Zal Yanovsky, 57; Co-Founder of the Lovin’ Spoonful

Zal Yanovsky, 57, a guitar player with the 1960s group the Lovin’ Spoonful, died of a heart attack Friday in Kingston, Ontario, Canada.

Yanovsky founded the band with singer-guitarist John Sebastian. Seen as America’s answer to the Beatles in the mid-1960s, the group had 10 Top 20 hits in two years, including “Do You Believe in Magic?” and “Summer in the City.”

Yanovsky was the extrovert of the group who “provided the group’s visual identity while his exceptional and underrated guitar playing was a vital fixture of their overall sound,” according to the Encyclopedia of Popular Music.

He was arrested on a marijuana charge in San Francisco in 1966 with bass player Steve Boone but avoided prosecution when they incriminated their supplier. The ensuing publicity sparked an outcry from their fans, who called for a boycott of their records and concerts.

Yanovsky left the band in 1967. The rest of the group broke up soon after.

Yanovsky recorded a solo album, “Alive and Well in Argentina,” in 1968. He was not involved in revivals of the band in later years and eventually withdrew from the music business. He moved to Canada, where he opened a restaurant and bakery.