The Summer of Love...
With the Vietnam War escalating and demonstrations mounting throughout the country, Mamas & Papas' founder John Phillips and record mogul Lou Adler organized the first pop music festival of its kind in the summer of '67. The predecessor of the grand daddy of all festivals, Woodstock, was an event featuring 32 acts and was billed as a "three-day celebration of music, peace, flower-power and love"...
Officially named The First Annual Monterey International Pop Music Festival, the gathering of over 200,000 and music's biggest stars would grow into an historic event of epic proportions. Appearing at the festival were:
The Mamas and The Papas, The Association, Scott McKenzie, Canned Heat, Big Brother with Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, The Byrds, Country Joe and The Fish, Lou Rawls, Laura Nyro, Otis Redding, Booker T. and the MG's with the Mar-Keys, Ravi Shankar, Grateful Dead, Steve Miller Band, Paul Butterfield Blues Band, Electric Flag, Hugh Masakela, Buffalo Springfield, Johnny Rivers, Quicksilver Messenger Service, Eric Burdon & Animals, Moby Grape, Simon and Garfunkel, The Group With No Name, Paupers, Beverly, Al Kooper, The Blues Project...
Most of the performers appeared for free with only lodging and travel expenses provided. If the Summer of Love had a beginning, it was appropriately right here in Northern California on the night of June 16, 1967. Funds raised by the festival and subsequent film and CD sales went to the Monterey Pop Foundation which is still in existence today and providing help to worthwhile causes such as the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic...
More June 16 Memories...
1960) "Psycho" premieres in New York City...
1961) Today Show host Dave ("peace") Garroway is fired...
1967) The Monterey Pop Festival makes history...
1976) "The Jacksons" summer variety show begins...
1978) Former Met Tom Seaver pitches a no-hitter...
1978) The Yankees' Ron Guidry strikes out 18...
1980) "The Blues Brothers" premieres in Chicago...
1987) Subway vigilante Bernhard Goetz is acquitted of the 1984 subway shooting of four attackers...
Happy Birthday...
1941) Songwriter Lamont Dozier...
1942) Eddie (O'Jays) Levert...
1951) Robert ("No mas") Duran...
1970) Golfer Phil Mickelson...
1977) Cub Pitcher Kerry Wood...
Commentary...
The Pop Music Festival in Monterey was the forerunner of everything else that followed, including Woodstock. The question remains, would there have been a Woodstock if not for Monterey ? Whenever you attend an open-air concert remember where and when it all started, Monterey, California, June 16, 1967...
