[b]Born:[/b] 1936 [location unknown]

Also known as Herb Masters, Bermann is a West Coast television actor, aspiring poet, and former resident of Lower Topanga Canyon. He played a significant role in the creation of Don Van Vliet's "Safe As Milk" album, serving as lyricist and co-writer for several songs associated with Captain Beefheart during the mid-1960s.

Bermann worked alongside actor Dean Stockwell and musician Neil Young on a screenplay for a film titled "After The Goldrush," during a time when Young was also residing in Topanga Canyon. Although Universal shelved the film project, the songs Young penned for it were later released in the album "After The Gold Rush," which credits Bermann on its sleeve.

As a television actor living on California's Sunset Strip in the early 1960s, Bermann embodied the counterculture that emerged from the beat generation. Unlike many of his contemporaries, he found steady work, appearing in shows like "The Asphalt Jungle" and "Dr. Kildare," where he formed a friendship with Dean Stockwell. Driven by his aspirations as a poet and writer, Bermann moved with his young wife to a cabin in Quartz Hill, California, bringing along a trunk full of scripts, poems, and ideas. He believed that the solitude of the Mojave Desert would inspire his writing career.

Their cabin in Quartz Hill was located west of Lancaster, just south of the college attended by Don Van Vliet and Frank Zappa, setting the stage for a fortuitous encounter. One Saturday night in 1966, Bermann attended a performance by "Captain Beefheart and His Magic Band" at a bar on Sierra Highway in Lancaster. During a break, he met Vliet, who had captivated him with his interpretations of Delta blues artists like Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf. In turn, Vliet was drawn to Bermann's poetic perspective on life. They agreed to meet the following day at Bermann's cabin for Vliet to review his work.

This meeting marked the beginning of a collaborative writing partnership between Bermann and Vliet. Although Bermann was not a musician, over nearly two years, they crafted most of the songs that would be featured on "Safe As Milk," primarily working at Vliet's residence on Carolside Avenue. Bermann was also involved in later rehearsals, which included musicians like Ry Cooder and Taj Mahal, and he had some insight into the contractual negotiations that failed with Jerry Moss of A&M but later resumed with Bob Krasnow at Buddah Records.

The song "Autumn's Child" was penned by Bermann on a serene Sunday afternoon while he was with his wife, Vliet, and Vliet's girlfriend Laurie at a Catholic monastery retreat in Valyermo, near Lancaster. Being slightly older than Vliet, Bermann was often perceived as an outsider by other members of The Magic Band, who tended to overlook him.

Around the time Vliet achieved regional success with "Diddy Wah Diddy," Bermann moved to Lower Topanga. He quietly shared experiences with the Topanga community, including figures like Mama Cass and Vliet in his "Magic Band" house in Woodland Hills. However, after "After The Goldrush" in 1970, his musical involvement diminished. The writing career he aspired to came to fruition, bolstered by the abandoned screenplay and the recognition his recorded works received.

One of Bermann's notable subsequent projects, co-written with Tom Drake, was an episode titled "Par For The Course" for the Universal/NBC TV mini-series ‘The Psychiatrist.’ This episode, directed by Steven Spielberg and aired in 1971, addressed the challenges of terminal illness and its associated social issues. Portions of its script were later utilized in Congressional hearings to advocate for funding oncology and terminal therapy units, reflecting a vital public service initiative that emerged from 1970s activism.

In 2004, the Topanga State Park incorporated the wetlands area of Lower Topanga, known as 'The Rodeo Grounds,' to extend the park to the shore. This development forced Bermann and many long-standing Bohemian residents of the Canyon to relocate. Among them was Pablo Capra, the publisher of "Idlers Of The Bamboo Grove," a collection featuring creative works from the community, which includes one of Bermann's contributions.

Bermann remains a reclusive figure, currently residing in a trailer park off the Pacific Coast Highway. He is a member of the Writers Guild of America, serves as a guest lecturer at the UCLA Film Department, and conducts workshops for aspiring poets, screenwriters, and songwriters. He continues to receive worldwide royalties from "Safe As Milk." His reflections can be found in his reading of "Colophon" at "Beyond Baroque" in Venice, California, which is part of a piece titled "Goodbye To The Rodeo Grounds," linked in the URL.