Rock On

In 1969, Kenn Ellner ’71, J.D. ’74 aspired to become a lawyer. But, like many young people, he had multiple callings. A few years prior, his psychedelic rock band, Count Five, skyrocketed to fame with the song “Pyschotic Reaction.” After his touring days, Ellner stayed in the music scene and started practicing law. He thrived in both worlds—running a concert booking agency, managing up-and-coming artists, and returning to Santa Clara to teach an entertainment law class for a decade.

In the late ’60s, it wasn’t typical to see a Santa Clara student with long hair and hippie attire, but that’s exactly how Ellner describes himself. Just a few years before arriving on campus, he was touring the country as lead singer of Count Five, a San Jose garage rock band. Their hit song “Psychotic Reaction” was released the day of Ellner’s high school graduation. What started as a harmonica riff became a top five Billboard hit, later included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list.

“There were a lot of new things going on in that song and it spoke to a generation at the time,” Ellner says. “It was the beginning of psychedelic music, and we were just a little bit ahead of it.”

As a student, Ellner also ran a talent agency, booking gigs for countless bands, including emerging artists like Chicago and Ray Charles. After starting his legal career in the record business, he transitioned to practicing real estate law. In 1980, he returned to SCU, where he founded and taught an entertainment law course for a decade. He credits SCU Law School—specifically professor and Dean of Students George A. Strong—for helping him develop his teaching style.

Ellner, who says the band “turned out to be a lot more impactful than we ever thought,” has long been a key figure in the Bay Area music scene. This past January, he performed at Sweetwater Music Hall with an iconic cast, including the lead guitarist from Paul McCartney and Wings.

“I haven’t stopped music my whole life,“ he says. “It’s a big part of my life and that’s never going to change.”