to the Caspar Inn tonight!” I said, naively, “Junior Toots?” And before I could make the connection he and his buddies smiled at me and explained, “Junior Toots, son of Toots and the Maytals! You know, Marley, Tosh, Cliff…Toots!” I felt like I had just failed reggae 101 and disappointed the dread locked Rasta master. Even worse, I didn’t own a Toots and the Maytals album, although I was very familiar with their countless hit songs. And I’ve always been into Sublime’s version of, “54-46”. I discovered later how influential Toots and the Maytals really were to Reggae music. They are even recognized for coining the phrase “Reggae”.

With the news of a live Reggae show, Butch and I looked at each other with big smiles and knew that we were in the right spot for a classic ending to a amazing day. Junior Toots put on a show that filled the intimate setting with inspiring and soulful energy late into the night. During one of their breaks I sparked up a conversation with one of the young band members. After the show he found me hanging outside on the front porch and told me Junior Toots wanted to meet. So, he led me up a steep and narrow stair case that disappeared into darkness. Suddenly we pierced the light of the doorway and I felt like the comedian/actor Chris Farley in the movie “Black Sheep” (when he accidentally walks into the dressing room of a reggae band that’s staring back at him with cautious curiosity.)

The smoke filled room became drenched with warm Caribbean smiles and laughter as they welcomed me into their world. Junior Toots was sitting on his bed relaxing from his inspiring performance, discussing politics and world affairs with his guitar player, a distinguished looking man with graying dread locks and a deep knowledge of music and world history. Junior shifted his focus and he began telling me a memorable story of growing up in Jamaica and playing around in the recording studio while his dad was recording with Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Jimmy Cliff. It was impossible to conceal my adulation upon hearing that story. I felt like a little kid on Christmas morning. I was keenly aware that I was experiencing a historic night in my musical journey. As we said our goodbyes Junior and I agreed that someday we would unite our musical visions into a King Duce project.

Three years later…
Beiron and I are driving to L.A. with Mike and Stew, two new King Duce soldiers who were down to get us there in classic road trip fashion (Thanks guys!). We met up with Junior Toots and his manager Amanda for our photo shoot, as well as discuss plans for an upcoming show that we’ll be filming soon at the Caspar Inn! I also wanted to get Junior’s blessing on the first Reggae inspired King Duce Rasta Hat that we’ll be introducing this summer. (Register for concert and hat & apparel release alerts!) After the photo shoot, they invited us back to Amanda’s place for an amazing evening of great music, food (Junior can cook!!), and hanging outside on the patio late into the night lounging, laughing and getting to know each other. As we drove back home along the moon lit “Grapevine” (I-5 – Ridge Route), I kept replaying the journey that Junior Toots and I traveled to get to our first unexpected encounter. And here we were, three years later, beginning a collaboration we set out to make happen that night at the Caspar Inn. This definitely qualifies as another King Duce experience that makes me pause, smile and realize that good energy attracts good energy.

Duce Up!!