A San Francisco reporter known more for his “People Behaving Badly” reports turned a chance encounter on the streets of East Oakland into a reunion of two men whose lives have taken very different paths. One man lives in a camper on the streets of Oakland and once played in a band called the original Santana Blues Band. The other is Carlos Santana.
KRON reporter Stanley Roberts said he was reporting on illegal dumping in East Oakland when he saw a man named Marcus Malone sorting through trash. After answering a few questions, Malone told Roberts he once played with Santana.
According to the story, the Bay Area guitar legend saw the report. But when his attempts to locate Malone failed, his manager called the station. Roberts found Malone and brought the pair together.
“It’s an honor to be in your presence,” said Santana after seeing Malone again. “I always cherish you, man. You and your family were so gracious to us.”
The story was also featured on CNN last weekend.
According to KRON, Santana intends to record some songs with his old band, with Malone back on percussion.