What happened to Licorice McKechnie? The mysterious disappearance of the counter-culture folk icon
Counter-culture icons of the 1960s weren’t known for leading conventional lives. Therefore, when a woman who graced the stage of Woodstock vanishes from the scene, it might be tempting to chalk up her disappearance as another free spirit following her own path. However, the story of Licorice McKechnie doesn’t fade away during the era of peace and love. Her last known whereabouts were in 1990 in the Arizona desert, but beyond that, her trail runs cold.
According to reports, McKechnie embarked on a journey during the ’60s from her native Edinburgh, Scotland, with intentions of marrying Scottish folk musician, Bert Jansch. However, the wedding plans never came to fruition, and instead, she became infatuated with Robin Williamson during her ongoing pursuit of love and adventure. While she was in young adulthood, her liaison with Williamson began after he had formed a new musical ensemble known as the Incredible String Band, which McKechnie promptly became a part of.
McKechnie’s initial involvement with the band commenced with her background vocals on the song ‘Painting Box’, which featured on the 1967 album The 5000 Spirits or the Layers of the Onion. Progressing through 1968, her role evolved, and she became an integral part of the group, often serving as a backing vocalist and percussionist. However, despite her ethereal vocals and contributions on the organ, the Incredible String Band, like many counterculture figures, they didn’t achieve lasting recognition.
Some of its members, including McKechnie, briefly dabbled in Scientology during a time when its reputation was different from today. However, even with critical acclaim and a new spiritual perspective, McKechnie parted ways with the band and Williamson in 1972. By 1974, the remaining members disbanded, marking the end of the creative venture.
At this point, the details surrounding McKechnie’s life and whereabouts begin to cease. Despite several online fans attempting to decipher where she is, and aside from accruing a number of hazy pieces to the puzzle, like marrying and divorcing a musician named Brian Lambert, it’s believed that she may have lived in a number of areas, including Los Angeles, Arizona, and Sacramento.
According to McKechnie’s sister, she last heard from her in 1990 when she was recovering from surgery in Sacramento. There are also many claims that McKechnie disappeared in the Arizona desert, but this has never been proven. Many also conspire that her disappearance was linked to her connections with Scientology or that she actually is no longer alive, a suspicion which became exacerbated after her fellow bandmates referred to her in the past tense. Fellow former Incredible String Band member Rose Simpson has also said: “There’s a possibility she may be dead.”
There are also claims that McKechnie’s family enlisted private investigators in their search, but their efforts proved futile. On the other hand, some argue her whereabouts were located after a basic online search in a small, unnamed American city. This mixed information ultimately points towards a less dramatic reality where McKechnie simply found contentment away from the spotlight, which, at this point, considering the often chaotic life of the ’60s music scene and its accompanying festivals, seems the more likely outcome.
