June 3 Music et al

June 3 Music et al

Fear of Rock

June 3, 1956: Santa Cruz city authorities announced a total ban on rock and roll at public gatherings, calling the music “Detrimental to both the health and morals of our youth and community.”

It was a dance party the previous evening that led to the ban. Some 200 teenagers had packed the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium on a Saturday night to dance to the music of Chuck Higgins and his Orchestra, a Los Angeles group with a regional hit record called “Pachuko Hop.” Santa Cruz police entered the auditorium just past midnight to check on the event, and what they found, according to Lieutenant Richard Overton, was a crowd “engaged in suggestive, stimulating and tantalizing motions induced by the provocative rhythms of an all-negro band.” Lt. Overton shut down the dance. (see July 1)

June 3 Music et al

Howl and Other Poems

June 3 Music et al

June 3, 1957: police arrested and jailed Shig Murao, manager of the City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco for selling Howl and Other Poems to an undercover San Francisco police officer. City Lights publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti was subsequently booked for publishing the book.  (BG, see Sept 5, 1957; FS, see June 17; Howl, see Oct 3)

Grateful Dead

June 3 Music et al

June 3, 1966:  the first appearance by the Grateful Dead at the Fillmore Auditorium. Along with the Dead, the Quicksilver Messenger Service who got top billing on the poster, and the Mothers joined. Created by the legendary rock artist Wes Wilson , the poster’s central image is a fairly simple one of a mushroom shape surrounded by circles. (see June 10 – 11)

June 3 Music et al

Aretha Franklin

June 3 – 30, 1967: “Respect” by Aretha Franklin #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. [NPR story] [see Respect for more]

The Road to Bethel and the Woodstock Festival

June 3, 1969: Michael Lang met Wes Pomeroy to discussed Pomeroy’s attitude toward security. Pomeroy explained that the attendees must feel that there is no threat from security. Lang agreed. (see Road for expanded story)

June 3 Music et al

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