u/Hairy-Jellyfish-1361

I spoke with a very old friend last night and he reminded me of this night which I instantly remembered.

It was March 1968 and my friend and his girlfriend had introduced me to one of her friends. It was going well and our 3rd date was going to be March 14, the day MLK Jr was killed on a terrace in Memphis. I called to cancel the date which is what she was going to do. We decided to put it off for 3 days to try and get over the shock. We, and a great many others, were still in shock and anger. 3 days were not nearly enough to have gotten through it.

We went to Greenwich Village to hear some music, which is where I was regularly. We went to a club that I had gone many times but didn't remember but my friend said it was the generation bar. It was a place where musicians gathered.

That particular night a lot of musicians gathered and performed. B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Joni Mitchell, and two others, Jimi Hendrix and Janice Joplin. What a night that must've been. After speaking with him it sounded somewhat back there in my memory bank, but I trust the person who told me the story because he's as much a music lover and historian as I am.

He insisted, although it's never been confirmed that Janice & Jimi performed together and it was magical.

I had seen both of them, but together had to be quite special.

When I called my ex to wish her a happy mothers day, we were talking and she asked me if I remembered a concert that we went to on Thanksgiving 1969 at Madison Square Garden. After much searching, I just couldn't come up with it so she told me.

We went to see The Rolling Stones and opening for them was Ike & Tina Turner. I had seen Ike & Tina a few times and knew what to expect. Tina was pure energy similar to Janice.

Interestingly, Janice was in the audience, drunk as usual and after a song or 2 she ran up on the stage to sing with Tina. I was told that half the audience expected Tina to deck her for taking her time and the other half, which apparently counted us, wanted to hear them together, which we did. I was told that it was amazing.

Separately I remember seeing both, but for whatever reason I can't remember this at all, as there are others, famous ones, that just aren't there. Fortunately, there are still more that are remembered.

I heard a story the other day that if I knew about previously I had forgotten, but because of the individuals involved hit me real hard.

In 1960 The Rat Pack were appearing at the Sands in Vegas, a show that I had seen one night.

Apparently, they did some relaxing with friends backstage in a private room. One night they were relaxing and Elvis was one of their gusts.

One of the powerful casino owners came in and while complimenting the performance used a racial slur to Sammy Davis Jr, one of the most talented individuals in the country. While Sammy was reacting with shock and anger and Sinatra started to get up to confront him, there was Elvis calling Harold Beckman out for being a racist and throwing him verbally out of their private area. Beckman owned parts of 6 casinos and it could've been an issue for The King as he wasn't yet on the level of The Rat Pack.

Elvis was never someone that I was a huge fan of. In 1960 I considered, and still do, Buddy Holly to be the King, but this story has increased my respect for the man greatly.

I realize that this happened before any of you were born. I was 12. But the lesson from that night is as important today as it was then, Don't back down to power. Stick to your principles no matter the cost.

If anyone is interested I am told there is a retelling of the story on utube.