Rock Almanac: April 5, 2008

On This Date in 1983: Secretary of the Interior James G. Watt bans the Beach Boys from performing at the annual Fourth of July concert at the National Mall, stating that the band would attract "an undesirable element."

The Almanac Advises for April 5: "According to 1950s authorities, the screeching, loud guitars and feral tribal drumbeats of rock 'n' roll often served as a call to arms for juvenile delinquents. Seen as a social menace, this degenerate style of music was not considered what decent, law-abiding folks would listen to or support."


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