Politician James G. Watt had already carved himself a reputation for being controversial and outspoken by the time he outdid himself by taking on the Beach Boys in 1983.

President Ronald Reagan’s Secretary of the Interior had been in office for two years and was known as an anti-environmentalist who once vowed to “mine more, drill more, cut more timber,” and upset many conservation bodies in the process. But Watt achieved a new height of hatred when he went after Brian Wilson’s band on April 5, 1983.
The Beach Boys had marked Independence Day at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in 1980, 1981 and 1982, performing to large audiences each time, and it had been expected that a fourth appearance would take place. Watt, however, had other ideas – without naming the band directly, he announced that no more rock acts would take part on July 4, saying they attracted “the wrong element.” “We’re not going to encourage drug abuse and alcoholism, as was done in the past,” he said.

Read More: When the Beach Boys Faced a Surprising July 4 Ban | https://ultimateclassicrock.com/...

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