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El Monte Legion Stadium

The El Monte Legion Stadium—also known as Legion Stadium,[2] El Monte Union High School Auditorium,[3] El Monte Auditorium,[4] El Monte Gymnasium,[5] Old El Monte Gym,[6] and The Pink Elephant[7]—was a 3,500-seat multi-purpose indoor venue in El Monte, California.

El Monte Legion Stadium
The Pink Elephant
El Monte Legion Stadium (c. mid-1950s)
Former namesEl Monte Union High School Auditorium
El Monte Auditorium
El Monte Gymnasium
Address11151 Valley Boulevard
El Monte, California
United States
OwnerEl Monte Union High School District (1927–1945)
American Legion, Post 261 (1945–1973)
United States Postal Service (1973–1974)
Capacity3,500
Acreage2.49 acres
Construction
Built1927
Opened1928
Renovated1945
Closed1973
Demolished1974
Years active1928–1973
Construction cost$70,000 (c. $1,210,000 in 2023[1])
General contractorThurman & Thurman

It had originally been a combined auditorium and gymnasium located on the campus of El Monte Union High School. From the beginning, the venue served the school as well as the general public in El Monte. Concerns about its soundness after the 1933 Long Beach earthquake nearly resulted in its closure, but tests that determined the building was stronger than previously believed, as well as the prohibitive costs of erecting a new auditorium, led to its preservation. El Monte Union High School, however, moved to a new campus.

In 1945, the American Legion, Post 261 bought the venue, renaming it El Monte Legion Stadium. In addition to using it for their meetings, they also leased it out for sporting events and concerts. Between 1949 and 1962, Legion Stadium overlapped as the host venue for Cliffie Stone's Hometown Jamboree and Art Laboe's "Oldies, but Goodies" concerts, becoming an important part of the history of the country music and nascent rock and roll subcultures in the Greater Los Angeles area. The latter led to Frank Zappa and Ray Collins writing the song "Memories of El Monte".

Rising costs and changes in society led to Legion Stadium's decline. It was purchased by the USPS in 1973 and demolished in 1974.

History

 
Façade of El Monte Gymnasium Auditorium in 1928

School building

El Monte Legion Stadium, originally a combined auditorium and gymnasium, was the final component added to a complex of school buildings housing El Monte Union High School.[7][8] The contract for $62,991 for the construction of the facility was publicly announced on September 30, 1927.[9] By April 1, 1928, when construction was nearly complete, the cost was revised to $70,000,[8] with an additional $10,000 needed for equipment. According to contractors Thurman & Thurman, it was "the best value of any building erected in Southern California" in the 1920s. Its seating capacity was announced as 3,500.[10]

By the end of the 1920s, El Monte Union High Auditorium was used by the general public for entertainment[4] and sporting events.[11] In 1931, it was one of the venues that hosted the Junior Olympic Games.[12][13] It also hosted celebratory exhibitions that preceded the 1932 Summer Olympics.[5]

Damage incurred in the 1933 Long Beach earthquake left the adjoining buildings unsafe. In 1934, the school's administration building was abandoned[14] and the future of the auditorium was debated. James Thurman, whose company had built it, said that one of the trustees of the El Monte Union High School District board had a personal grudge against him that led him to vigorously campaign for demolition. Tests demonstrated that the building was capable of withstanding significantly more stress than had previously been believed. The building was preserved after the cost of demolition was determined to be in excess of what was spent for its construction.[15] The remaining school buildings continued to be used until April 1937, when the threat of a student strike successfully persuaded the El Monte Union High School District board to move classes to safer facilities.[16] Construction of the new El Monte Union High School began in December.[17]

Throughout this period, the El Monte Union High Auditorium continued to be used, including during El Monte's inaugural Pioneer Days in 1935, where it was the venue for The End of the Santa Fe Trail, a play that celebrated the city's early years, which served to culminate the festivities.[18]

During World War II, the auditorium was converted into a factory that produced airplane parts.[19]

Legionnaires purchase

On January 16, 1945, the American Legion, Post 261, purchased the building from El Monte Union High School District for $26,650.[20] A former Legionnaire, John W. Goodenow, explained the rationale for their purchase:

[W]e knew the boys were coming home from World War II and needed a place to have their parties and their meetings and to have a good time.[20]

Another Legionnaire, Marshall Walker, said that the building was also intended to be a "living memorial to the war dead".[15] It was initially renamed El Monte Athletic Club,[6] but was later called El Monte Legion Stadium.[21]

The American Legion leased the building to Claude Bridge, a local boxing promoter and former journalist.[6][22] Boxing and wrestling matches were hosted by Legion Stadium twice a week and were very profitable in the immediate postwar years, but interest in them quickly dwindled.[20] Among the boxers who fought at the venue was Kris Kristofferson in 1958, then a Rhodes Scholar at Pomona College.[23]

Hometown Jamboree

 
Cliffie Stone c. 1952

According to the Pasadena Independent Star-News, Legion Stadium reached its "heyday of popularity" when it became the home of Cliffie Stone's Hometown Jamboree,[15] a country music television program that was initially broadcast locally on KLAC, then moved to KTLA.[24] Originally, Hometown Jamboree had been a radio program that was broadcast live on Saturday nights from Placentia. Stone recalled that Tennessee Ernie Ford, one of the performers on Hometown Jamboree, had been the catalyst for the change of venue and broadcasting medium:

He'd heard about El Monte Legion Stadium. The crowds had gotten too big for Placentia. We needed a new place. We took a look at the stadium and moved the show. My wife, Dorothy, and I had about $1,400 [c. $18,000 in 2023] saved. We took that and went to KLAC, Channel 13, and bought two half-hour shows. We were risking our life savings.[24]

The broadcast was an immediate success and gained Westinghouse Broadcasting as a sponsor;[24] Stone soon became considered the "Ed Sullivan" of country music.[25] At its peak, Hometown Jamboree was the highest-rated television program in Los Angeles[24] and drew upwards of 4,000 people to Legion Stadium per show. Among the performers who appeared on the program at Legion Stadium were Molly Bee, Billy Strange, Joan O'Brien, Tex Ritter, Lefty Frizzell, Tex Williams, and Johnny Cash.[25]

Hometown Jamboree was cancelled in 1959.[25]

Art Laboe

 
Art Laboe (standing, second from left) with staff from KCMJ, 1948

In 1955, Legion Stadium attracted the attention of Art Laboe, the host of a rock and roll radio show in Los Angeles. His "Oldies, but Goodies" programs had become so popular that the crowds who converged onto the Scrivner's Drive-In location on the corner of Sunset Blvd. and Cahuenga Ave. in Hollywood, where the show was broadcast live, caused traffic jams in the area.[26] At first, Laboe sought a new show venue within the city of Los Angeles, but was dissuaded by its laws that placed restrictions on gatherings of people under the age of 18, which required permission from the board of the LAUSD.[27] Instead, he chose El Monte, where local laws were more lenient.[28] Nevertheless, Laboe, his business partner Hal Zeiger, and Johnny Otis, who also organized shows at Legion Stadium, ran into opposition from the El Monte City Council; their dance permits for Legion Stadium were revoked on the grounds that the rock and roll music performed at their shows created an "unwholesome, unhealthy situation". Otis accused the City Council of legislating against interracial relationships; he led a campaign with the ACLU, NAACP, and AFM, Local 47, that resulted in the reversal of the City Council's decision.[29]

Laboe's shows at Legion Stadium began in 1957[30] and were produced on alternating weekends. They consisted of live performances and dances to prerecorded music, prioritized "fun, fun, fun", and dispensed with dress codes. Guest performers included The Penguins,[30] Don and Dewey, Jackie Wilson, Sam Cooke, Ritchie Valens,[31] Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chubby Checker, Tommy Sands, The Coasters, and the Everly Brothers. According to Laboe, Legion Stadium would be filled to capacity, with a line of people hoping to get in coiling around the building twice over.[30] "We used to have to shut the door because they were like sardines [inside of Legion Stadium]", he said.[32]

Retrospectively, Laboe's shows at Legion Stadium are also remembered as a landmark in multiculturalism in Los Angeles.[33][34][35] In 1995, Laboe recalled that "White kids from Beverly Hills, Black kids from Compton, and local Chicano kids" all went to his shows.[28] According to one patron, interracial dating had become a common sight at Legion Stadium by the end of the 1950s:

When I went to El Monte [Legion Stadium], I felt I could date anybody I wanted to; I could dance with anybody I wanted to.[27]

Altogether, by the time Laboe hosted his last "Oldies, but Goodies" show in 1962, he had produced over 300 of them, mostly at Legion Stadium.[30]

Decline and final years

Changing trends in popular music, its attendant industry, and society in general during the 1960s led to a drop in musical bookings for Legion Stadium.[36] A former patron recalled:

The shows inside the place reflected the changes going on outside. Stabbings, beatings, and riots were commonplace. Rival gangs fought each other as the music provided them with a soundtrack.[36]

Although Legion Stadium continued to be used for sporting events[15] and live music, including hosting a show for Johnny Winter in 1971, rising taxes and operating costs made it more difficult for the American Legion to earn a profit.[19]

In May 1969, the United States Post Office announced that they were considering acquiring the 2.49 acre property and had appraised it for $285,000 (c. $2,400,000 in 2023).[37] On November 29, the Post Office said that it would acquire Legion Stadium and an adjoining building for a total of $510,000 (c. $4,000,000 in 2023); a new branch office serving El Monte would be built in its place under a lease agreement with a private developer.[38] The process was stalled by the reorganization of the Post Office into the USPS, but was finalized in January 1973 after Legion Stadium was sold to the United States Army Corps of Engineers for $369,800 (c. $2,600,000 in 2023).[39] The last event hosted there took place in September 1973.[12]

Demolition

Legion Stadium was demolished on August 9, 1974.[12]

Legacy

 
Frank Zappa (pictured in 1958) and Ray Collins collaborated on writing the song "Memories of El Monte" in 1962.

"Memories of El Monte"

Experiences at Legion Stadium led Frank Zappa and Ray Collins to write the 1962 song "Memories of El Monte", which was named after an eponymous LP compilation produced by Laboe. Zappa had presented the song to Laboe, who agreed to produce it as a single for his label Original Sound Recordings. Laboe prevailed upon Cleve Duncan from The Penguins to sing the lead, with members of The Viceroys, a local band, singing backing vocals; he also asked Zappa to amend the lyrics so as to mention the groups included on the Memories of El Monte LP. The song's second verse mentions these groups and quotes from their songs, while Duncan performs vocal impersonations of them. The song concludes with an evocation of El Monte and Legion Stadium.[40]

Tributes

In 2014, Vincent Ramos erected his "El Monte Legion Stadium Nocturne" at El Monte Station. The work commemorates performers associated with Stone, Laboe, and Otis, as well as athletes who played at Legion Stadium. Their likenesses are displayed atop images of 45s.[41] In 2018, Union Walk, a 62-unit townhouse complex built on the property that was formerly the location of Legion Stadium, opened to the public. Its grand opening ceremony was hosted by Laboe,[42] who was commemorated in an entrance fountain designed by Rebecca Niederlander. She recorded Laboe's reminiscences of Legion Stadium, which are displayed on a nearby plaque:

There was a lot of duplication of friendships and just a lot of fun on Saturday night, as we all danced and sang and had a great time. Times we will never forget, lives in the hearts and minds of the thousands that attended the El Monte Legion Stadium through the years. This is Art Laboe and I sure hope that you all have as good a time as we had back in the day at El Monte Legion Stadium! See you there, Saturday night![43]

His words were converted into a soundwave image that serves as a motif circling the fountain's base.[43]

References

  1. ^ "CPI Inflation Calculator". United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023.
  2. ^ Ellis, Gary (December 13, 1972). "Southland Sports Digest". Long Beach Independent. p. 39. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ "Cage Dates Listed". Los Angeles Times. February 12, 1935. p. 32. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b "Elks to Stage Benefit Revue". Monrovia News-Post. March 23, 1929. p. 1. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b "Sports Carnival Staged Friday". Monrovia News-Post. April 1, 2023. p. 6. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ a b c "Legion to Sponsor Fight Stadium in Old El Monte Gym". Covina Argus-Citizen. February 22, 1946. p. 3. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ a b Bortin, Harry (March 26, 1967). "Legion Stadium—Color it a 'Pink Elephant'". Pasadena Independent Star-News. p. 3. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com. In El Monte some people refer to [Legion Stadium] half-affectionately as 'the pink elephant'...
  8. ^ a b "El Monte in Steady Gains". Los Angeles Times. April 1, 1928. p. 5. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "El Monte". Oceanside Blade. September 30, 1927. p. 2. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via California Digital Newspaper Collection.
  10. ^ "El Monte Accepts School Auditorium". Los Angeles Times. April 15, 1928. p. 14. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ Forbes, Mary R. (July 12, 1928). "Covina". Pomona Progress-Bulletin. p. 5. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ a b c Barker, Mayerene (August 8, 1974). "Wrecking Ball to Raze Legion Stadium Friday". Los Angeles Times. p. 173. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Johnny Lee Due to Win SC Finals". Highland Park News-Herald. June 3, 1931. p. 1. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Many Alterations for El Monte School". Monrovia News-Post. May 28, 1934. p. 7. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ a b c d Bortin, Harry (March 26, 1967). "Legion Stadium Problems". Pasadena Independent Star-News. p. 4. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Pleas Balk Pupil Strike". Los Angeles Times. April 15, 1937. p. 31. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "School Building Program Ready". Los Angeles Times. December 7, 1937. p. 10. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ "El Monte Pioneer Fete Will Open Tomorrow". Los Angeles Times. May 23, 1928. p. 28. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  19. ^ a b Castro, Mike (June 20, 1971). "Time, Taxes Force Sale of Old Stadium". Los Angeles Times. p. 225. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ a b c Castro, Mike (June 20, 1971). "Time and Taxes May Force Sale of Stadium". Los Angeles Times. p. 221. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  21. ^ "American Legion Plans Weekly Sports Program in El Monte". Metropolitan Pasadena Star-News. February 18, 1946. p. 13. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "El Monte Plans Sports Shows". Pasadena Star-News and Pasadena Post. January 31, 1946. p. 20. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ Whorton, Cal (January 27, 1958). "Rhodes Scholar: Kristofferson 'Smartest' Glover". Los Angeles Times. p. 58. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  24. ^ a b c d Barker, Mayerene (November 26, 1978). "Cliffie Stone is Back". Los Angeles Times. p. 686. Archived from the original on April 6, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  25. ^ a b c Barker, Mayerene (November 26, 1978). "Back Together After 30 Years... Cliffie Stone and his Jamboree". Los Angeles Times. p. 679. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  26. ^ Guzmán et al. 2020, p. 229.
  27. ^ a b Macías 2004, p. 710.
  28. ^ a b Garcia 1996, p. 324.
  29. ^ Macías 2004, p. 711.
  30. ^ a b c d Grant, Lee (September 7, 1975). "Art Laboe: Lighting the Fuse Back to the Good Old Plays". Los Angeles Times. p. 495. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved April 4, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  31. ^ Guzmán et al. 2020, pp. 229–231.
  32. ^ Larsen, Peter (March 9, 2018). "Art Laboe, legendary Southern California DJ, talks about the early days of rock 'n' roll in El Monte". San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  33. ^ Guzmán et al. 2020, p. 231.
  34. ^ Garcia 1996, p. 335.
  35. ^ Lipsitz 2004, pp. 523–524.
  36. ^ a b Garcia 1996, p. 334.
  37. ^ "Site Considered for Post Office". Los Angeles Times. May 18, 1969. p. 149. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  38. ^ "Post Office Will Succeed Stadium". Los Angeles Times. November 29, 1969. p. 17. Archived from the original on April 5, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  39. ^ Castro, Mike (January 27, 1973). "Land Sale Under Way: El Monte Legion Stadium May Be Razed for New Post Office". Los Angeles Times. p. 16. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved April 5, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  40. ^ Guzmán et al. 2020, p. 226–227.
  41. ^ "El Monte Legion Stadium Nocturne". Metro.net. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  42. ^ Munguia, Hayley (March 8, 2018). "Art Laboe to get key to El Monte as 62-unit Union Walk townhomes open Saturday". San Gabriel Valley Tribune. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  43. ^ a b "Memories of El Monte, 2017". Becster.org. Archived from the original on May 2, 2023. Retrieved May 2, 2023.

Cited sources

  • Garcia, Matt (1996). "The 'Chicano' Dance Hall: Remapping Public Space in Post-World War II Greater Los Angeles". Counterpoints. Peter Lang AG. 96: 317–341. JSTOR 42975842 – via JSTOR.
  • Guzmán, Romeo; Fragoza, Carribean; Sayf Cummings, Alex; Reft, Ryan, eds. (2020). East of East: The Making of Greater El Monte. New Brunswick, New Jersey: Rutgers University Press. ISBN 9781978805491.
  • Lipsitz, George (September 2004). "Learning from Los Angeles: Another One Rides the Bus". American Quarterly. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. 56 (3): 511–529. doi:10.1353/aq.2004.0037. JSTOR 40068231. S2CID 144088300 – via JSTOR.
  • Macías, Anthony (September 2004). "Bringing Music to the People: Race, Urban Culture, and Municipal Politics in Postwar Los Angeles". American Quarterly. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. 56 (3): 693–717. doi:10.1353/aq.2004.0038. JSTOR 40068239. S2CID 144934499 – via JSTOR.

monte, legion, stadium, also, known, legion, stadium, monte, union, high, school, auditorium, monte, auditorium, monte, gymnasium, monte, pink, elephant, seat, multi, purpose, indoor, venue, monte, california, pink, elephant, 1950s, former, namesel, monte, uni. The El Monte Legion Stadium also known as Legion Stadium 2 El Monte Union High School Auditorium 3 El Monte Auditorium 4 El Monte Gymnasium 5 Old El Monte Gym 6 and The Pink Elephant 7 was a 3 500 seat multi purpose indoor venue in El Monte California El Monte Legion StadiumThe Pink ElephantEl Monte Legion Stadium c mid 1950s Former namesEl Monte Union High School AuditoriumEl Monte AuditoriumEl Monte GymnasiumAddress11151 Valley BoulevardEl Monte CaliforniaUnited StatesOwnerEl Monte Union High School District 1927 1945 American Legion Post 261 1945 1973 United States Postal Service 1973 1974 Capacity3 500Acreage2 49 acresConstructionBuilt1927Opened1928Renovated1945Closed1973Demolished1974Years active1928 1973Construction cost 70 000 c 1 210 000 in 2023 1 General contractorThurman amp ThurmanIt had originally been a combined auditorium and gymnasium located on the campus of El Monte Union High School From the beginning the venue served the school as well as the general public in El Monte Concerns about its soundness after the 1933 Long Beach earthquake nearly resulted in its closure but tests that determined the building was stronger than previously believed as well as the prohibitive costs of erecting a new auditorium led to its preservation El Monte Union High School however moved to a new campus In 1945 the American Legion Post 261 bought the venue renaming it El Monte Legion Stadium In addition to using it for their meetings they also leased it out for sporting events and concerts Between 1949 and 1962 Legion Stadium overlapped as the host venue for Cliffie Stone s Hometown Jamboree and Art Laboe s Oldies but Goodies concerts becoming an important part of the history of the country music and nascent rock and roll subcultures in the Greater Los Angeles area The latter led to Frank Zappa and Ray Collins writing the song Memories of El Monte Rising costs and changes in society led to Legion Stadium s decline It was purchased by the USPS in 1973 and demolished in 1974 Contents 1 History 1 1 School building 1 2 Legionnaires purchase 1 3 Hometown Jamboree 1 4 Art Laboe 1 5 Decline and final years 1 6 Demolition 2 Legacy 2 1 Memories of El Monte 2 2 Tributes 3 References 3 1 Cited sourcesHistory Edit Facade of El Monte Gymnasium Auditorium in 1928 School building Edit El Monte Legion Stadium originally a combined auditorium and gymnasium was the final component added to a complex of school buildings housing El Monte Union High School 7 8 The contract for 62 991 for the construction of the facility was publicly announced on September 30 1927 9 By April 1 1928 when construction was nearly complete the cost was revised to 70 000 8 with an additional 10 000 needed for equipment According to contractors Thurman amp Thurman it was the best value of any building erected in Southern California in the 1920s Its seating capacity was announced as 3 500 10 By the end of the 1920s El Monte Union High Auditorium was used by the general public for entertainment 4 and sporting events 11 In 1931 it was one of the venues that hosted the Junior Olympic Games 12 13 It also hosted celebratory exhibitions that preceded the 1932 Summer Olympics 5 Damage incurred in the 1933 Long Beach earthquake left the adjoining buildings unsafe In 1934 the school s administration building was abandoned 14 and the future of the auditorium was debated James Thurman whose company had built it said that one of the trustees of the El Monte Union High School District board had a personal grudge against him that led him to vigorously campaign for demolition Tests demonstrated that the building was capable of withstanding significantly more stress than had previously been believed The building was preserved after the cost of demolition was determined to be in excess of what was spent for its construction 15 The remaining school buildings continued to be used until April 1937 when the threat of a student strike successfully persuaded the El Monte Union High School District board to move classes to safer facilities 16 Construction of the new El Monte Union High School began in December 17 Throughout this period the El Monte Union High Auditorium continued to be used including during El Monte s inaugural Pioneer Days in 1935 where it was the venue for The End of the Santa Fe Trail a play that celebrated the city s early years which served to culminate the festivities 18 During World War II the auditorium was converted into a factory that produced airplane parts 19 Legionnaires purchase Edit On January 16 1945 the American Legion Post 261 purchased the building from El Monte Union High School District for 26 650 20 A former Legionnaire John W Goodenow explained the rationale for their purchase W e knew the boys were coming home from World War II and needed a place to have their parties and their meetings and to have a good time 20 Another Legionnaire Marshall Walker said that the building was also intended to be a living memorial to the war dead 15 It was initially renamed El Monte Athletic Club 6 but was later called El Monte Legion Stadium 21 The American Legion leased the building to Claude Bridge a local boxing promoter and former journalist 6 22 Boxing and wrestling matches were hosted by Legion Stadium twice a week and were very profitable in the immediate postwar years but interest in them quickly dwindled 20 Among the boxers who fought at the venue was Kris Kristofferson in 1958 then a Rhodes Scholar at Pomona College 23 Hometown Jamboree Edit Cliffie Stone c 1952 According to the Pasadena Independent Star News Legion Stadium reached its heyday of popularity when it became the home of Cliffie Stone s Hometown Jamboree 15 a country music television program that was initially broadcast locally on KLAC then moved to KTLA 24 Originally Hometown Jamboree had been a radio program that was broadcast live on Saturday nights from Placentia Stone recalled that Tennessee Ernie Ford one of the performers on Hometown Jamboree had been the catalyst for the change of venue and broadcasting medium He d heard about El Monte Legion Stadium The crowds had gotten too big for Placentia We needed a new place We took a look at the stadium and moved the show My wife Dorothy and I had about 1 400 c 18 000 in 2023 saved We took that and went to KLAC Channel 13 and bought two half hour shows We were risking our life savings 24 The broadcast was an immediate success and gained Westinghouse Broadcasting as a sponsor 24 Stone soon became considered the Ed Sullivan of country music 25 At its peak Hometown Jamboree was the highest rated television program in Los Angeles 24 and drew upwards of 4 000 people to Legion Stadium per show Among the performers who appeared on the program at Legion Stadium were Molly Bee Billy Strange Joan O Brien Tex Ritter Lefty Frizzell Tex Williams and Johnny Cash 25 Hometown Jamboree was cancelled in 1959 25 Art Laboe Edit Art Laboe standing second from left with staff from KCMJ 1948 In 1955 Legion Stadium attracted the attention of Art Laboe the host of a rock and roll radio show in Los Angeles His Oldies but Goodies programs had become so popular that the crowds who converged onto the Scrivner s Drive In location on the corner of Sunset Blvd and Cahuenga Ave in Hollywood where the show was broadcast live caused traffic jams in the area 26 At first Laboe sought a new show venue within the city of Los Angeles but was dissuaded by its laws that placed restrictions on gatherings of people under the age of 18 which required permission from the board of the LAUSD 27 Instead he chose El Monte where local laws were more lenient 28 Nevertheless Laboe his business partner Hal Zeiger and Johnny Otis who also organized shows at Legion Stadium ran into opposition from the El Monte City Council their dance permits for Legion Stadium were revoked on the grounds that the rock and roll music performed at their shows created an unwholesome unhealthy situation Otis accused the City Council of legislating against interracial relationships he led a campaign with the ACLU NAACP and AFM Local 47 that resulted in the reversal of the City Council s decision 29 Laboe s shows at Legion Stadium began in 1957 30 and were produced on alternating weekends They consisted of live performances and dances to prerecorded music prioritized fun fun fun and dispensed with dress codes Guest performers included The Penguins 30 Don and Dewey Jackie Wilson Sam Cooke Ritchie Valens 31 Chuck Berry Little Richard Jerry Lee Lewis Chubby Checker Tommy Sands The Coasters and the Everly Brothers According to Laboe Legion Stadium would be filled to capacity with a line of people hoping to get in coiling around the building twice over 30 We used to have to shut the door because they were like sardines inside of Legion Stadium he said 32 Retrospectively Laboe s shows at Legion Stadium are also remembered as a landmark in multiculturalism in Los Angeles 33 34 35 In 1995 Laboe recalled that White kids from Beverly Hills Black kids from Compton and local Chicano kids all went to his shows 28 According to one patron interracial dating had become a common sight at Legion Stadium by the end of the 1950s When I went to El Monte Legion Stadium I felt I could date anybody I wanted to I could dance with anybody I wanted to 27 Altogether by the time Laboe hosted his last Oldies but Goodies show in 1962 he had produced over 300 of them mostly at Legion Stadium 30 Decline and final years Edit Changing trends in popular music its attendant industry and society in general during the 1960s led to a drop in musical bookings for Legion Stadium 36 A former patron recalled The shows inside the place reflected the changes going on outside Stabbings beatings and riots were commonplace Rival gangs fought each other as the music provided them with a soundtrack 36 Although Legion Stadium continued to be used for sporting events 15 and live music including hosting a show for Johnny Winter in 1971 rising taxes and operating costs made it more difficult for the American Legion to earn a profit 19 In May 1969 the United States Post Office announced that they were considering acquiring the 2 49 acre property and had appraised it for 285 000 c 2 400 000 in 2023 37 On November 29 the Post Office said that it would acquire Legion Stadium and an adjoining building for a total of 510 000 c 4 000 000 in 2023 a new branch office serving El Monte would be built in its place under a lease agreement with a private developer 38 The process was stalled by the reorganization of the Post Office into the USPS but was finalized in January 1973 after Legion Stadium was sold to the United States Army Corps of Engineers for 369 800 c 2 600 000 in 2023 39 The last event hosted there took place in September 1973 12 Demolition Edit Legion Stadium was demolished on August 9 1974 12 Legacy Edit Frank Zappa pictured in 1958 and Ray Collins collaborated on writing the song Memories of El Monte in 1962 Memories of El Monte Edit Experiences at Legion Stadium led Frank Zappa and Ray Collins to write the 1962 song Memories of El Monte which was named after an eponymous LP compilation produced by Laboe Zappa had presented the song to Laboe who agreed to produce it as a single for his label Original Sound Recordings Laboe prevailed upon Cleve Duncan from The Penguins to sing the lead with members of The Viceroys a local band singing backing vocals he also asked Zappa to amend the lyrics so as to mention the groups included on the Memories of El Monte LP The song s second verse mentions these groups and quotes from their songs while Duncan performs vocal impersonations of them The song concludes with an evocation of El Monte and Legion Stadium 40 Tributes Edit In 2014 Vincent Ramos erected his El Monte Legion Stadium Nocturne at El Monte Station The work commemorates performers associated with Stone Laboe and Otis as well as athletes who played at Legion Stadium Their likenesses are displayed atop images of 45s 41 In 2018 Union Walk a 62 unit townhouse complex built on the property that was formerly the location of Legion Stadium opened to the public Its grand opening ceremony was hosted by Laboe 42 who was commemorated in an entrance fountain designed by Rebecca Niederlander She recorded Laboe s reminiscences of Legion Stadium which are displayed on a nearby plaque There was a lot of duplication of friendships and just a lot of fun on Saturday night as we all danced and sang and had a great time Times we will never forget lives in the hearts and minds of the thousands that attended the El Monte Legion Stadium through the years This is Art Laboe and I sure hope that you all have as good a time as we had back in the day at El Monte Legion Stadium See you there Saturday night 43 His words were converted into a soundwave image that serves as a motif circling the fountain s base 43 References Edit CPI Inflation Calculator United States Bureau of Labor Statistics Archived from the original on April 5 2023 Retrieved April 5 2023 Ellis Gary December 13 1972 Southland Sports Digest Long Beach Independent p 39 Archived from the original on April 5 2023 Retrieved April 5 2023 via Newspapers com Cage Dates Listed Los Angeles Times February 12 1935 p 32 Archived from the original on April 5 2023 Retrieved April 5 2023 via Newspapers com a b Elks to Stage Benefit Revue Monrovia News Post March 23 1929 p 1 Archived from the original on April 5 2023 Retrieved April 5 2023 via Newspapers com a b Sports Carnival Staged Friday Monrovia News Post April 1 2023 p 6 Archived from the original on April 5 2023 Retrieved April 5 2023 via Newspapers com a b c Legion to Sponsor Fight Stadium in Old El Monte Gym Covina Argus Citizen February 22 1946 p 3 Archived from the original on April 5 2023 Retrieved April 5 2023 via Newspapers com a b Bortin Harry March 26 1967 Legion Stadium Color it a Pink Elephant Pasadena Independent Star News p 3 Archived from the original on April 5 2023 Retrieved April 5 2023 via Newspapers com In El Monte some people refer to Legion Stadium half affectionately as the pink elephant a b El Monte in Steady Gains Los Angeles Times April 1 1928 p 5 Archived from the original on April 5 2023 Retrieved April 5 2023 via Newspapers com El Monte Oceanside Blade September 30 1927 p 2 Archived from the original on April 5 2023 Retrieved April 5 2023 via California Digital Newspaper Collection El Monte Accepts School Auditorium Los Angeles Times April 15 1928 p 14 Archived from the original on April 5 2023 Retrieved April 5 2023 via Newspapers com Forbes Mary R July 12 1928 Covina Pomona Progress Bulletin p 5 Archived from the original on April 5 2023 Retrieved April 5 2023 via Newspapers com a b c Barker Mayerene August 8 1974 Wrecking Ball to Raze Legion Stadium Friday Los Angeles Times p 173 Archived from the original on April 5 2023 Retrieved April 5 2023 via Newspapers com Johnny Lee Due to Win SC Finals Highland Park News Herald June 3 1931 p 1 Archived from the original on April 5 2023 Retrieved April 5 2023 via Newspapers com Many Alterations for El Monte School Monrovia News Post May 28 1934 p 7 Archived from the original on April 6 2023 Retrieved April 6 2023 via Newspapers com a b c d Bortin Harry March 26 1967 Legion Stadium Problems Pasadena Independent Star News p 4 Archived from the original on April 5 2023 Retrieved April 5 2023 via Newspapers com Pleas Balk Pupil Strike Los Angeles Times April 15 1937 p 31 Archived from the original on April 6 2023 Retrieved April 6 2023 via Newspapers com School Building Program Ready Los Angeles Times December 7 1937 p 10 Archived from the original on April 6 2023 Retrieved April 6 2023 via Newspapers com El Monte Pioneer Fete Will Open Tomorrow Los Angeles Times May 23 1928 p 28 Archived from the original on April 5 2023 Retrieved April 5 2023 via Newspapers com a b Castro Mike June 20 1971 Time Taxes Force Sale of Old Stadium Los Angeles Times p 225 Archived from the original on April 6 2023 Retrieved April 6 2023 via Newspapers com a b c Castro Mike June 20 1971 Time and Taxes May Force Sale of Stadium Los Angeles Times p 221 Archived from the original on April 6 2023 Retrieved April 6 2023 via Newspapers com American Legion Plans Weekly Sports Program in El Monte Metropolitan Pasadena Star News February 18 1946 p 13 Archived from the original on April 6 2023 Retrieved April 6 2023 via Newspapers com El Monte Plans Sports Shows Pasadena Star News and Pasadena Post January 31 1946 p 20 Archived from the original on April 6 2023 Retrieved April 6 2023 via Newspapers com Whorton Cal January 27 1958 Rhodes Scholar Kristofferson Smartest Glover Los Angeles Times p 58 Archived from the original on May 2 2023 Retrieved April 5 2023 via Newspapers com a b c d Barker Mayerene November 26 1978 Cliffie Stone is Back Los Angeles Times p 686 Archived from the original on April 6 2023 Retrieved May 2 2023 via Newspapers com a b c Barker Mayerene November 26 1978 Back Together After 30 Years Cliffie Stone and his Jamboree Los Angeles Times p 679 Archived from the original on May 2 2023 Retrieved April 6 2023 via Newspapers com Guzman et al 2020 p 229 a b Macias 2004 p 710 a b Garcia 1996 p 324 Macias 2004 p 711 a b c d Grant Lee September 7 1975 Art Laboe Lighting the Fuse Back to the Good Old Plays Los Angeles Times p 495 Archived from the original on May 2 2023 Retrieved April 4 2023 via Newspapers com Guzman et al 2020 pp 229 231 Larsen Peter March 9 2018 Art Laboe legendary Southern California DJ talks about the early days of rock n roll in El Monte San Gabriel Valley Tribune Archived from the original on May 2 2023 Retrieved April 4 2023 Guzman et al 2020 p 231 Garcia 1996 p 335 Lipsitz 2004 pp 523 524 a b Garcia 1996 p 334 Site Considered for Post Office Los Angeles Times May 18 1969 p 149 Archived from the original on May 2 2023 Retrieved April 5 2023 via Newspapers com Post Office Will Succeed Stadium Los Angeles Times November 29 1969 p 17 Archived from the original on April 5 2023 Retrieved April 5 2023 via Newspapers com Castro Mike January 27 1973 Land Sale Under Way El Monte Legion Stadium May Be Razed for New Post Office Los Angeles Times p 16 Archived from the original on May 2 2023 Retrieved April 5 2023 via Newspapers com Guzman et al 2020 p 226 227 El Monte Legion Stadium Nocturne Metro net Archived from the original on May 2 2023 Retrieved May 2 2023 Munguia Hayley March 8 2018 Art Laboe to get key to El Monte as 62 unit Union Walk townhomes open Saturday San Gabriel Valley Tribune Archived from the original on May 2 2023 Retrieved May 2 2023 a b Memories of El Monte 2017 Becster org Archived from the original on May 2 2023 Retrieved May 2 2023 Cited sources Edit Garcia Matt 1996 The Chicano Dance Hall Remapping Public Space in Post World War II Greater Los Angeles Counterpoints Peter Lang AG 96 317 341 JSTOR 42975842 via JSTOR Guzman Romeo Fragoza Carribean Sayf Cummings Alex Reft Ryan eds 2020 East of East The Making of Greater El Monte New Brunswick New Jersey Rutgers University Press ISBN 9781978805491 Lipsitz George September 2004 Learning from Los Angeles Another One Rides the Bus American Quarterly Baltimore Johns Hopkins University Press 56 3 511 529 doi 10 1353 aq 2004 0037 JSTOR 40068231 S2CID 144088300 via JSTOR Macias Anthony September 2004 Bringing Music to the People Race Urban Culture and Municipal Politics in Postwar Los Angeles American Quarterly Baltimore Johns Hopkins University Press 56 3 693 717 doi 10 1353 aq 2004 0038 JSTOR 40068239 S2CID 144934499 via JSTOR Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title El Monte Legion Stadium amp oldid 1155177559, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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