Carlos Santana reunites with homeless ex-bandmate after TV report

A chance encounter with a television news reporter for an on-air segment in East Oakland has led to a homeless man being reunited with his former bandmate — Carlos Santana.

It all started when Marcus Malone was interviewed for KRON4-TV’s “People Behaving Badly” segment on illegal dumping and told the reporter he was a former member of Santana’s band.

“At one time I was with the Santana band, the original Santana blues band,” Malone told KRON4. “Now I’m homeless and on the streets.”

Marcus “The Magnificent” apparently lost track of the Hall of Fame guitarist after going to prison in 1969. For his part, Santana told the station he had tried unsuccessfully to track down his former percussionist.

Their reunion, facilitated by the TV station, was captured on video Friday.

“That’s him man. That’s magnificent Marcus Malone,” Santana says. “His spirit is indomitable.”

Now Malone has gone from rifling through trash cans and living in a camper to being set up with his own apartment with an invitation to rejoin the music group for Santana’s new album.

“I want to offer him a place to stay in an apartment, get him some clothes, and just get him out of the street,” Santana told CNN.

The story has since gone viral, catching Santana off guard.

“We all have people in our family who get misplaced, not lost but misplaced. A lot of people all over the world are connecting with this story,” he told KRON4-TV.

ALSO:

2nd opinion set for girl left brain-dead after tonsillectomy

Stockton mall brawl over new Air Jordans caught on video

Young female tiger at San Diego Zoo killed by prospective mate

jason.wells@latimes.com

Twitter: @jasonbretwells | Facebook | Google+