1983: James Watt, The Beach Boys, and the quote that got Watt sacked

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

"On July 4, 1985 they played to an afternoon crowd of an estimated one million in Philadelphia and that evening they performed for over 750,000 people on the Mall in Washington, D.C. Former U.S. Secretary of Interior James Watt's efforts to ban The Beach Boys from the Washington Monument Grounds in 1983 created an international furor that VH-1 has termed one of the most important moments in rock."
http://thebeachboys.com/bio4.html

"It was Mike Love's idea to perform free Independence Day concerts on the grounds of the Washington Monument in the nation's capital beginning in 1980. After a national uproar following Secretary of Interior James Watt's ban of The Beach Boys for this event, they returned on July 4, 1984, by a personal invitation from First Lady Nancy Reagan. On July 4, 1985, The Beach Boys played to an afternoon crowd of one million in Philadelphia and the same evening they performed for over 750,000 people on the Mall in Washington. The day's historical achievement was recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records."
http://www.mikelovefanclub.com/bio.html

"The 1980s also brought the Boys their first real public controversy: Interior Secretary James Watt banned them from performing in the nation's capital. Nancy Reagan had to invite them personally the next time around. In addition to stupid, Watt's action was curious, since everyone associated with the band has always defined their music as American; Mike Love — who is the closest to being a cynic of anyone in the band — has said that performing at the Fourth of July concert on the National Mall was the greatest moment of his life. Sunday, Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham was in the crowd. The Beach Boys remain America's band."
http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-cherry070802.asp

CONTENTS · BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD
http://www.bartleby.com/63/56/556.html

Simpson’s Contemporary Quotations, compiled by James B. Simpson. 1988.
NUMBER: 556
AUTHOR: James G Watt, US Secretary of the Interior
QUOTATION: I have a black, a woman, two Jews and a cripple. And we have talent.
ATTRIBUTION: Comment on his staff that led to his resignation, to US Chamber of Commerce 21 Sep 83
SUBJECTS: The World: Politics & Government: Officials & Other Personages

[LTR]

1. James Watt was a vile, vulgar human being

I still couldn't beleive he was Sec. of the Interior.

Just plain evil. And also a complete moron.

[lapfog_1]

2. Watt was one of the first Christian conservatives

to hold high gov office. His opinion was that the beach boys were
too involved with drug usage to ever be invited to a government
sponsored event... not to mention that they were (to him) part of
that 60's hippy movement (not really, but they did have long hair
when it was the style).

He was favoring (according to what I remember) Pat Boone to do the
concert.

He also said that saving the environment (part of what he was
in charge of) wasn't really worth doing, "given that Christ is
about to return to earth".

[Spirochete]

3. Didn't Watt

claim that the Beach Boys weren't a wholesome enough influence, and instead wanted Wayne Newton, a Las Vegas gangster, to perform?
I guess Frank Sinatra was booked solid that week...

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

5. Oooops...I posted a reply before I read your post, buy you're right!

...it was definitely "Wholesome Wayne"...

:toast:

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

4. I think the "sunstitute entertainment" was going to be...

...Wayne Newton, if I remember correctly, because he considered him to be "wholesome family entertainment."

[lapfog_1]

6. Wayne was to be the substitute

but I thought it was Pat Boone that he wanted originally.

However, I can't find a refernce on the Web, and my memory of
that time is fuzzy.