“A Rock Group of Some Sort:” FBI Investigates The Grateful Dead
The FBI wasted endless hours investigating such “threats” to the U.S. as John Lennon (see the government’s attempt to deport him on March 23, 1973) and the rock and roll classic, Louie Louie (May 20, 1964).
On this day, an FBI report described The Grateful Dead as “a rock group of some sort.”
The investigation was a classic example of how the FBI wasted valuable resources on matters that did not involve violations of federal law (not to mention spying on people and groups because of their political beliefs), while ignoring major criminal activity such as organized crime.
Read the FBI File on The Grateful Dead: http://vault.fbi.gov/The%20Grateful%20Dead%20
Hear the Dead Perform “U.S. Blues”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdPOAhBp2Ag
Read about the long FBI investigation of Louie, Louie: Dave Marsh, Louie Louie (1993)
Find links to book, articles and more on censorship of rack and roll at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame here
Check out the Grateful Dead web site: http://www.dead.net/
Learn more about music and censorship: http://www.ncac.org/Music