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Veteran musicians Annie and the Vets strike a chord for peace
by Steve Shih

Palo Alto Online
October 08, 2004

When Vietnam veteran George Johnson first heard the song "Touch A Name On the Wall" on Berkeley's KPFA, he pulled his car into a parking lot halfway through the first verse to hear the rest of the song.

"When I heard the name of the song I thought, 'Oh oh,'" he said of the Joel Mabus tune. "The whole wall thing raises a lot of things in me some good, some bad, some I don't know."

Later, when Johnson saw the husband-wife team of Phil and Anne Pflager perform at a local peace rally, he told them about the song and encouraged them to include it in their performances. Pflager, however, didn't think his tenor could do the job.

"I didn't have the voice and I didn't have the emotions that George had, and it turns out he could sing in key," said Phil, also a Vietnam veteran.

So nine months ago, the Pflagers invited the divorced veteran and self-described hippie into their home to record an album of protest songs.

Thanks to Pflager's experience as a radio technician in the Air Force -- and despite the sounds of construction going on next door -- the group put out its "Touch A Name On the Wall" album in July. It has since sold approximately 500 copies, with all proceeds being donated to Veterans for Peace.

Johnson, an Elton John fan, dubbed the newly formed trio Annie and the Vets. They have been performing at various peace rallies around the Bay Area, with the help of group manager and fellow veteran, Diane Rejman, an East Palo Alto resident.

The group hopes to not only raise money for the cause of peace, but also to promote dialogue on the war in Iraq, a controversial topic that many might otherwise avoid.

"In the '60s you had protest songs on the radio, and it provided an impetus for the peace movement and it gained strength as a result," Anne said.

While all three are champions of the peace movement, the group is also an interesting contrast of backgrounds. Johnson's life, like his tie-dyed shirts, has been colorful, to say the least.

"I went through all the things that a lot of Vietnam vets went through: divorce, drugs, booze, all that stuff. But I think in a lot of ways, having certain kinds of music -- like socially conscious music to listen to -- kept me from falling off the map," Johnson said.

The Pflagers married right after their high-school graduation and in appearance seem like quintessential Baby Boomers and empty nesters.

Even Pflager's veteran service was a little bit different, since he spent most of his time in Thailand while Johnson was stationed in the Gulf of Tonkin.

But the contrast in their background, like the differences in their voices, seem to suit the trio well. The Pflagers' smooth, high-backing vocals seem to suit the trio well. The Pflagers' smooth, high-backing vocals offer a nice balance of hope to Johnson's rough, sad voice.

"Singing with Phil and Anne keeps me from going crazy," Johnson said.

"I don't think I've worked with two people who were easier to work with and more encouraging."

Before Annie and the Vets, Johnson had never sung outside of the shower; his emotion-filled voice sounds like he gargles with gravel every morning. And Anne did not learn to play the guitar until after her daughters had left the home about 10 years ago.

"I was always looking for a creative outlet, but nothing clicked and music kind of clicked," she said.

Pflager grew up playing the four-string banjo and during his service had performed in several country bands, but said playing with his wife was one of the most thrilling moments in his musical career.

The Pflagers started taking classes together at Gryphon Stringed Instruments in Palo Alto and honed their act at the old St. Michael Alley's open mikes before making to the jump to larger venues, such as the Western Workers Labor Heritage Festival, as well as John Kerry fund raisers.

"I'm having too much fun," Johnson said. "But more importantly, it's another tool to use to get the message of peace and justice out there; music enhances our ability to get out the message.

Copyright © 2004 Embarcadero Publishing Company.

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