David Crosby and the JFK Assassination

[John Simkin]

I was watching a documentary last night about rock music in California and was surprised to see a clip where David Crosby, who at the time was with the Byrds, was telling the audience that there was a conspiracy to kill JFK. The commentator remarked that soon after the speech he was sacked by the Byrds for his "wild political views" (1967).

Does anyone know if other rock stars spoke out against the Warren Commission?

[William Kelly]

I was watching a documentary last night about rock music in California and was surprised to see a clip where David Crosby, who at the time was with the Byrds, was telling the audience that there was a conspiracy to kill JFK. The commentator remarked that soon after the speech he was sacked by the Byrds for his "wild political views" (1967).

Does anyone know if other rock stars spoke out against the Warren Commission?

John,

I don't think David Crosby was "sacked" by the Byrds because of his "wild political views," but he does have strong Dealey Plaza connections.

Crosby was once busted in Dallas for pot and went to jail for it. While in Dallas visited Dealey Plaza and has talked about the assassination since then.

When the Beatles played Dallas in 1964, they ducked in the back of the limo when they passed through Dealey Plaza on the way to the Cabanna Hotel, where they stayed.

Bob Dylan, who comes into play with his "Oswald Sympathy" talk receiving the Tom Paine award, which he dedicated to those activists who went to Cuba, also visited New Orleans and drove through Dealey Plaza on his 1964 cross country road trip. Dylan also wrote a song about Medgar Evers' 1963 assassination, I think it's "Just a Pawn in Their Game."

In the movie "The Last Waltz," Robbie Robertson of the Band recalls playing with Ronnine Hawkins at Jack Ruby's nightclub in Dallas (probably the Vegas Club) when a fight broke out.

One of the Dead Kennedys, whose name excapes me, is also a political activist.

I once tried to organize a COPA benefit in DC with a mix of music and stand up comix we already have on board like Dick Gregory, but it never came together. Maybe it still will.

BK

[Greg Parker]

I was watching a documentary last night about rock music in California and was surprised to see a clip where David Crosby, who at the time was with the Byrds, was telling the audience that there was a conspiracy to kill JFK. The commentator remarked that soon after the speech he was sacked by the Byrds for his "wild political views" (1967).

Does anyone know if other rock stars spoke out against the Warren Commission?

John,

I don't think David Crosby was "sacked" by the Byrds because of his "wild political views," but he does have strong Dealey Plaza connections.

Crosby was once busted in Dallas for pot and went to jail for it. While in Dallas visited Dealey Plaza and has talked about the assassination since then.

When the Beatles played Dallas in 1964, they ducked in the back of the limo when they passed through Dealey Plaza on the way to the Cabanna Hotel, where they stayed.

Bob Dylan, who comes into play with his "Oswald Sympathy" talk receiving the Tom Paine award, which he dedicated to those activists who went to Cuba, also visited New Orleans and drove through Dealey Plaza on his 1964 cross country road trip. Dylan also wrote a song about Medgar Evers' 1963 assassination, I think it's "Just a Pawn in Their Game."

In the movie "The Last Waltz," Robbie Robertson of the Band recalls playing with Ronnine Hawkins at Jack Ruby's nightclub in Dallas (probably the Vegas Club) when a fight broke out.

One of the Dead Kennedys, whose name excapes me, is also a political activist.

I once tried to organize a COPA benefit in DC with a mix of music and stand up comix we already have on board like Dick Gregory, but it never came together. Maybe it still will.

BK

Don't forget Phil Ochs. Had a major falling out with Dylan because Dylan would not speak out about it. Ochs wrote a couple of songs on the subject, and his public stand about it and the later assassinations did not go unpunished by the FBI.

[Tom Kutzer]

" One of the Dead Kennedys, whose name excapes me, is also a political activist. "

Jello Biafra, iirc.

[Guest Mark Valenti]

Mick Jagger sang in Sympathy for the Devil: "I shouted out who killed the Kennedy's? When after all, it was you and me."

Originally the line was supposed to be "who killed John Kennedy" but RFK was killed during the recording session so they changed the lyric.

[Guest Mark Valenti]

Mick Jagger sang in Sympathy for the Devil: "I shouted out who killed the Kennedy's? When after all, it was you and me."

Originally the line was supposed to be "who killed John Kennedy" but RFK was killed during the recording session so they changed the lyric.

Also - this strange event - John Lennon's piano, on which he composed "Imagine," was brought to the grassy knoll last November as part of an art exhibit.

[William Kelly]

" One of the Dead Kennedys, whose name excapes me, is also a political activist. "

Jello Biafra, iirc.

Thanks Tom,

I couldn't shake that loose.

Being an ordinary citizen from Ft. Lauderdale, would you know of a back alley joint called the Parrot Lounge? There might be a few Philadelphia Eagle fans there for the game vs. New Orleans Saints.

Did you ever find the old Z film from friend's archives? Maybe its The Other film?

Bill Kelly

[Kathleen Collins]

Mick Jagger sang in Sympathy for the Devil: "I shouted out who killed the Kennedy's? When after all, it was you and me."

Originally the line was supposed to be "who killed John Kennedy" but RFK was killed during the recording session so they changed the lyric.

Also - this strange event - John Lennon's piano, on which he composed "Imagine," was brought to the grassy knoll last November as part of an art exhibit.

Yoko Ono stops at nothing, doesn't she?

Kathy

Edited January 13, 2007 by Kathleen Collins

[Tom Kutzer]

" One of the Dead Kennedys, whose name excapes me, is also a political activist. "

Jello Biafra, iirc.

Thanks Tom,

I couldn't shake that loose.

Being an ordinary citizen from Ft. Lauderdale, would you know of a back alley joint called the Parrot Lounge? There might be a few Philadelphia Eagle fans there for the game vs. New Orleans Saints.

Did you ever find the old Z film from friend's archives? Maybe its The Other film?

Bill Kelly

I know of a Parrot Lounge in Cooper City, and one somewhere else that I'd need to be at to remember where it was, lol...

after some discussion, the warehouse film is almost undoubtedly a copy of the Garrison "college copy"...but I haven't managed to fish it up from the depths yet, so who knows?

[Michael G. Smith]

" One of the Dead Kennedys, whose name excapes me, is also a political activist. "

Jello Biafra, iirc.

Thanks Tom,

I couldn't shake that loose.

Being an ordinary citizen from Ft. Lauderdale, would you know of a back alley joint called the Parrot Lounge? There might be a few Philadelphia Eagle fans there for the game vs. New Orleans Saints.

Did you ever find the old Z film from friend's archives? Maybe its The Other film?

Bill Kelly

I know of a Parrot Lounge in Cooper City, and one somewhere else that I'd need to be at to remember where it was, lol...

after some discussion, the warehouse film is almost undoubtedly a copy of the Garrison "college copy"...but I haven't managed to fish it up from the depths yet, so who knows?

Its making me crazy now............who was the guy who sang the song with the lyrics about Martin, John, and Bobby? For the life of me I cant remember. Must have been all the drugs I did back then when the song came out!! LOL! Somebody out there knows.........help this brain dead old fart out here! -smitty

[John Geraghty]

Smitty,

It was Dion of Dion and the Belmonts.

Here is a topic that I started some time ago about music and the JFK assassination. I had most of the songs on my mp3 player, but it was stolen in June in Maryland. http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.ph...97&hl=music

If anyone is interested here is a topic about tv shows and the assassination. I frequently see JFK assassinations references in tv shows, but I forget to add them to the topic. http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.ph...09&hl=music

Bill,

The benefit gig is an interesting gig, if we were to get one big act others would follow. This could aid in the museum fundraising or at least pay for campaigning.

John

[William Kelly]

Smitty,

It was Dion of Dion and the Belmonts.

Here is a topic that I started some time ago about music and the JFK assassination. I had most of the songs on my mp3 player, but it was stolen in June in Maryland. http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.ph...97&hl=music

If anyone is interested here is a topic about tv shows and the assassination. I frequently see JFK assassinations references in tv shows, but I forget to add them to the topic. http://educationforum.ipbhost.com/index.ph...09&hl=music

Bill,

The benefit gig is an interesting gig, if we were to get one big act others would follow. This could aid in the museum fundraising or at least pay for campaigning.

John

David Crosby Checks In.

He's not in the Pepsi Center. BK

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/08/22-3

Published on Friday, August 22, 2008 by The Denver PostDavid Crosby Not Shy About Which Side He's Onby Ricardo Baca

It's hard to believe, but David Crosby, an artist celebrated for his liberal activism as much as for inspired songwriting, will attend his first-ever Democratic National Convention, in Denver next week.

Musician David Crosby performs during a benefit concert for the City Parks Foundation at Central Park Summer Stage, Tuesday, July 29, 2008, in New York.(AP Photo/Diane Bondareff)"Usually the people who try to get celebrities to come around to conventions and stuff want bigger ones than me," Crosby said via telephone from his Santa Barbara, Calif., home earlier this week. "They want Jennifer Lopez or something."

And mind you, Crosby won't attend the convention itself. He's going to the Buell Theatre to play an etown show Tuesday with buddies Graham Nash, James Taylor and Ani DiFranco.

"I don't like most politicians, so I don't see what the attraction is to go and be in the middle of a bunch of them," Crosby said. "I'm definitely not going to the convention. I'm going to etown. I have a very high opinion of etown. They're good people, and they do really good work. And I don't think you can say that about most politicians."

What about the dude getting ready to accept the Democratic nomination?

"I think he's a very encouraging guy, a very intelligent man - which is, of course, a complete 180 degree shift from where we've been the last eight years," Crosby said. "The idea of having a guy who can speak in complete sentences is extremely attractive Barack has dignity and moral values, and I believe he loves his country."

Crosby is just one of many musicians making their way to the Mile High City in the next 10 days. Conventions have grown into media circuses where entertainers and politicos share the same ground for a few days. It's going to be an incredibly busy music week in Denver with performers as varied as Willie Nelson and the Black Eyed Peas, Fall Out Boy and Rage Against the Machine, Daughtry and Melissa Etheridge, the Blue Scholars and Silversun Pickups, Moby and Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - and maybe Dave Matthews, Kanye West and Bruce Springsteen.

While some bold names will be in Denver all week - playing this party, getting spotted at that party, hobnobbing at another party - Crosby is fine with getting in and out.

"I have a friend who does a show on Air America, David Bender, and I'll probably do his show while I'm there," said Crosby. "If we get roped into something else, we get roped into something else."

Crosby understands the weight of the current presidential race, not to mention the great divide in America today. There's a scene in the recent Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young documentary, "Déj... Vu," that films angry fans leaving in the middle of a CSNY concert in Atlanta as the group spoke against President Bush and sang songs such as "Let's Impeach the President." The group knew their political views would make an impact in the South, and that's why they were filming it for the documentary, but they didn't know the reaction would be so severe.

"When you look at the people, the ones who were disgruntled, they're not the people who I really give a (expletive) about," Crosby said. "Truth is, it's good to stir things up. It's good to make people have a dialogue with each other, even if it starts out with people yelling and pointing fingers."

When asked about the dichotomy of an artist-fan relationship - they love your music but not your personality or politics - Crosby changed his tune a bit.

"I do give a (expletive) about them, but I think they're kind of funny when they come to a CSNY concert and get mad about there being politics," he said. "I don't have a lot of sympathy for them. We've been probably the most political band in the world - or at least one of them. Anybody who comes to a concert of ours and expects us to not be anti-war and pro-human and anti-George Bush is crazy. They should have gone to a different concert."

[Guest Stephen Turner]

" One of the Dead Kennedys, whose name excapes me, is also a political activist. "

Jello Biafra, iirc.

Thanks Tom,

I couldn't shake that loose.

Being an ordinary citizen from Ft. Lauderdale, would you know of a back alley joint called the Parrot Lounge? There might be a few Philadelphia Eagle fans there for the game vs. New Orleans Saints.

Did you ever find the old Z film from friend's archives? Maybe its The Other film?

Bill Kelly

I know of a Parrot Lounge in Cooper City, and one somewhere else that I'd need to be at to remember where it was, lol...

after some discussion, the warehouse film is almost undoubtedly a copy of the Garrison "college copy"...but I haven't managed to fish it up from the depths yet, so who knows?

Its making me crazy now............who was the guy who sang the song with the lyrics about Martin, John, and Bobby? For the life of me I cant remember. Must have been all the drugs I did back then when the song came out!! LOL! Somebody out there knows.........help this brain dead old fart out here! -smitty

"Anybody here seen my old friend John, won't you tell me where he's gone."

" He freed a lot of people, but it seems the good die young"

"Won't you tell me where he's gone" Marvin Gaye, Smitty.

[Mark Knight]

" One of the Dead Kennedys, whose name excapes me, is also a political activist. "

Jello Biafra, iirc.

Thanks Tom,

I couldn't shake that loose.

Being an ordinary citizen from Ft. Lauderdale, would you know of a back alley joint called the Parrot Lounge? There might be a few Philadelphia Eagle fans there for the game vs. New Orleans Saints.

Did you ever find the old Z film from friend's archives? Maybe its The Other film?

Bill Kelly

I know of a Parrot Lounge in Cooper City, and one somewhere else that I'd need to be at to remember where it was, lol...

after some discussion, the warehouse film is almost undoubtedly a copy of the Garrison "college copy"...but I haven't managed to fish it up from the depths yet, so who knows?

Its making me crazy now............who was the guy who sang the song with the lyrics about Martin, John, and Bobby? For the life of me I cant remember. Must have been all the drugs I did back then when the song came out!! LOL! Somebody out there knows.........help this brain dead old fart out here! -smitty

"Anybody here seen my old friend John, won't you tell me where he's gone."

" He freed a lot of people, but it seems the good die young"

"Won't you tell me where he's gone" Marvin Gaye, Smitty.

From the songwriter's webpage at www.dickholler.com/bio.html :

BIO

Dick Holler, American Songwriter

Ray Charles, Garth Brooks, Whitney Houston, Tori Amos, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, Kenny Rogers, Harry Belafonte and Bob Dylan have one thing in common; all have recorded or performed songs written by Dick Holler.

Collectively over the last 30 years, Dick Holler has sold over 32 million records. His American classic 'Abraham, Martin and John' is noted as being the only song to have reached the Top 40, five times with five different artists.

The original version by 'Dion' was a nation wide best seller reaching the number #4 position on the national Billboard charts in January of 1969. Since then it has also received the B.M.I. "4 Million Airplay" award, making the song one of the most prestigious songs of the last century.

Another of Dick’s million sellers, 'Snoopy vs. The Red Baron,' (co-written with Phil Gernhard) was a smash hit in early 1967 and spent four weeks at the number #2 position on the Billboard charts behind 'I'm a Believer' by The Monkees'. Other artists who have recorded Dick's songs include Lobo, Cher and The Bellamy Brothers.

For the past 9 years Dick has been touring throughout Europe playing to enthusiastic audiences in Norway, U.K, Scotland, Germany, Denmark, Poland, Austria and Switzerland. Still writing more than ever, over the past 3 years he’s had over 25 cuts on several #1 albums in Europe. His sons Reno and David share many of the writing credits on Dick’s recent chart success.

If you're lucky enough to see Dick ‘live’, you'll find there's not a soul in the place that isn't dancing, singing, clapping or doing all three. Add that to his massive catalogue of original compositions, it’s easy to see why many consider Dick Holler a true American treasure.

[Emphasis mine.]

Five times in the top 40, by five different artists. Pardon the pun, but the lyrics apparently struch a chord with listeners everywhere. And "Dion" refers to Dion DiMucci, formerly lead singer of Dion and the Belmonts, which was originally a doo-wop group famous for such songs as "Donna the Prima Donna," "Ruby Baby," "Runaround Sue," and "The Wanderer."

Edited August 27, 2008 by Mark Knight

[Michael Clark]

"Just beneath the

Surface of the mud.

There's more mud, here...,

Surprise!"

 

 

Edited August 6, 2017 by Michael Clark