May 3, 1958 – The popular disc jockey Alan Freed hosts the “Big Beat Show” at the Boston Arena (a hockey rink) featuring Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Buddy Holly. Accounts vary, but the crowd rushes the stage at various times, and Freed keeps imploring them to sit down – not easy to do when Lewis is playing “Great Balls of Fire.” Freed is forced to stop the show, telling the crowd, “It looks like the Boston police don’t want you to have a good time.” Violence erupts, spurred on by gang members at the show, and spills over to the streets. A Navy sailor is stabbed, others are injured, and arrests are made outside the concert hall. Alan Freed is charged with inciting a riot, but the charges are later dropped. The incident, which became known as the “Boston riot,” resulted in the cancellation of scheduled shows in Troy, NY; Providence, RI; New Haven, CT; and Newark, NJ. Rock and roll became demonized in Boston, and the city does not host another rock concert until 1964 when The Beatles come through. @buddyholly @BuddyHollyCtr #ROCkabillyHop #buddyholly #TheCrickets @ChuckBerry @jerryleelewis #AlanFreed
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