He Didn’t Want to Be the Frontman
Together with bassist David Brown, vocalist and organist Gregg Rolie (who played with Journey, too), drummer Rod Harper and rhythm guitarist Tom Frazer, Santana formed the Santana Blues Band. But, according to Rolling Stone, Santana was uneasy about being the group’s frontman, but the problem was that the local musicians’ union required every band to have a leader.
Carlos Santana, Jose Areas, Mike Carabello, David Brown, Gregg Rolie, and Mike Shrieve. Photo by BMI / Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images
And so, he was thrust into the spotlight, and the band eventually just called themselves Santana. They made their stage debut in 1968 at San Francisco’s The Fillmore to a standing ovation. After that kind of reception, they were invited to the Woodstock stage a year later, which only boosted their popularity even further. Soon enough, they were signed to Columbia Records and the rest is history.