Gary "Chicken" Hirsh (March 9, 1940 – August 17, 2021) was an American drummer, best known for his work with the rock group Country Joe and the Fish. Hirsh was born in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, Illinois. In December 1966, he replaced John Francis Gunning, but left the band in 1969. He then opened an art supply shop called Abraxas in Oakland, later went to

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, before returning to

Berkeley Berkeley most often refers to: *Berkeley, California, a city in the United States **University of California, Berkeley, a public university in Berkeley, California * George Berkeley (1685–1753), Anglo-Irish philosopher Berkeley may also refer ...

. He is said to be the one who altered the FISH cheer at a concert at New York's

Central Park Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West Side, Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the List of New York City parks, fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban par ...

. He also played with the group

Blackburn & Snow Blackburn & Snow were a folk rock duo popular early in the mid-1960s San Francisco music scene in the United States. The duo consisted of guitarist-singer Jeff Blackburn and vocalist Sherry Snow. History Both Blackburn and Snow were involved in t ...

, and with the Cleanliness and Godliness Skiffle Band. In 1972 he played and recorded with Touchstone, with one of his paintings appearing on the inside of the album. He was latterly an artist, T-shirt manufacturer, and jazz musician living in Ashland, Oregon, and had reunited with the Country Joe Band. Hirsh was married to

Susan L. Solomon Susan Lynn Solomon (August 23, 1951 – September 8, 2022) was an American executive and lawyer. She was the chief executive officer and co-founder of the New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF). Early life Solomon was born in Brooklyn on Augu ...

in 1968 and they had a son, Tree Adams, and they later divorced. He went on to become a jazz drummer and painter. He married Terry Rhorer in 1975 and fathered two more children. He died in Ashland, Oregon, on August 17, 2021, at the age of 81.

References

External links

Chicken Hirsh's website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hirsh, Chicken 1940 births 2021 deaths Musicians from Ashland, Oregon American rock drummers Artists from Oregon Musicians from California Musicians from the San Francisco Bay Area Country Joe and the Fish members 20th-century American drummers American male drummers 20th-century American male musicians