Saturday, July 1, 2017

July 1st, 1967

Hot time, Summer in the City … you'll find many of our July posts filled with race riot reports from around the country.  This was  NOT a good time in America … and in the heat of the summer, tempers flared and escalated … rioting, arson, and looting ran rampant … destroying and devastating many of our cities … not a very pretty picture of The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave.  





July 1st, the day after her 24th birthday, Florence Ballard showed up inebriated during The Supremes' third performance at the Flamingo and stuck her stomach out from her suit. Angered, Berry Gordy immediately  ordered her to return to Detroit, and at this point, Cindy Birdsong officially replaced her.  (It had been decided months earlier that Birdsong would be Ballard's replacement, as soon as her contract with The Bluebelles could be bought out.)  Prior to this evening, Cindy Birdsong had filled in on a number of occasions … and Florence Ballard's failure to appear at certain Supremes events was explained away as a "temporary leave of absence" … which Ballard maintained for some time to come was also her understanding of her current position in the trio.  

Elvis Presley, his father Vernon and members of his "Memphis Mafia" attend Ann-Margret's show in Las Vegas.  

The Monkees perform two more sold out shows at Empire Pool in Wembley, North London.  

The Ventures and Tina Turner appear on "American Bandstand".  

"Funny Girl" closes at The Winter Garden Theater in New York City after 1348 performances.  

Canada celebrates its first 100 years of confederation.  

The first UK colour television program is broadcast (coverage of the Tennis Championship from Wimbledon).



If you're lucky enough to have tickets, you can catch Jefferson Airplane at Chicago's Civic Opera House tonight.  (Now THAT seems like a match made in heaven ... not!!!)  Their brand new single "White Rabbit" debuts on both Chicagoland Top 40 Charts this week, too.