I had a lot of fun talking with Joy Ann on her Matured Musicians show. Here’s a link in case you missed it.
Naming the band
Let me start by saying that I didn’t name this band as a tribute to the cannabis culture. I knew that 420 had that connotation but I didn’t really care. I’ve always had a thing for birds and crows are a favorite. Although technically not blackbirds—they are black birds, and I liked the idea of invoking their mystique as part of the band image. So, stealing from a classic 1744 nursery rhyme, Sing a Song of Sixpence, the band became 4&20 Blackbirds. I didn’t give the weed reference much thought and proceeded to work on my logo. My then 14 year old daughter came in to see what I was working on and said, “isn’t 420 a marijuana reference?” I stared blankly at her and said, “how do you know that?” She rolled her eyes and replied, “Mom, everyone in middle school knows that.” (Sigh)