Root Boy Slim
Root Boy Slim (July 9, 1944 – June 8, 1993) was the stage name assumed by American musician,
Foster MacKenzie III. Born in Asheville, North Carolina, he was raised in suburban Maryland, a few minutes from D.C. after his family relocated there. An exceptionally bright child, with parents able to afford a series of costly prep schools, upon graduation, MacKenzie attended Yale University on a scholarship, but returned to Maryland upon receiving his Bachelor's degree. Once back in Maryland, he formed his own alternative rock band, including some young but talented musicians including tenor saxophonist, Ron Holloway, and an ensemble titled Crying Out Loud. Mackenzie's act was from that time billed as
Root Boy Slim and the Sex Change Band, and found a dedicated fan base, although it remained confined to the Washington, D.C. area.
Background
MacKenzie was an intelligent yet incorrigible youth, who was asked to leave several private D.C.-area prep schools, including the Sidwell Friends School. He finally found his niche at Saint James School in Hagerstown, Maryland, a boarding school, where along with his studies, he played varsity football. He was accepted and attended Yale University on a scholarship, majoring in African American studies, and graduated in 1967. He was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity, where his fraternity brothers included future President George W. Bush. MacKenzie was a year older than Bush.
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Sex Change Band
Mackenzie adopted the stage name of Root Boy Slim, and formed a blues rock band, which he dubbed "Root Boy Slim and the Sex Change Band." His backup singers were called the Rootettes. The band members were stridently different than most club fare. Root Boy was fat, had greasy hair, and almost always seemed to be in a drug- or alcohol-induced stupor. The band was a fixture in the mid-Atlantic Blues/Rock scene, and favored a mix of Memphis-style boogie rock/blues.
Root Boy and company traveled the club circuit, until a self-produced recording caught the ear of some A&R representatives at Warner Bros. Records. That song was called "Christmas At Kmart" and it landed the band a $250,000 contract with Warner Bros. That tune and the follow-up LP demonstrated Root and the band's penchant for writing tunes relating to pop-culture.
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