Wavy Gravy celebrated his 74th birthday in Vancouver on May 15. Wavy came to Vancouver on a two-day visit with his wife Jahanara and Michelle Esrick, director of Saint Misbehavin’: The Wavy Gravy Movie.
Wavy Gravy, one of Seva's founders, was in Vancouver for the special screening of the documentary about him, Saint Misbehavin' -- the closing film at this year's DOXA Documentary Film Festival.
Described as “the illegitimate son of Harpo Marx and Mother Theresa, conceived one starry night on a spiritual whoopie cushion,” Wavy began life as Hugh Romney, a beat poet who played in the same coffee houses as Bob Dylan. Christened Wavy Gravy by none other than blues legend B.B. King, Wavy’s adventures included traveling around with Ken Kesey’s Merry Pranksters in the infamous psychedelic bus. He was truly immortalized when he took to the stage of the Woodstock Festival and promised 400,000 people “breakfast in bed.”
At the screening in Vancouver, the 600-person audience burst into a spontaneous and exuberant version of Happy Birthday, followed by loud applause. Clearly everyone was thrilled that Wavy Gravy and Jahanara were there and the screening was followed by a length Q&A session.
Here's a photo of Seva board member, Dr. Martin Spencer, and Seva staff Paula Ford presenting Wavy Gravy with a Coast Salish talking stick as a birthday present from Seva Canada.