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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-02-25 03:28 by tatters.

Did 2 years for killing her husband -- sheesh!

Always liked "Theme from an Imaginary Western."

My heart stopped for a second, I thought I read Felix Aeppli

Well, now I know what happened to Felix, but I still don't know how she got away with a 2-year sentence.

why should a murderer have the right to have 3 cats murdered?....that flat out sucks

I always confused the names of Felix Pappalardi and Felix Cavaliere from the Rascals. I don't remember hearing about his death at the time, but it explains why he wasn't interviewed for the authorized 2005 Cream documentary.

Also, it doesn't make sense that the cats had to be killed. If she left instructions that the ashes of the cats were to be mixed with hers, why couldn't she have waited and let them live out their natural lifespans? It's not like she would be going anywhere--unless she also left instructions to have her ashes scattered.

Furthermore, she apparently knew that her cats were going to outlive her, so it seems those final instructions may have been part of a suicide note, unless she was terminally ill.

It's a pretty shady set of circumstances, considering that these events occurred 2 months ago.

I remember this album that Gail and Felix produced together at Bearsville studio.
I clasp my hands in prayer toward her soul.

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Rollin' Stoner
why should a murderer have the right to have 3 cats murdered?....that flat out sucks

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stonehearted

Also, it doesn't make sense that the cats had to be killed. If she left instructions that the ashes of the cats were to be mixed with hers, why couldn't she have waited and let them live out their natural lifespans? It's not like she would be going anywhere--unless she also left instructions to have her ashes scattered.

Furthermore, she apparently knew that her cats were going to outlive her, so it seems those final instructions may have been part of a suicide note, unless she was terminally ill.

It's a pretty shady set of circumstances, considering that these events occurred 2 months ago.

When I read about the cats I thought the same as you. They could be adopted by other people until their death, there was no need to kill them.

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Rollin' Stoner
why should a murderer have the right to have 3 cats murdered?....that flat out sucks

Amen! As someone now sharing my home with my fourth "secondhand" cat, I'm angry with her for giving the order, and that vet for carrying it out.

The tragic tale of Mountain bassist Felix Pappalardi, already one of the more bizarre stories in rock history, has taken what appears to be its last strange turn.

Pappalardi’s ex-wife Gail Collins, who infamously served two years of a four-year sentence for criminal negligence after killing Pappalardi with a gunshot to the neck in 1983, has been found dead in a Mexican village where she had apparently “lived as a recluse” while “undergoing experimental cancer treatments.” Collins’ exact time of death appears to be unknown, but according to the New York Daily News, she was discovered by her landlord on Dec. 6.

Although their marriage ended in violent tragedy, Pappalardi and Collins were once one of the more creatively successful marriages in rock. When he was producing Cream‘s ‘Disraeli Gears’ album and helping the band write new material for the record, she contributed lyrics to ‘Strange Brew.’ After Pappalardi joined Mountain, he and Collins continued to collaborate, co-writing a number of songs in addition to using her artwork for a pair of the band’s albums.

In later years, Pappalardi became known for his non-musical proclivities, which included the usual chemical experiments as well as an open marriage with Collins. Her jealousy of one particular mistress reportedly led to the argument that ended in his death, although Collins maintained that she’d shot Pappalardi accidentally while taking a firearms training session. The fact that it happened at 6:00AM didn’t dissuade jurors from handing in a surprising verdict, convicting her of criminally negligent homicide rather than murder.

The judge in the case seemed annoyed by the verdict, making a point of reminding jurors, “She called her attorney instead of calling for help — she was concerned with her own well-being,” and giving her the maximum sentence under the law. Paroled in 1985 after serving half of her four-year sentence, Collins disappeared from sight, but judging from the quotes given by her acquaintances to the New York Daily News, she remained just as provocative a personality after exiting the spotlight.

“She was one of the most brilliant people I have ever known, but she was also an opinionated jackass. She just needed to be the star,” said one woman described as Collins’ friend. Added her neighbor, “She left instructions for her cats to be euthanized so their ashes could be mixed with hers. Who does that?”
Collins, who had been going by her middle name, Delta, was 72 at the time of her passing.

Has Leslie West been reached for comment? He had some pointed zingers concerning Gail Collins in the Mountain oral autobio that he and Corky Laing did a few years ago.

In addition to writing lyrics and doing cover art, she also designed Felix's stage clothes, which caused lots of snickering by Leslie and Corky. "Never let your old lady dress you." Gail and Felix were supposedly fond of hard drugs and firearms, a bad combination.

Had knowen about Mountain and Felix's name since a kid. Never had heard how he died though or about his crazy bass player killer wife either. Interesting. Who knows what her life with him was though and he might have been an abusive @#$%& kinda like Brian? On the other hand maybe not?

Goodbye, little Robin-Marie

Artwork by Gail. Iconic, but not particularly great. You have to wonder how Leslie feels every time he's asked to sign it.





Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014-02-26 16:39 by tatters.