WHOoPLA Chapters 12 & 13
Chapter Twelve: What Plan?
For the 21st largest market in the country (Milwaukee has since declined to #36) there wasn’t much room in the public’s eye for too many big events to happen at the same time.
The results of Milwaukee Brewer General Manager Harry Dalton’s blockbuster 7 player deal from the year before were paying off as Robin Yount, Paul Molitor, Cecil Cooper, Rollie Fingers, Pete Vuckovich and back-up catcher/future manager Ned Yost and team had the best record in baseball and were bearing down on the American League pennant. The Milwaukee Journal described the upcoming home games as “opening a new season” and headlined the Sports Section with:
“THE BIGGEST HOMESTAND EVER.”
LPX was all over it. Their AM across the hall, WISN, had just recently won the broadcast rights away from AM historic Milwaukee powerhouse WTMJ, so their tie-ins were proving valuable. Bobbin Beam, who had made her name as an air talent and later PD at QFM but jumped ship to LPX on their debut, was singing the National Anthem before games. That’s exposure that was hard to compete with. Beyond that LPX was throwing their considerable promotional funds behind The Pro Rock Rally to be held at the lakefront. It was a response to a wacky Burlington, Wisconsin preacher who was crusading against the evils of music. He claimed that rock music, in particular, had been infiltrated by forces that can turn adolescents into Satan worshippers. The former Valium addict claimed his being “born again” not only cured his addiction but also his Leukemia. He created a list of 55 performers who were dangerous. It included Elton John, The Captain and Tenille and the hard working Village People. There were very real fears that the free concert at the lakefront Gun Club site would erupt into a brawl of some sort so the Milwaukee Police department was planning a show of force. They had tried to line up Doors keyboardist Ray Manzerek for the show but ended up settling for The Shoes opening for Blackfoot. With all this going on, it was going to be a struggle to get folks attention. This wasn’t a time to be subtle.
Lee Arnold wasn’t. This was going to be a loud, noisy, brash, in-your-face, affair. Just the way he liked ‘em to be.
