Gypsy Boots

From Free net encyclopedia

Robert "Gypsy Boots" Bootzin (August 19, 1914 - August 8, 2004) was an American fitness pioneer. He is credited with laying the foundation for the acceptance by mainstream America of "alternative" lifestyles such as yoga and organic food.

Born in San Francisco as the son of Russian-Jewish immigrants, Bootzin had "dropped out" as early as 1933. He, along with 10-15 other "tribesmen," lived off the land, slept in caves and trees, and bathed in waterfalls. His philosophy of clean living, exercise, and healthy eating — as laid out in his books Barefeet and Good Things to Eat and The Gypsy in Me — gained him a cult following. His health food store - probably the first one of its kind in the world - was patronized by dozens of Hollywood celebrities in the early 1960s. He was a regular guest on US television talk shows in the 1960s. He released a record album, "Unpredictable" on Sidewalk Records in 1968.

"Boots" was an avid fan of the USC Trojans football team and the Los Angeles Dodgers. He regularly attended the games of both teams and was well known by other fans for his spirited cheers.

The 1948 Nat King Cole hit "Nature Boy" was written about Bootzin by fellow "tribesman" Eden Ahbez.

He died, reportedly at age 89, in Camarillo, California.

[edit]