Barbwire by Barbano: Hipp's hippies remember Travus T. Hipp, 1937-2012

Travus' Bay Area fans named themselves hippies
The appellation caught on and the phenomenon abides to this very day as they remember the mahatma
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I'm amazed it's been over a year since I sought out Travus' commentary on KPIG. Today of all days I decided to catch up and learned of his passing one year ago today. Dang.

I appreciate your biographical info. I listened to him from a remote ranch in central NV. Now I am intrigued with learning more of his lady, Lynne Hughes.

Do you have her biographical details? I know she died March 17, 1993 and came from the SF music scene of the 60s. I adored Travus, one of my most memorable characters, sorry I won't be hearing his take on current events. Forever change... ~ Susan Price Haas, Las Vegas NV

Tue, 29 May 2012 13:44:17

I had the privilege of working with Travus for about three years at KSML. His Sunday talk radio show followed my local Lake Tahoe/Truckee news show, which was titled "Face the Basin." He would pull in from doing a show in Sacramento, fire up a joint that would have dropped a lesser man to his knees, remove that ever-present cowboy hat, put on the headphones and for an hour of call-in talk, proceed to take on the fools of our time. I remember his taking me out behind the station to fire off his black-powder pistol just because it was something I had never done. I remember him as a kind man and a loyal friend. In later years, after I moved away from both the mountains and broadcasting, I would hear him on KPIG and take a small measure of personal pride in having worked with him. Sometimes during his morning commentary I would hear the dogs barking in the background and that would make me smile. My deepest sympathy to Sean and the rest of Chan's family. — Tom McKoy

I worked with Travus at KTIM in San Rafael in the late 70's. He ad libbed the news! Never read a script. I was always in awe of him. He was very sweet with me as a budding, new broadcaster.— Belle Starr (via Capitola/Soquel Patch website)

Thanks Andy, this brings back so many memories. Travus was good to Bob. He had him on fairly regularly during sessions. — Nancy Price, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate, former university regent and wife of 28-year former Assemblyman Bob Price, D-North Las Vegas/IBEW Local 357/AFL-CIO.

I also enjoyed many visits to the Comstock. Friends like Travus, Graham, “JR”, Buzz, “Library Mary” and so many others that staked their claim as the Comstock’s remarkable citizenry. I recall with pleasure so many friends, so many good-times and so many fascinating people.—James P. Hawke

Andy:

I really enjoyed reading your obit on Chan. It had stuff in it I had long since forgotten or never knew in the first place. You mentioned in passing “the late Ken Mendenhall.” He was a wonderful man and the GM of KOH at the time Travus came around. It was he who got McClatchy corporate to agree to Travus’ hire, which was no small feat at the time. Ken and Travus hit it off right away (Chan was enormously personable when he wanted to be), which helped when the many daily flaps arose. I also didn’t know Ron Ostlund was indicted for embezzlement in Fresno, but it doesn’t surprise me a bit. The last I heard he had a pool business in Phoenix.

Explaining his name: “’Travus’ is a contraction for “travel U.S.,” ‘T’ makes it a pun and it’s ‘Hipp,’ because hey, I am.”

Those are Travus' very words when callers would ask about the origin of the name. I remember it well. And the "hey, because I am" part at the
end must be intoned.

Best,

EJ2E (Ed Towey, long ago self-exiled into the Florida Everglades to seek enlightenment from all God's sweaty critters)

Both you and Travus inspired me to raise hell!!!! Both of you taught me that the 1st amendment is awesome!!! Thank you Travus for everything you did. Maybe you can wage a peaceful, non violent heavenly coup, where you and Timothy Leary can provide a divine intervention in our presidential election to actually bring us an exciting form of democracy!

Editor's Note: "Little Earl," now all grown up and a bonafide hellraiser in his own right, was the biggest little fan of the Barbwire and Rawhide Reality Review about a quarter century ago. Our critics' fears have proven true: We indeed did twist young minds. Be well. Raise hell.

Hi Andrew. I am out of town Saturday or I'd be in Silver City with everyone else whose life was touched by Travus. Thanks so much for pulling together some remembrances of him.

Travus made a big impact on my political consciousness. I was a college Republican and when I'd come home on break, my mom would be listening to Travus, who was usually blaring against Ronald Reagan. I think he started getting through to me when he used his travel experience, uncanny command of history, and his sense of humor to make a point. And he was never above self deprecation, often quipping things like: "I may be wrong, but I'm never uncertain."

In that eons-ago Summer of '82 or '83, Travus helped produce a summer-long series of great music at the Ice House Saloon, and I didn't miss one concert. He introduced the performers, and it always impressed me that he actually knew Joe Brown, Dave Van Ronk, Jesse Colin Young and other legends who played there. I was even more amazed that Travus knew who I was when I introduced myself to him — he recognized my voice as a caller to his program.

In the Summer of 1985, some of us took over a Navy bombing range to protest unlawful military activities in Nevada. Travus was the first person in the media to give us any coverage or credence. He talked about our encampment (which the New York Times and McNeil-Lehrer News Hour later covered) almost daily. I had a blast talking with him on the radio; he actually helped us plan our strategy on the air.

When we shut down the bombing range, he asked "What is your list of demands?" Hell, we didn't have any but he got us thinking!

I last talked to Travus about 10 years ago at the memorial of a mutual friend in Silver City. We had a nice conversation and lamented the changes our state was going through. He was a true Nevada character whose fiercely independent and quirky spirit symbolizes the best of the state he chose to call home.

Bob Fulkerson
State Director
Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada
821 Riverside Drive
Reno, Nevada 89503
(775) 348-7557

I am sorry to hear he passed. He was one of the smartest people I have encountered, pothead or not. If he could have somehow gotten on a big time radio talk show network, I believe he would be nationally famed. — "Clark Kent," reporter at a major Nevada metropolitan newspaper

Have loved hearing Travus from just west of Chicago via @KPIG stream for 16 years or so now. Will miss his on point commentary with the background dog(s) barking and trains going through very much. Thanks for the memories and pointers, everyone! — Jerome Hughes (via Capitola/Soquel Patch website)

5-22-2012

In the mid-70’s I was fortunate enough to meet Travus upstairs at the Elks Temple KZAP studios in Sacto as he was starting one of his Rawhide Reality Review shows. He knocked my socks off with his wild-west character and intelligent insight. I always appreciated his “no bullshit” news and a perspective that educated his listeners.

I happened to be in the right place at the right time during those early KZAP music daze with exposure to people that forever changed my life. Travus’ underground news regarding Vietnam and our nation’s political might helped shape the activist in me today. “Sometimes I wonder, other times I’m sure” we’re screwed.

By 1978 I moved to Santa Cruz; imagine my surprise when a few years later Travus began broadcasting live on KFAT then KPIG with his daily commentaries. It’s been some 37 years that Travus has been in my ear and I feel the loss of an old dependable friend. He’s hugely missed in Santa Cruz for his years of dedicated service of delivering “all the news we never knew we needed to know”. He was a real American Rebel and we were blessed by his voice of reason. RIP Chandler Laughlin, you broke the mold.

Pamela Morgan
Santa Cruz, CA

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