Tuesday, December 6, 2005

Paint it black...

This was supposed to be another Woodstock. I mean who wouldn't want to see a free concert starring Santana, the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and oh yes, the Rolling Stones ? How about 300,000 or so. That was the size of the crowd that gathered at Altamont Speedway near San Francisco on this date in 1969. While most would agree that Woodstock was the flowering of the youth culture, what transpired at Altamont would be the end of that flowering....

The first mistake the Rolling Stones made was using Hell's Angels as the only source of security. Never to be mistaken for peace enforcing lawmen, the Angels meted out their own brand of justice with pool cues and full cans of beer to control the crowd. The alcohol, marijuana and acid ingested by the Angels was just the catalyst needed to incite the already rowdy crowd and what was expected to be the second coming of Woodstock turned into one of the most violent days in rock history...

Marty Balin of Jefferson Airplane was cold-cocked by an Angel during a scuffle near the stage but the worst was yet to come. While the Rolling Stones were singing "Under My Thumb", a young black fan who had unwisely armed himself with a handgun was stabbed and beaten to death by the Angels. Two other people were run over in their sleeping bags and another drowned. 4 dead just for attending a free concert that was supposed to be another Woodstock...

The Altamont concert would be documented in the film "Gimme Shelter" one year later. Many would agree that rock and roll's darkest day marked the end of whatever innocence was left in the 60s...

More December 6 Memories...

1774) The little red school house is born as Austria becomes the 1st nation to introduce a state education system...

1790) Congress moves from New York (our nation's 1st capital) to Philadelphia...

1865) The 13th Ammendment is ratified, abolishing slavery...

1883) The "Ladies Home Journal" is published for the 1st time...

1884) Army engineers complete construction of the Washington Monument...

1923) Calvin Coolidge becomes the 1st president to give an address on radio...

1948) "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts" debuts (the show will discover Rosemary Clooney, Pat Boone, Steve Lawrence, Connie Francis and Patsy Cline. Elvis flunked his audition for the show in 1955. The show runs for a decade ending in July, 1958)...

1957) America's 1st attempt at launching a satellite into orbit fails when the satellite explodes on the launch pad...

1969) 4 people die at a free Rolling Stones concert at Altamont (feature story)...

1970) One year to the day later, "Gimme Shelter", the documentary about the Rolling Stones 1969 tour, including Altamont, debuts...

1973) House minority leader Gerald R. Ford is sworn in as vice president, succeeding Spiro T. Agnew...

1982) Senator Ted Kennedy and wife Joan say their "I don't's", divorcing...

1983) "Say, Say, Say" is #1 for Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson...

1988) Roy Orbison dies of a heart attack while visiting his mother in Hendersonville, near Nashville. He was 52 (Roy's biggest hit was "Oh, Pretty Woman". He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. In 1988 he joined the superstar collaboration, the Traveling Wilburys)...

2002) Winona Ryder is sentenced to community service for stealing more than $5,500 worth of merchandise from Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills...

2003) Army becomes the 1st team to finish 0-13 in major college football history after a 34-6 beating at the hands of Navy...

Happy Birthday To...

1920) Dave Brubeck...

1942) Len Barry...

1953) JoBeth Williams...

1955) Steven Wright...

1962) Janine Turner...

Commentary...

Thank you for your loyalty and you have my vow to continue to do my homework diligently to assure the accuracy of the dates in my timeline. I hope you continue to enjoy the memories and my account of them...