On that day in 1975 - 23 July

This entry was four dense pages. I open with a list of records I saw at Platterpus that I wanted. Then I spend a page and a half examining my friendship with Jade. She had borrowed a bunch of records and I even wondered if she was planning to keep them! It all blew over quickly...

But the meat of the entry was the Rock Awards, which were held at the Santa Monica Civic. All the slebs (it does seem weird to use that word in reference to 1970s celebrities!) arrived round the back and there was nothing stopping starstruck teenagers from hanging out and waiting on the grass there for hours. This is what we did before and after concerts, but today we had a concentration of famous folk. There were only about a dozen others waiting on the grass, a few more by the red carpet on the other side.

I looked up the Rock Awards - I found the guest list rather odd; seemed to be more actors and old school entertainers than rock artists, Grandpa Walton, Zsa Zsa and Totie Fields, anyone? - but there was very little information online, except that it was produced by Don Kirshner.) Maybe it was even a one-off event; it would be a few years before the MTV awards took off.

Oops, I was looking at the wrong year, but I was correct in that these awards did not last very long. From the Wikipedia page:

The Rock Music Awards was an alternative to the Grammy Awards designed specifically for rock music. The First Annual awards program was produced in 1975 in Los Angeles by Don Kirshnerand featured Elton John and Diana Ross as hosts and presenters.^[1] The Second Annual awards show featured Brian Wilson as host and presenter.^[2] The show did not provide a successful challenge to the Grammy's and was discontinued after three years.

Winners of the 1975 awards included Elton John as "Rock Personality of the Year" and The Who's Tommy as "Rock Movie of the Year." Other winners included Bad Company, Stevie Wonder andThe Eagles.

23 July 1975

Went to get Hit Parader - TODD, Ray Davies, John Cale, David Bowie and Peter Frampton!! Unbelievable! I wrote eight pages to Russell Mael! [Wish I knew what I wrote about; I have no idea!] Have to call Dan tomorrow about Gentle Giant.

So, the rock awards. We got there and Raquel Welch came out. Then this limo goes by and it's Elton John! [Where were you, Alice Bag?!] SHOCKING. Then Bernie Taupin (he waved to us!),, Valerie Perrine, Olivia Newton-John, Alice Cooper (SNOB!)... then we turn around and Roger Daltrey's limo was going by!

Those kids were making fun of us. Then: Telma Hopkins, Joyce Vincent, Lisa Robinson (Hey, we were faithful readers of Rock Scene!), Kiki Dee (the worst dressed woman of the year!) [What am I - a teenage Joan Rivers?!], Ann-Margret (classic car!) and Tony Orlando. [Where was Dawn?]

Then Roger came back out of the building - went towards his limo but passed it - I couldn't believe my eyes! Closer and closer... Of all the people he stops right in front of me! Used my mag to write on and held my hand (sigh ...) [I guess my hand was holding the magazine?] He is ten million more times foxy in person! Yesterday when he was on KWST I thought of all these great things to say to him and now I could not say a thing! Oh, but I did say that his new album was great and he thanked me ... Why didn't I kiss him? [Good grief!]

Then Keith Moon - "Keithy, I love you!!" He waved. Manhattan Transfer ("Who ARE those squares?!), Chuck Berry (snob), Ella Fitzgerald [she was just some old-fashioned singer my mom liked then; little did I know I would borrow her name in a few years...], Labelle, Davey Johnstone (mmmmmm) (he waved), and Elton came back but he went around to a secret entrance.

Then Edgar [Winter] arrived and everyone kept saying it was some blond chick, but I knew it was Edgar! Steve Paul got out and drove off though and we ran around to the front and it was confusing. Ran right in front of the car and Rick [Derringer] got out and turned around and waved and we ran alongside the red carpet ("Hey, this is great!") but you had to be a photographer with a pass.

So then we saw Phyllis Diller, Mike Douglas, Linda Blair, Roger again, David Joliffe, Nigel Olsson, Shawn Cassidy, Totie Fields, Bo Donaldson, Ruth Buzzi, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Michael Douglas, RUSSELL MAEL, Jim Dandy, Leslie Uggams, Sonny Bono, Minnie Riperton, Johnny Rivers, Clifton Davis and Will Geer.

And I just happened to be wearing my Sparks shirt! [I had had to mail - or should I say "mael"? - order it from England; cult bands did not sell T shirts at their shows in those days.] Rodney Bingenheimer asked me where I got it. Why was Russ behind M.D.?! [No idea who/what M.D. was! Oh, Michael Douglas. But where was Ron?!]

We met these two Roger freaks who had met him at KWST, Virginia and I forget the name of the other. They didn't look like the Rock 'n' Roll type. There was that girl with the Beatles shirt who looked like someone, that girl who knows Rodney and used to go out with R.D.'s friend [Roger Daltrey I guess! Or maybe Rick Derringer?] And that old lady [she was probably in her 30s...] and a few other people.