Rolling Stones in Auburn Alabama 1969

Will Dockery

2013-02-09 18:02:35 UTC

The Rolling Stones in Auburn Alabama, November 14th 1969

Poster:
http://www.thewareaglereader.com/2011/04/flyer-for-1969-rolling-stones-concert-in-auburn-appraised-for-5000-on-antiques-roadshow/

Thanks to Google Books, I found the story about Chuck Berry in the
Columbus-Phenix City area, in 1969. He was opening act for The Rolling
Stones, who had a show in Auburn Alabama. This was revealed briefly in
Stanley Booth's book on The Stones, " The True Adventures of the Rolling
Stones", starting around page 186:

http://books.google.com/books?id=A8d9lD_cw9oC&lpg=PA186&ots=iSHosstRUZ&dq=%22stanley%20booth%22%20%22columbus%22%20%22chuck%20berry%22&pg=PA186#v=onepage&q=%22stanley%20booth%22%20%22columbus%22%20%22chuck%20berry%22&f=false

"...In Atlanta we rented a car... heading down to Auburn... past pine woods
and rolling Georgia fields. "Looks very much like Scotland, very pleasant."
Stu said. Boy as we went deeper into the country, passing signs ---Don't
lose your soul to the mark of the beast, Jesus will save U--- Mo-Jo gas
stations, and tarpaper shanties [...] I was driving 90 miles an hour through
the Alabama backwoods but the sky had turned black by the time we reached
Auburn, and it had begun to snow [...] I would be staying in Columbus that
night, and the others would be flying to Illinois. The Dickinsons and I sat
in the car of the parking lot and smoked [...] They had come in with Chuck
Berry because they happened to be staying in the same motel as Berry in
Columbus and they knocked on Berry's door to ask if I was there [...] he did
agree to take the Dickinsond to the show if they would guide him there. They
had to stop for directions only once. "One of you Caucasians better do the
asking," Berry said at an Alabama gas station. [...] The first show had been
late and the second show was already so late that Terry Reid was cancelled.
The Auburn Special Events people were upset because the coeds had to be in
their dorms by midnight. The girls were not groupies or even fans, just
coeds with Friday night dates, and the reason there were not more of them
was that a lot of the boys were saving money to take them to the big
football game tomorrow night. [...] ...on the phone with some higher
authority, made the announcement that the Auburn coeds had been granted what
he called "When-over permission" meaning they could stay out until the
concert was over. "While the Rolling Stones are getting ready to come out,
let's hear a great Auburn cheer," Jett said, leading the crowd in a
crescendo: "Warrr-EAGLE!" [...] The Stones' 2nd set, they were looser and
warmer and the audience, War eagles or not, were warmer too. [...] The
lights came up for the last three songs [...] "It might happen," Mick said,
"even in the streets of Auburn--- Everywhere I hear the sound of marchin',
chargin feet, boys..."

From: The True Adventures of the Rolling Stones - Page 187 - Google Books
Result
books.google.com/books?isbn=1556524005
Stanley Booth - 2000 - Biography & Autobiography
Stanley Booth ... for "Wee Wee Hours," the B side of "Maybellene" and the
first Chuck Berry blues. Berry ... Jett, who had been on the phone with some
higher authority, made the announcement that the Auburn coeds had been
granted what he ...