Chet Powers
The enigmatic folk-rock voice behind Quicksilver Messenger Service who penned the era-defining peace anthem 'Get Together.'
1937–1994 (age 57)·American singer-songwriter·Birthday: October 7·The Silent Generation
Biography
Chet Powers was a shape-shifting figure in the 1960s San Francisco sound, a man of many names and a single, potent songwriting gift. Performing as Dino Valenti, he was the charismatic, sometimes controversial frontman for Quicksilver Messenger Service, his plaintive tenor soaring on psychedelic folk-rock staples like 'Fresh Air.' His influence, however, stretched far beyond the stage. Under the pseudonym Jesse Oris Farrow, he wrote 'Get Together,' a clarion call for brotherhood that became a generational anthem after The Youngbloods' recording. His career was a turbulent ride of brilliant creativity and personal struggles, including a prison stint that delayed his entry into Quicksilver. Powers embodied the hippie ideal's light and shadow, leaving behind a small but indelible catalog of songs that perfectly captured the hope and yearning of his time.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Chet was born in 1937, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Chet Was Born
The biggest hits of 1937
#1 Movie
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Best Picture
The Life of Emile Zola
Chet's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1937Born
Hindenburg disaster; Golden Gate Bridge opens
Gas: $0.20/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"A-Tisket, A-Tasket" — Ella FitzgeraldBest Picture: The Life of Emile Zola
1942Started school
Battle of Midway turns the tide in the Pacific
Gas: $0.20/galHome: $3,175Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"White Christmas" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Mrs. Miniver
1950Became a teenager
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1953Could drive
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1955Could vote
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat
Gas: $0.29/galHome: $9,550Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Rock Around the Clock" — Bill Haley & His CometsBest Picture: Marty
1958Turned 21
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1967Turned 30
Summer of Love in San Francisco; first Super Bowl
Gas: $0.33/galHome: $14,250Min wage: $1.40/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"To Sir, with Love" — LuluBest Picture: In the Heat of the Night
1977Turned 40
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 50
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
1994Died at 57
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
Key Achievements
- Wrote the peace anthem 'Get Together,' famously recorded by The Youngbloods and later used in countless films and campaigns.
- As Dino Valenti, was the lead singer and a primary songwriter for the influential San Francisco band Quicksilver Messenger Service.
- Penned and sang the Quicksilver hits 'Fresh Air' and 'What About Me?'
- His songwriting and vocal style became a defining element of the West Coast psychedelic folk-rock scene.
Did You Know?
He used at least three professional names: his birth name Chet Powers, the stage name Dino Valenti, and the songwriting pseudonym Jesse Oris Farrow.
He was briefly a member of The Byrds in their early formation, before they recorded.
Legal troubles and a prison sentence prevented him from joining Quicksilver Messenger Service at their inception.
“You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you might find you get what you need.”
