Marvin Kaminowitz

American guitarist, vocalist, percussionist and composer born in Brooklyn, New York, October 18, 1949.
He grew up in Brooklyn and started to play in a local band called "The Madabouts" together with Jay Dorfman. Finally, in 1967, Marvin, Jay and friends from other local bands decided to found a band called "Sweet Smoke of the Happy Plant Pipeful". The name was later shortened to Sweet Smoke, while in certain night clubs, they had to call themselves "The Ice Company", in order not to provoke the public. Dershin played guitar and percussion and was also vocalist in the band.
The band got a gig at the "Cafe Wha?" in Greenwich Village and after success, the chief of the bar booked them for half a year to tour through Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. After that tour, they didn't want to return to their parents, as 3 of the members quit school for the tour. So the band decided to leave the US and to settle over to Europe in 1968. Jay and Marvin were the last both and arrived in Europe in 1969.
The band headed to Amsterdam that year, but they were not allowed to enter the Netherlands. So they had to find a place to stay near the Dutch border in Germany, in a small town called "Emmerich".
They met sculpturer Waldemar Kuhn, who helped them to find a place and much more and who later became their band manager. They toured through Europe and recorded 3 albums. In 1972, they went to India and reunited in 1973 in Bavaria. They went for a live album in 1974, after which the band split.
Marvin studied music in Boston from 1974 to 1978 and started to play in business bands. He changed his name to Marvin Kane around 1984. In 1988, he started a second life as a stand-up comedian in Boston. Finally, in 1995, he became internet specialist, which led to founding of his own web design company Kaneworks, Inc.
Marvin died April 16, 2023 in Danvers, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA.