Yesterday in La Crosse
The marching band needed help to get to the Rose Bowl, 48 years ago
In the fall of 1969, the Marching Chiefs band from La Crosse State was making travel plans to play in the Rose Parade at Pasadena on New Year’s Day. More than 200 musicians would be marching in the parade, and each of them needed to raise $230 to pay for the trip. The Chiefs were selling cookbooks of their favorite recipes, and planned to sell concessions at Oktoberfest.
The “Racquet” newspaper on campus declared that ending the Vietnam War was the most important task facing the nation. The paper promoted two anti-war moratoriums that were scheduled in Washington during the fall.
Music lovers in La Crosse could buy popular records at the Pic-a-Book Store on Campbell Road, with albums priced as low as $3.67. The hot albums included “Chicago Transit Authority,” by the band later known as just Chicago…Bob Dylan’s “Nashville Skyline,” featuring “Lay Lady Lay”…and “Johnny Cash at San Quentin,” featuring the live version of “A Boy Named Sue.” Forty eight years ago, 1969, Yesterday in La Crosse.