Wavy Gravy

Hugh Nanton Romney Jr., known professionally as Wavy Gravy, was born on May 15, 1936, in East Greenbush, New York. His early life included growing up in Princeton, New Jersey, and West Hartford, Connecticut. After graduating from William Hall High School in 1954, he served in the United States Army as a sign painter, utilizing the G.I. Bill for his education. He then pursued theater, attending Boston University and the Neighborhood Playhouse in New York City. In 1958, he began reading poetry at The Gaslight Cafe in Greenwich Village, where he became the entertainment director and befriended notable musicians like Bob Dylan. His early career was managed by Lenny Bruce, who brought Romney to California in 1962, leading to a live recording of his comedy.

In the mid-1960s, Romney established the Hog Farm collective, an intentional community that evolved into an entertainment organization providing light shows for artists such as the Grateful Dead and Jimi Hendrix. This collective became notably involved with the Woodstock Festival in 1969, where Romney and the Hog Farm, under the name “Please Force,” were tasked with maintaining order. He famously stated his tools for order would be “Cream pies and seltzer bottles.” His role as master of ceremonies at Woodstock cemented his public persona. It was shortly after Woodstock, at the 1969 Texas International Pop Festival, that B.B. King gave him the name “Wavy Gravy,” which he legally adopted.

His career expanded to include co-founding the Phurst Church of Phun in the 1960s, using political theater to protest the Vietnam War, often adopting a clown persona. He has since performed as an official clown for the Grateful Dead and is also recognized for his collage art, which has been exhibited in galleries. Wavy Gravy co-founded the Seva Foundation in 1978, an international health organization dedicated to restoring sight, and Camp Winnarainbow, a circus and performing arts camp for youth. He campaigned as “Nobody for President” in 1976 and 1980.