Robert James Tait was born in Evanston, Illi. on May 20, 1932. He died at his home in Ferndale on May 10, 2018.

Robert, or Curley as he was affectionately known in deference to that amazing head of hair, was the second son born to Robert and Doris Tait.

Curley started working at the famed Morton House restaurant in Chicago at 14 and before being drafted in 1952, he had worked his way up to day manager. Upon returning from his two years of service, he tried office work — specifically insurance. He hated it. He eventually went on to manage folk club Mother Blues in Old Town, Chicago, which he launched with old friend, Lorraine Blue. It was 1963 and the famous club booked such acts as George Carlin, Josh White, Chad Mitchell, John Denver, Oscar Brown, Jr., Jefferson Airplane and Spanky McFarlane (now of Ferndale) and Spanky and Our Gang, who he went on to manage.

“I used to book all of the talent, schedule waiters and bartenders and stuff like that,” he told the Times-Standard in 2011. “I remember George Carlin came in while he was working the (Chicago) Auto Show. He came in one afternoon and asked if we needed a comedian. He came back that night and did an audition, and he was great. He worked there several times, in fact we became pretty good friends.”

Curley and Spanky and Our Gang were eventually contacted by Mercury Records regarding a recording contract. He and the act moved to New York, living for a time, according to the Times-Standard, in the Chelsea Hotel when Janis Joplin and Leonard Cohen also were residents. Curley managed the band while it toured North America and Europe. Their song, “Sunday Will Never be the Same” went on to reach the ninth position on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 charts.

Curley married Maxine Sellers, who was also a talent. After divorce, Curley and his young son, Adam, moved and found themselves in Ferndale. According to a North Coast Journal article written by Kathy Major, some of the first residents he met were Jim and Penny Ferry (parents of Food Network star Guy Fieri). The Ferrys told Curley about the empty Victorian Inn. With the late Viola McBride offering to lease it to him for $300 a month, writes Major, Curley — complete with a huge afro and goatee — opened his first restaurant in Ferndale in 1970. The restaurant lasted about a year.

“We were ahead of our time, to say the least,” said Curley.

Curley eventually went on to manage and own several restaurants. He also raised and trained champion Arabian horses from his ranch on Centerville Road.

In 1995, Curley and the Ferrys opened Curley’s Grill in, what is now, Farmhouse on Main. After five years of success, Curley moved back to the Victorian Inn, opening Curley’s Bar and Grill. It closed in 2011 after the owners of the building opened their own VI Restaurant.

In 2001 after heart surgery, friends organized “Curleyfest.” Held at College of the Redwoods, the event attracted performers from all over — Chicago, Alaska, Florida. It was a party to end all parties.

Curley also taught Jazzercise from 1992 until he was 82 years old.

All this was done with love and devotion and a genuine kindness that was never lost on anyone. To know him was to love him.

Curley is survived by his only brother, Richard Tait and his wife Mary; nephews, Matthew Tait his wife Sarah, Patrick Tait and his wife Leslie; niece, Anne Tait and her husband Tony; son, Adam Tait, his wife Michelle Smith and their son, the apple of his Papa’s eye, Shane Robert Tait. He is also survived by many grandnieces and nephews — Shane’s beloved cousins. A celebration of a life well lived will be held Sunday, May 20 (Curley’s birthday) at Belotti Hall at the Humboldt County Fairgrounds at 2 p.m. Please bring your favorite Curley stories and perhaps a dish to share, if at all possible.

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The obituary above was submitted on behalf of Curley Tait’s family. The Lost Coast Outpost runs obituaries of Humboldt County residents at no charge. See guidelines here.