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Guitarist, songwriter, vocalist Walter Egan has had a diverse and fruitful career. By the time he entered Georgetown University in the late-'60s, Egan and childhood pal John Zambetti already had a surf music single "Goin' to Malibu" and their band, the Malibooz, had played the 1964 New York World's Fair. While attending Georgetown, Egan and Zambetti formed a folk-rock band -- Sageworth and Drums - which became one of the most popular D.C. bands of the time. The musicians lived at Sageworth house - a brownstone on Wisconsin Avenue near Q Street, where at times they riled the neighbors while expressing themselves musically in the back yard - Egan holds the guitar on the far right, circa 1970.
Somehow, during five years of playing music and nightclubs, Zambetti and Egan completed their studies. Zambetti headed for medical school in New York eventually becoming a doctor. Egan moved to the West Coast after Sageworth's record deals fell through.
Walter Egan arrived in Los Angeles in the early-'70s as did another Washington songwriter and friend Emmylou Harris. Shortly after, Harris, with Gram Parsons, recorded Egan's song "Hearts on Fire" on the 1973 album "Grievous Angel."
While in L.A., Egan backed many artists - from Jackson Browne to David Lindley. In 1977, he released his first solo album, "Fundamental Roll," produced by Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. This 1977 photo commemorates the album's release party. A year later Egan's second album, "Not Shy," scored a Top Ten single with "Magnet and Steel." The song, which includes Nicks on backup vocals, can be heard on Walter Egan's MP3 band page.
In 1980, Walter Egan (left) and Dr. John Zambetti teamed up again for another ride with the Malibooz releasing "Malibooz Rules!" on Rhino Records - a single from the album appeared in the movie "California Girls." Other Malibooz tunes have found their way into movies such as "Theodore Rex" (featuring Whoopi Goldberg), "Plump Fiction" (featuring Sandra Bernhard) and MTV's "Malibu Beach House Beach Party." Rhino's 1996 best-of surf-music boxed set, "Cowabunga Surf," included Malibooz performing its 1965 single, "Goin' to Malibu."
"My Beloved Malibu" from the Malibooz's new album, "Beach Access," can be heard on its MP3 band page.
Now living in Nashville, Walter Egan is enjoying a resurgence of his past work and producing new music.
His Top Ten '70s hit "Magnet and Steel" appeared in the 1997 movie soundtrack of "Boogie Nights," and Matthew Sweet covered the song for the movie "Sabrina the Teenage Witch."
In 1999, Egan released a solo album, "Walternative," followed in 2000 by a release from his country-rock all-star combo the Brooklyn Cowboys titled, "Doin' Time on Planet Earth." That band includes Buddy Cage (New Riders of the Purple Sage) and Jeff "Stick" Davis (the Amazing Rhythm Aces).
"Apocalypso Now" is Egan's latest album. "Only Love Is Left Alive" from that release and "Magnet and Steel" can be heard on Walter Egan's MP3 band page.
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