Classic rock bassist talks of his time with The Turtles, Frank Zappa… and the New York Jets

Exclusive video interview with FBPO’s Jon Liebman
November 13, 2023

Jim Pons is a bassist, singer and author. In the ‘60s, he founded The Leaves, a very successful band in California, after which he served as bass player for the Turtles, from 1967 to 1970. Jim also played with Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention, including that fateful night in Montreux, Switzerland, when, during the band’s performance, the entire venue burned to the ground, inspiring Deep Purple’s iconic “Smoke on the Water” hit. Following his successful music career, Jim worked his way up from an entry-level job with the New York Jets all the way up to becoming Video Director for the team. His award-winning autobiography is called Hard Core Love: Sex, Football and Rock and Roll in the Kingdom of God.

Watch our interview with Jim!

See Jon’s blog, with key takeaways from this interview here.