I am and have always been, a certain quantity of earthen dust animated by miraculous life authored by God.
Born in Hollywood, California to two motion picture actors (Benson Fong/Maylia); educated at Gardner Street Elementary, Le Conte Junior High, Hollywood High School. Played in bands beginning at the Le Conte talent shows (surf), high school battle of the bands (Stones, Doors, Rhythm and Blues), local dances and Sunset Strip clubs (Original Rock). Almost signed to Dot records by Ray Ruff (deceased) head of A&R, but wasn't willing to take time to be developed. Ran away from home at 17 and changed my name to Oden. Lived on the streets (sidewalks, parks, roofs of buildings); lived in apartment buildings with serious drug addicts (mainlining meth and heroin with kits made of glass eye droppers, 26 1/2 needles fixed with rubber bands and a artificial grape for the squeezer). Although I did not participate in the needle use, I learned a great deal about that lifestyle. I escaped to Laguna Beach in 1968.
While playing guitar on Cress Street beach a flute player began playing with me. We played all night and then he invited me to meet his friends. We went to Woodland Drive in the Laguna Canyon where I was introduced to a family of people who were known as The Brotherhood Of Eternal Love. They religiously took LSD to raise their level of consciousness. They gave me a tiny little room in the back of a tiny little hut to stay in. I became good friends with Rosemary Leary, Dr. Timothy Leary's wife and worked with her for a while trying to get Timothy out of prison. Timothy later escaped and he and Rosemary took off to Africa. That's another story. During this time period, I played music with some really great musicians in some really out of the way places. One of these musicians was a silent man by the name of Pedro. He never spoke, so we thought he was very high. Later he became a devout Christian and began to talk (a little). What he did express, was something about Jesus the Christ. We had no argument with Jesus, but didn't like Christians. Not long afterwards, I had come to believe in Christ also and was hosting potluck dinners in my backyard with Christian musicians playing through a PA I had purchased from the Grateful Dead.
Pedro was in a band called Mustard Seed (later renamed Mustard Seed Faith accidentally by Chuck Smith our spiritual father). Mustard Seed was an acoustic trio. When one of the members (Danny Leist) left the band, I filled the spot playing guitar, flute and recorder. Wade Link (the other guitarist) left, and then there were two. Pedro and I had played together for years in the "world" now we were ministering the gospel through music. John Belles joined us on bass and Lewis McVay became our first drummer. We prided ourselves on our racial representation. Pedro (part African American) John (part Native American) myself (Chinese American) and Lewis our token white man, I mean Caucasian! John left the band and was replaced by Darrell Cook a perfect gentleman from Washington State. Lewis moved to playing guitar and Steve Berchtold took the drums.
We toured for a very long time, covering many thousands of miles, mostly driving. One year we logged 60,000 miles. We usually played about three-hundred to four-hundred concerts annually, often playing three different locations in one day;no green M&Ms and Five star hotels for this crew. We usually stayed in people's houses, sometimes in the ghettos of large cities. We ate whatever they would feed us. We sometimes had no food and fasted. We packed seven to nine people in a Plymouth Maxi-van and towed rented six foot by fifteen foot trailers (tandem wheels). It was not uncommon to drive ten or twenty hours between concert locations. How much did we make in $$$? We didn't charge anything but relied on the love offerings from the local churches. We lived humbly and very lean at times. But we had a part in leading hundreds of thousands of people to Christ in the years of our ministry.
As most bands do, we said good-bye to the band and went our separate ways musically. Pedro was pretty Jazz/Pop; Lewis was into Country Rock at the time; I was into Experimental Rock. All of us, everyone mentioned in the band, are still good friends. We don't see each other often, but we love one another like brothers.
Having been raised around some of the most celebrated and famous actors and musicians in the world, "who impresses me?" "Who do I look up to?" Those who are humble, broken and have the reflection of Christ in their faces and lives. When people shine with His light, it's because they have their hearts turned in His direction.
Like the moon has no light of it's own, but reflects the sunlight, so true believers shine with His light. Musical talent comes from Him and we should be fearful to glory in it. In the end, we must all return to the dust from which we came, but our souls/spirits will be forever in heavenly places with Christ Jesus.
You can write me directly at odenfong@aol.com
Poiema Christian Fellowship
Sunday Service 10AM
Huntington Beach Central Library Theater
7111 Talbert Avenue
Huntington Beach, CA. 92648
poiemaemail@aol.com
The Huntington Beach Central Library Theater is located in the lower level of the library building. The location is on Talbert, between Goldenwest and Gothard St. Talbert dead ends into the parking lot from either street.
MIDWEEK study on Wednesday nights at 7:PM Halecrest Park 3107 Killybrooke Lane
Costa Mesa, CA 92626.
Hope to see you!
