Barry Melton
The counterculture guitarist who traded psychedelic riffs for a public defender's briefcase, fighting for the underdog both on and off stage.
Born 1947 (age 79)·American guitarist·Birthday: June 14·Baby Boomers
Biography
Barry 'The Fish' Melton provided the electric snarl to Country Joe and the Fish's anti-war anthems, his guitar slicing through the haze of the 1960s. On stages at Monterey and Woodstock, he helped define the sound of political psychedelia. But when the decade turned, Melton made a radical pivot that was itself a statement of principle. He went to law school. Since the early 1980s, he has maintained a parallel life as a criminal defense attorney in California, often representing society's marginalized. This dual identity isn't a contradiction but a continuation; the same impulse that fueled the protest music now drives his legal advocacy. Melton's story is one of enduring commitment, proving that the spirit of dissent can find expression in a courtroom just as powerfully as in a feedback-drenched solo.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Barry was born in 1947, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Barry Was Born
The biggest hits of 1947
#1 Movie
The Egg and I
Best Picture
Gentleman's Agreement
Barry's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1947Born
India gains independence; the Dead Sea Scrolls found
Gas: $0.23/galHome: $6,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Near You" — Francis CraigBest Picture: Gentleman's Agreement
1952Started school
Queen Elizabeth II ascends the throne
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,350Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Blue Tango" — Leroy AndersonBest Picture: The Greatest Show on Earth
1960Became a teenager
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1963Could drive
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1965Could vote
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1968Turned 21
Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy assassinated
Gas: $0.34/galHome: $14,950Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Hey Jude" — The BeatlesBest Picture: Oliver!
1977Turned 30
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1987Turned 40
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1997Turned 50
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2007Turned 60
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 70
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 79 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Co-founded the influential psychedelic rock and protest band Country Joe and the Fish, serving as its lead guitarist.
- Performed at landmark festivals including the Monterey Pop Festival and Woodstock, captured in iconic documentary films.
- Maintained a decades-long career as a criminal defense attorney, becoming a member of the State Bar of California.
- Appeared as an actor in the cult film 'Zachariah' and other counterculture cinema.
Did You Know?
His nickname 'The Fish' originated from a random suggestion during the band's formation.
He earned his Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Davis, School of Law.
He has balanced his legal practice with periodic musical reunions and performances.
He was part of the later band Dinosaurs, which featured veterans of the 1960s San Francisco scene.
“We were trying to make music that reflected the times we were living in.”
