Today let’s take a peek at a renovated Spanish-style estate in the celeb-soaked (and unfortunately fire-ravaged) Malibu neighborhood of Point Dume. For those of y’all not familiar with the area, Point Dume is a very prominent promontory — a long bluff, if you will — on the coast of the seaside city. And at least half the residents there are famous, or so it seems to Yolanda.
The 1973 estate in question just sold for the $4,900,000. That’s a fairly big number by itself, but it’s all the more impressive because your gurl knows for a fact that at least one of the next-door neighbors’ homes was burned to the ground last month. The flames were (literally) in this place’s backyard. So props to the agents involved for getting this deal done so soon after the devastation.
Anyway, the new owner is longtime island boy Billy Kreutzmann — a guy who has earned an enormous fortune just by playing the drums. Born in Palo Alto, the then-teenage little drummer boy co-founded the rock band the Warlocks in 1964. That band would eventually become the Grateful Dead.
According to Mr. Wiki Pedia, the Grateful Dead are famed for their eclectic style, for live performances of lengthy instrumental jams, and for their devoted fan base, known as “Deadheads“. During their 30-year active history — Mr. Kreutzmann served as drummer that entire time — the band played over 2,300 concerts, earning $285 million in the 1990s alone. Since their 1995 disbandment, the group received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Now in his early 70s, Mr. Kreutzmann has lived in Hawaii for many years with his fifth wife, Aimee Sharp (they’ve now been married for at least a decade). He’s got two adult children — Stacy and Justin — from two of his prior marriages. And he has also become involved in politics — he publicly endorsed Prop 19, which would have legalized marijuana in California. “I smoke marijuana and I’m not a criminal; please vote Yes on 19,” he said.
Now that Mary Jane is legal in CA, perhaps Mr. Kreutzmann has decided on a return to his birth state to indulge legally and in peace.
The half-acre flag lot property is set back on a long driveway shared with two other flag lot homes — one of them owned by screenwriter Stephen Blinn and the other by filmmaker Gavin Hood. Last sold in 2015 for $3.1 million, the house has been redone since then by a rich guy from Louisiana named Billy Busbice.
If any of y’all watch The Outdoor Channel or A&E, you may recognize Mr. Busbice — an avid outdoorsman and hunter — from his frequent TV appearances on those networks. Unfortunately for him, our Mr. Busbice was suspended from TV in 2015 after being caught poaching. Oh dear! (For his part, Mr. Busbice has claimed the whole situation was an accident).
But we digress — Mr. Busbice now has two things to smile about: his Malibu house didn’t burn down and he just flipped it at a nice profit.
Anywho, a gated motorcourt off the shared driveway features a two-car attached garage plus off-street parking for several more vehicles. From there, a long expanse of stairs leads past a mature lemon tree to the home’s front door. Though the property does not feature ocean views, it is walking distance to the sand and transferred with a coveted beach key to all-but-private Little Dume Beach.
The home’s elaborate front doors lead into an open-concept entertaining area with a dining set, a fireplace-equipped formal living space, and herringbone-pattered oak floors. Walls of glass fold away to allow direct access to the private backyard. Some of the plentiful amenities out back include a firepit, pool with inset spa, a full outdoor kitchen with BBQ, and an elaborate children’s playset.
The master suite is set in a private wing of the single-story shanty and includes a fireplace, a walk-in closet, and a fully-redone bathroom with soaking tub, dual vanities and glassy shower. Elsewhere in the 3,241-square-foot structure are three smaller bedrooms suitable for family and/or guests.
The chic kitchen sports a farmhouse-style sink, top-of-the-line stainless steel appliances, and a center island with bar-style seating for casual dining.
Yolanda could spend all day and all night just listing the famous folks who call Point Dume home — there are so many we’ve lost count — so we’ll stick to just the folks on Mr. Kreutzmann’s wee street. Some of the homeowners within sugar-borrowing distance include composer J. Ralph, filmmaker Spike Jonze, guitarist Lee Ritenour, director Michael Preece, rich San Francisco lady (and Gwyneth Paltrow BFF) Juliet de Baubigny, director James Mangold and billionaire haircare heiress Michaeline DeJoria.
Before buying the Malibu spread, Mr. Kreutzmann and Ms. Sharp long lived a quiet, slow-paced life on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, where they continue to maintain a multi-acre estate that includes a (relatively) modest house and a sizable organic farm.
Listing agents: Mark Gruskin & Ignacio Rodriguez Diaz, Westside Estate Agency
Bill Kreutzmann’s agent: Lily Harfouche, Coldwell Banker