Editing Jeff Baxter (section)

===Early years===
Baxter joined his first band at age 11.<ref name= rocker /> At the Taft School, he played drums in a band called King Thunder and the Lightning Bolts.<ref>{{cite journal| title= King Thunder Band| first= Chris "Kit"| last= Brown| journal= Taft Bulletin| url= https://www.taftschool.org/uploaded/Bulletin/2016Summer/TaftSum16spreads.pdf |date= Summer 2016| page= 5| publisher= Taft School| access-date= September 5, 2017}}</ref> While still a high school student, he worked at Jimmy's Music Shop in Manhattan in 1966. At Jimmy's, Baxter met guitarist [[Jimi Hendrix]], who was just beginning his career as a [[frontman]].<ref name="Roby">{{Cite book| last = Roby| first = Steven| title = Black Gold: The Lost Archives of Jimi Hendrix| location = New York City| publisher = [[Billboard Books]]| year = 2002| isbn = 0-8230-7854-X| pages = 53–54}}</ref> Later, Baxter claimed to have sat in with the Hendrix-led band [[Jimmy James and the Blue Flames]], when the regular bassist could not make the show.<ref name="Roby"/>  Moving to Boston to attend college, Baxter worked as a guitar technician and amplifier repairman at Jack's Drum Shop on Boylston Street.

Baxter first reached a wide rock audience in 1968 as a member of the [[psychedelic rock]] band [[Ultimate Spinach]].<ref name= rocker>{{cite news |url= https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB111689939107541385 | title= Rocker Jeff Baxter Moves and Shakes In National Security| first= Yochi J.| last= Dreazen| author-link= Yochi Dreazen| date= May 24, 2005| work= [[The Wall Street Journal]] | access-date= September 5, 2017 | via= [[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]| archive-date= June 7, 2015| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150607015454/http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB111689939107541385}} [http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05144/509629.stm Alt URL]</ref>

Baxter joined the band for ''[[Ultimate Spinach III]]'', their third and final album.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title = Jeff Baxter (credits)|url = http://www.discogs.com/artist/336761-Jeff-Baxter?filter_anv=0&type=Credits| website = Discogs.com |access-date = 2015-12-27}}</ref> After leaving the band, he played with the [[Holy Modal Rounders]] and backed singer [[Buzzy Linhart]].<ref name=AOL /><ref>{{Cite web|title = GP Flashback : Jeff Baxter, December 1980|url = http://www.guitarplayer.com/article/gp-flashback--jeff-baxter-december-1980/3998|website = Guitarplayer.com|access-date = 2015-12-27|last = Obrecht|first = Jas|archive-date = July 20, 2013|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130720123346/http://www.guitarplayer.com/article/gp-flashback--jeff-baxter-december-1980/3998|url-status = dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title = GP Flashback : The Doobie Brothers, June 1976|url = http://www.guitarplayer.com/article/gp-flashback--the-doobie-brothers-june-1976/3999|website = Guitarplayer.com|access-date = 2015-12-27|last = Menn|first = Don|archive-date = December 3, 2013|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131203004531/http://www.guitarplayer.com/article/gp-flashback--the-doobie-brothers-june-1976/3999|url-status = dead}}</ref> He was using the moniker "Skunk" by this time; so far, Baxter has kept the origin of the nickname a secret.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-may-20-me-39121-story.html|title=Origin of Ex-Doobie's Nickname Revealed--Well, Maybe|first1=Miguel|last1=Bustillo|first2=Patrick|last2=McGreevy|date=May 20, 1999|access-date=December 14, 2017|website=Articles.latimes.com}}</ref>