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Randy California, born on February 20, 1951, was a talented guitarist, singer, and songwriter, known as a founding member of the rock group Spirit, which formed in 1967. Born into a musical family in Los Angeles, he spent his early years immersed in various musical styles at the family's folk club, the Ash Grove. At the age of 15, he moved to New York City with his mother, Bernice Pearl, and stepfather, where he met Jimi Hendrix at Manny's Guitars and played in Hendrix's band, The Blue Flame. Hendrix gave him the stage name "Randy California" to differentiate him from another band member, Randy Palmer, who was dubbed "Randy Texas." Although Hendrix invited California to join him in England, his parents did not allow him to go, prioritizing his education. Together with Cassidy, songwriter/front-man, bassist, and keyboardist, California founded Spirit, releasing their self-titled debut album in January 1968, shortly before his 17th birthday. There has been controversy surrounding Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven," as it has been suggested that they borrowed from California's guitar part in "Taurus," which was released two years earlier. California himself noted this connection in the liner notes for the reissue of Spirit's first album in 1996, recalling that Led Zeppelin had played "Fresh Garbage," another song from the same album, during their live sets.

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