Ex-Turtles guitarist jailed in Nevada

DAYTON, Nev. (AP) — Al Nichol, lead guitarist for The Turtles whose 1960s hits included “Happy Together,” has been sentenced to six months in jail for drunken driving while on probation for a previous DUI conviction.

“I don’t know what to tell you, Mr. Nichol,” Justice Court Judge William Rogers said Wednesday. “It’s sad that you’ve taken a successful life and turned it into the town drunk.”

At the time of his May 2004 arrest, Nichol’s blood-alcohol level was 0.311, well above Nevada’s legal limit of 0.08, according to court documents. At a Jan. 12 court proceeding, a test done at the courthouse showed his blood-alcohol level was 0.19.

The Web site for The Turtles lists Nichol as a paint company representative in Nevada.