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| OZARK
MOUNTAIN MUSIC
FESTIVAL SEDALIA , MO JULY 19-21 1974 |
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| "ONE
OF THE LARGEST
ROCK AND ROLL CONCERTS EVER" THE LAST OF THE 1960's AND 1970's ROCK AND ROLL FESTIVALS |
| About
Project
Playlist and music copyrights HERE The music here is from some of the bands that performed at the OMF. However NO music was recorded there. |
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SOME
RUMORS AFTER THE CONCERT
It is believed that NBC filmed the entire concert (I did see cameras) and this would explain The Wolfman Jack being the mc. But it is said that the courts confiscated the footage because of the large amount of damage done to the town and fair grounds . The advertisements for the concert said "No Hassles Guaranteed", which of course, hippies took to mean it would be a wide open drug event with no police . And it was , I don't remember seeing any police in the fair grounds (but I am sure there were some) . And I do remember seeing wide open drug use . The only law enforcement ,if you can call it that was provided by The Hells Angels , they were everywhere. It was reported that they set up brothels in buses which they ran. I don't remember seeing any. The people that were hurt or drug overdosed were carried away by National Guard helicopters .And helicopters were used to carry bands in and out. There is almost no history of the festival published. What I have written here is what I personally witnessed and from a few other sources . If I have left anything out or you have pictures of the event than please contact me . |
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 Were
you at "OMF" ? Wanna tell us about it ?CONTACT or if you prefer email us @ rockisrighton@gmail.com |
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E-Letter
from Daryl
I was 19 that summer, and a resident then of the Mississippi Gulf
Coast. But, I was visiting relatives in Memphis that summer,
and together with a cousin and several friends (all teenagers), we made
the 7 hour, 400 mile drive to Sedalia to attend the Festival.
I hadn't heard about the event, and it wasn't my idea. As a
college hippie type at the time, it was something that was right up my
alley, though! Some of the things I
recall:-- We had no tickets, and preferred not to buy any! So, we quickly found a section of chain link fence that had been ripped open, and quite easily entered the Fairgrounds without paying. I seem to recall stage announcements made at some point indicating that it was "a free concert, man"...something akin to the Woodstock experience. -- All I have read about the massive supplies of drugs rings true. Stationary vendor stands could be found, and also a plethora of individuals who roamed the grounds selling on the move. One memory I have is of a guy with case-of-beer cardboard box suspended from his neck, wandering around announcing which drugs he was marketing. He was like the grubby and perhaps evil twin of a cigarette girl in those old movie night club scenes. I recall every conceivable drug being sold, but what sticks out in my memory is the "opium" being sold just about everywhere.....tar-like, sticky stuff, for smoking. -- Nudity was everywhere, particularly topless women...or, that's what sticks in my mind! At some point, I ventured into the town of Sedalia, and visited a fast food place....a McDonald's, perhaps. There were nude and semi-nude people in line, and being served there! -- I do recall seeing spectator sex on display. In particular, I had pushed up front to watch the performance of Ted Nugent and his band. Weren't they called the Hot Nuts, then? During their show, a couple was doing it on the ground, right in front of the stage. A group of audience members surrounded them, and cheered them on. It seems to me that the antics were noted from the stage by Nugent, too. -- I vivid recall the many stage appearances and announcements by Wolfman Jack. I think it fair to say that he was never "cool" with hard rock, hippie culture. As a result, he was very often booed and generally treated with derision by many in the audience. -- An odd fact that I remember quite clearly....during one of the evenings, an announcement was made (perhaps by the Wolfman) that a "special guest" was about to take the stage. This GRABBED all of our attention, as you might guess. And...the throng's usual cacophony lowered to nearly a whisper! "Who could it be....", we were asking for those moments..."Dylan...the Beatles reunion...or, one of the Fab Four??" Then the announcer introduced Jim Ryun, the athlete and runner who had smashed the "mile run" record in the mid-1960s. He walked out on stage, and said something like, "I happened to be in the area and came by to see what an event such as this looks like....thanks!" He just as quickly exited the stage leaving the crowd in stunned silence, followed by bewildered and polite gentle applause! It is interesting to note that Ryun is now a Republican US Congressman, representing a Kansas district. He is 61 now, and was elected to Congress in 1996. It would surely be a HOOT if someone could get from HIM his memories of that day! Cheers Daryl |
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| See more David Mann professional photos of the OMF HERE |
| Another Poor Ol' Hippie
website © 2008 |
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While we are a drug free website (we are just burnt-out from past drug use that occurred years ago) and do not anymore promote the use of illegal drugs, we are aware of the United States of America constitutional right of free speech. Therefore we support and are involved in the reform of marijuana laws.   |
