John F. Kennedy Stadium
Encyclopedia
John F. Kennedy Stadium (formally Philadelphia Municipal Stadium) was an open-air stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
that stood from 1925 to 1992. The South Philadelphia
stadium was situated on the east side of the far southern end of Broad Street
at a location that is now part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex
. Designed by the architectural firm of Simon & Simon in a classic 1920s style with a horseshoe seating design that surrounded a track and football field, at its peak the facility seated in excess of 102,000 people. Bleachers were later added at the open (North) end. Each section of the main portion of the stadium contained its own entrance, which displayed the letters of each section above the entrance, in a nod to ancient Roman stadia. Section designators were divided at the south end of the stadium (the bottom of the "U" shape) between West and East, starting with Sections WA and EA and proceeding north. The north bleachers started with Section NA.
The field was 110 feet (33.5 m) wide and 307 feet (93.6 m) long. It was built of concrete, stone, and brick on a 13.5 acres (54,632.6 m²) tract.
. Originally known as Sesquicentennial Stadium when it opened April 15, 1926, the structure was renamed "Philadelphia Municipal Stadium" after the Exposition's closing ceremonies. In 1964 it was renamed John F. Kennedy Stadium in memory of the 35th President of the United States
who had been assassinated
the year before.
) were the Philadelphia Quakers
of the first American Football League
, whose Saturday afternoon home games were a popular mainstay of the Exposition. The Quakers won the league championship but the league folded after one year.
The Frankford Yellow Jackets
also played here intermittently until the team's demise in 1931. Two years later the National Football League
awarded another team to the city, the Philadelphia Eagles
. The Eagles had a four-season stint as tenants of the stadium before moving to Shibe Park for the1940 season, although the team did play at Municipal in 1941. The Eagles also used the stadium for practices in the 1970s and 1980s, even locating their first practice bubble there before moving it to the Veterans Stadium
parking lot following the stadium's condemnation.
The stadium became known chiefly as the "neutral" venue for a total of 42 annual Army–Navy Games played there between 1936 to 1979, and during the 1960s it served as Navy's
home field when they played Notre Dame
.
A.F. “Bud” Dudley, a former Villanova University
athletic-director, created the Liberty Bowl
in Philadelphia
in 1959
. The game was played at Municipal Stadium and was the only cold-weather bowl game of its time. It was plagued by poor attendance; the 1963
game between Mississippi State
and NC State
drew less than 10,000 fans and absorbed a loss in excess of $40,000. The Liberty Bowl’s best game was its first in 1959, when 38,000 fans watched Penn State
beat Alabama, 7-0.
Atlantic City
convinced Dudley to move his game from Philadelphia to Atlantic City's Convention Hall
for 1964
. 6,059 fans saw Utah
rout West Virginia
in the first Bowl Game played indoors. Dudley moved the game to Memphis
in 1965
where it has been played since.
The stadium hosted Philadelphia's City Title high school football championship game in 1939 and 1978. St. Joe's Prep defeated Northeast
, 27 to 6, in 1939. Frankford
beat Wood
, 27 to 7, in heavy rain in 1978.
The stadium was home to the Philadelphia Bell
of the World Football League
in 1974; the team played at Franklin Field
in 1975.
capture the world heavyweight boxing title from Jack Dempsey
. Undefeated Rocky Marciano
knocked out Jersey Joe Walcott
at the stadium in 1952 to win boxing's heavyweight championship.
JFK Stadium hosted Team America's
soccer match against England
on May 31, 1976 as part of the 1976 U.S.A. Bicentennial Cup Tournament
. In the game, England defeated Team America, 3-1, in front of a small crowd of 16,239. England and Italy
had failed to qualify for the 1976 European Championship final tournament and so they joined Brazil
and Team America, composed of international stars playing in the North American Soccer League
, in the four team competition. Because Team America was composed of international players and was not the American national team
, the Football Association
does not regard England's match against Team America as an official international match.
JFK Stadium was one of fifteen United States stadia (and along with Franklin Field
one of two in Philadelphia) inspected by a five-member FIFA
committee in April 1988 in the evaluation of the United States as a possible host of the 1994 FIFA World Cup
. By the time the World Cup was held in 1994, JFK Stadium had already been demolished for two years.
won their second Stanley Cup
on May 27, 1975, and celebrated with a parade down Broad Street
the next day that ended at the stadium. Five years later, the Philadelphia Phillies
won their first World Series
on October 21 of that year. The following day, the team paraded the exact route.
In 1981, The Rolling Stones announced their World Tour via a press conference at JFK.
JFK Stadium occasionally hosted rock concerts, including the American portion of Live Aid
on July 13, 1985.
The Supremes
played at the stadium on September 10, 1965.
The Beatles
played at the stadium on August 16, 1966.
Judy Garland
gave her last concert in America here in 1968.
The Pousette-Dart Band
, Gary Wright
, Peter Frampton
and Yes
played the "1976 Bicentennial Concert" here on June 12, 1976.
Led Zeppelin
was scheduled to conclude their 1977 US Tour
at the stadium, but the final 7 concerts of the tour were cancelled, due to the death of Robert Plant
's 5 year old son Karac. The original Led Zeppelin never played in the US again, although the surviving members performed at Live Aid.
Peter Frampton returned from a seven-month lay-off and played with Lynyrd Skynyrd
and The J. Geils Band before 91,000 fans on June 11, 1977.
On June 17, 1978, The Rolling Stones
performed before a crowd of 100,000 fans. Opening acts included Bob Marley
's former bandmate Peter Tosh
and Foreigner
. After The Stones finished their set, rowdy concert goers began throwing anything they could get, onto the stage that was shaped into The Rolling Stones "tongue" logo. Damage to the stage was estimated at a million dollars as smoke came pouring out marring an otherwise great day of vintage Rolling Stones. They also began their 6th U.S. tour
on September 25, 1981.
Blondie
concluded their Tracks Across America Tour
here, on August 21, 1982. They disbanded shortly thereafter, due to guitarist Chris Stein
being diagnosed with a rare life-threating disease, pemphigus
and The Hunter having sold very poorly. They did not perform live again for 15 years, until 1997. Genesis
was the headliner and used the open air stadium for one of their spectacular nighttime laser and fireworks shows. The show started at 3pm and also featured Elvis Costello and the Attractions, A Flock of Seagulls
and Robert Hazard and the Heroes
.
The Who
performed at the stadium on September 25, 1982, early into their (then) Farewell Tour
which also supported their album It's Hard
. Opening acts for the show were Santana
and The Clash
. A total of 91,451 were in attendance, one of the largest ticketed single-show, non-festival stadium concerts ever held in the U.S., as documented by Billboard
.
Journey headlined a concert June 4, 1983. The show featured Bryan Adams, The Tubes, Sammy Hagar, and John Cougar (as he was referred to at the time). This show provided the majority of the concert footage for an NFL Flims produced documentary called "Journey, Frontiers and Beyond".
Pink Floyd
held a concert there on September 19, 1987, in front of a crowd in excess of 120,000 (general admission was sold on the field), but the show was not sold out.
The stadium played host to The Monsters of Rock
Festival Tour, featuring Van Halen
, Scorpions
, Dokken
, Metallica
and Kingdom Come
, on June 11, 1988.
The stadium also played host to Amnesty International
's Human Rights Now! Benefit Concert on September 19, 1988. The show was headlined by Sting and Peter Gabriel
and also featured Bruce Springsteen
& The E Street Band
, Tracy Chapman
, Youssou N'Dour
and Joan Baez
.
It was not known at the time, but the stadium's last event was The Grateful Dead
's concert on July 7, 1989, with Bruce Hornsby & The Range as their opening act. Fans at the show recall concrete crumbling and bathrooms in poor shape. The Dead closed the show with "Knockin' on Heaven's Door
"; it would be the last song played at the stadium. In 2010, the concert recording was released on a CD/DVD combination, titled Crimson White & Indigo
.
The 1993 Philadelphia stop for the Lollapalooza
music festival was held at the JFK Stadium site on July 18, 1993. The site was an open field as construction had not yet begun on the then still tentatively named "Spectrum II" (Wells Fargo Center). This was the show at which Rage Against the Machine
did not play, in protest of the Parents Music Resource Center
.
The Wells Fargo Center now stands on the site, which is part of the complex
that also includes Lincoln Financial Field
and Citizens Bank Park
.
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
that stood from 1925 to 1992. The South Philadelphia
South Philadelphia
South Philadelphia, nicknamed South Philly, is the section of Philadelphia bounded by South Street to the north, the Delaware River to the east and south, and the Schuylkill River to the west.-History:...
stadium was situated on the east side of the far southern end of Broad Street
Broad Street (Philadelphia)
Broad Street is a major arterial street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is nearly 13 miles long.It is Pennsylvania Route 611 along its entire length with the exception of its northernmost part between Old York Road and Pennsylvania Route 309 and the southernmost part south of Interstate 95...
at a location that is now part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex
South Philadelphia Sports Complex
The South Philadelphia Sports Complex is the current home of Philadelphia's professional sports teams. It is the site of the Wells Fargo Center, Lincoln Financial Field and Citizens Bank Park...
. Designed by the architectural firm of Simon & Simon in a classic 1920s style with a horseshoe seating design that surrounded a track and football field, at its peak the facility seated in excess of 102,000 people. Bleachers were later added at the open (North) end. Each section of the main portion of the stadium contained its own entrance, which displayed the letters of each section above the entrance, in a nod to ancient Roman stadia. Section designators were divided at the south end of the stadium (the bottom of the "U" shape) between West and East, starting with Sections WA and EA and proceeding north. The north bleachers started with Section NA.
The field was 110 feet (33.5 m) wide and 307 feet (93.6 m) long. It was built of concrete, stone, and brick on a 13.5 acres (54,632.6 m²) tract.
Opening and names
JFK Stadium was built as part of the 1926 Sesquicentennial International ExpositionSesquicentennial Exposition
The Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition of 1926 was a world's fair hosted in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence, and the 50th anniversary of the 1876 Centennial Exposition-History:The honor of hosting...
. Originally known as Sesquicentennial Stadium when it opened April 15, 1926, the structure was renamed "Philadelphia Municipal Stadium" after the Exposition's closing ceremonies. In 1964 it was renamed John F. Kennedy Stadium in memory of the 35th President of the United States
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
who had been assassinated
John F. Kennedy assassination
John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the thirty-fifth President of the United States, was assassinated at 12:30 p.m. Central Standard Time on Friday, November 22, 1963, in Dealey Plaza, Dallas, Texas...
the year before.
Football
The stadium's first tenants (in 19261926 American Football League season
The 1926 American Football League season is the only season of the existence of the first American Football League. It started with nine teams, with the initial game of the season being played in front of 22,000 fans in Cleveland, Ohio, but by the end of the season , only four teams were still in...
) were the Philadelphia Quakers
Philadelphia Quakers (AFL)
Not to be confused with the defunct Philadelphia Quakers team of the National Hockey League, the Philadelphia Quakers baseball team who became the Philadelphia Phillies in 1890 or the University of Pennsylvania athletics teams, the Pennsylvania Quakers....
of the first American Football League
American Football League (1926)
The first American Football League , sometimes called AFL I, AFLG, or the Grange League, was a professional American football league that operated in 1926. It was the first major competitor to the National Football League. Founded by C. C...
, whose Saturday afternoon home games were a popular mainstay of the Exposition. The Quakers won the league championship but the league folded after one year.
The Frankford Yellow Jackets
Frankford Yellow Jackets
The Frankford Yellow Jackets were a professional American football team, part of the National Football League from 1924 to 1931, though its origin dates back to as early as 1899 with the Frankford Athletic Association. The Yellow Jackets won the NFL championship in 1926...
also played here intermittently until the team's demise in 1931. Two years later the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
awarded another team to the city, the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. The Eagles had a four-season stint as tenants of the stadium before moving to Shibe Park for the1940 season, although the team did play at Municipal in 1941. The Eagles also used the stadium for practices in the 1970s and 1980s, even locating their first practice bubble there before moving it to the Veterans Stadium
Veterans Stadium
Philadelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional-sports, multi-purpose stadium, located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
parking lot following the stadium's condemnation.
The stadium became known chiefly as the "neutral" venue for a total of 42 annual Army–Navy Games played there between 1936 to 1979, and during the 1960s it served as Navy's
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
home field when they played Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
.
A.F. “Bud” Dudley, a former Villanova University
Villanova University
Villanova University is a private university located in Radnor Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States...
athletic-director, created the Liberty Bowl
Liberty Bowl
The Liberty Bowl is an annual U.S. American college football bowl game played in December of each year from 1959 to 2007 and in January in 2009 and 2010. The Liberty Bowl was sponsored by AXA Financial and was known as the AXA Liberty Bowl from 1997 to 2003...
in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
in 1959
1959 college football season
The 1959 college football season saw Syracuse University crowned as the national champion by both the AP and the UPI wire services. Mississippi , which had outscored its opponents 350-21, finished #2 in both polls, and its only loss during the regular season had been to LSU, which ultimately...
. The game was played at Municipal Stadium and was the only cold-weather bowl game of its time. It was plagued by poor attendance; the 1963
1963 Liberty Bowl
The 1963 Liberty Bowl was a college football bowl game played at Philadelphia Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania between the and the before a crowd of 8,309 fans in brutally cold weather. Coach Paul E...
game between Mississippi State
Mississippi State Bulldogs football
The Mississippi State Bulldogs football program represents Mississippi State University in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing as a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. Mississippi State has produced 38 All-Americans, 171 All-SEC selections, and 124...
and NC State
NC State Wolfpack football
The NC State Wolfpack football team represents North Carolina State University in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Wolfpack currently compete in the Atlantic Coast Conference....
drew less than 10,000 fans and absorbed a loss in excess of $40,000. The Liberty Bowl’s best game was its first in 1959, when 38,000 fans watched Penn State
Penn State Nittany Lions football
The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the...
beat Alabama, 7-0.
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
Atlantic City
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
convinced Dudley to move his game from Philadelphia to Atlantic City's Convention Hall
Boardwalk Hall
Boardwalk Hall, formally known as the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall, is an arena in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States...
for 1964
1964 Liberty Bowl
The 1964 Liberty Bowl was the first major college football bowl game ever played indoors, the first broadcast nationwide in the United States and the only one ever played in Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States...
. 6,059 fans saw Utah
Utah Utes football
The Utah Utes football program is a college football team that currently competes in the Pacific-12 Conference of the Football Bowl Subdivision of NCAA Division I and represents the University of Utah. The Utah college football program began in 1892 and has played home games at Rice–Eccles...
rout West Virginia
West Virginia Mountaineers football
The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. Dana Holgorsen is the team's 33rd head coach. He has held the position since he was promoted in June 2011 after the resignation of Bill Stewart. The Mountaineers play their...
in the first Bowl Game played indoors. Dudley moved the game to Memphis
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium is a football stadium, located at the Mid-South Fairgrounds, in Midtown Memphis, Tennessee, United States. The stadium is the site of the annual AutoZone Liberty Bowl, and is the home field of the University of Memphis Tigers football team...
in 1965
1965 college football season
During the 20th Century, the NCAA had no playoff for the college football teams that would later be described as "Division I-A". The NCAA did recognize a national champion based upon the final results of "wire service" polls. The "writers' poll" by Associated Press was the most popular,...
where it has been played since.
The stadium hosted Philadelphia's City Title high school football championship game in 1939 and 1978. St. Joe's Prep defeated Northeast
Northeast High School (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Northeast High School is a high school located at 1601 Cottman Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States....
, 27 to 6, in 1939. Frankford
Frankford High School
Frankford High School is a public high school in the School District of Philadelphia. It is located at Oxford Avenue and Wakeling Street in the Frankford section of Northeast Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States....
beat Wood
Archbishop Wood Catholic High School
Archbishop Wood Catholic High School is a private, Roman Catholic high school. The school was built in 1964 in Warminster Township in Bucks County.-School Seal and Motto:...
, 27 to 7, in heavy rain in 1978.
The stadium was home to the Philadelphia Bell
Philadelphia Bell
The Philadelphia Bell was a franchise in the World Football League, which operated in 1974 and a portion of a season in 1975. The Bell played their home games at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. The team logo was a representation of the Liberty Bell....
of the World Football League
World Football League
The World Football League was a short-lived gridiron football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest the WFL reached was placing a team – the Hawaiians – in Honolulu, Hawaii. The...
in 1974; the team played at Franklin Field
Franklin Field
Franklin Field is the University of Pennsylvania's stadium for football, field hockey, lacrosse, sprint football, and track and field . It is also used by Penn students for recreation, and for intramural and club sports, including touch football and cricket, and is the site of Penn's graduation...
in 1975.
Other sports
On September 23, 1926, an announced crowd of 120,557 packed the then-new Stadium during a rainstorm to witness Gene TunneyGene Tunney
James Joseph "Gene" Tunney was the world heavyweight boxing champion from 1926-1928 who defeated Jack Dempsey twice, first in 1926 and then in 1927. Tunney's successful title defense against Dempsey is one of the most famous bouts in boxing history and is known as The Long Count Fight...
capture the world heavyweight boxing title from Jack Dempsey
Jack Dempsey
William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey was an American boxer who held the world heavyweight title from 1919 to 1926. Dempsey's aggressive style and exceptional punching power made him one of the most popular boxers in history. Many of his fights set financial and attendance records, including the first...
. Undefeated Rocky Marciano
Rocky Marciano
Rocky Marciano , born Rocco Francis Marchegiano, was an American boxer and the heavyweight champion of the world from September 23, 1952, to April 27, 1956. Marciano is the only champion to hold the heavyweight title and go undefeated throughout his career. Marciano defended his title six times...
knocked out Jersey Joe Walcott
Jersey Joe Walcott
Arnold Raymond Cream , better known as Jersey Joe Walcott, was a world heavyweight boxing champion. He broke the world's record for the oldest man to win the world's Heavyweight title when he earned it at the age of , a record that would be broken on November 5, 1994, by George Foreman, who...
at the stadium in 1952 to win boxing's heavyweight championship.
JFK Stadium hosted Team America's
Team America (soccer)
Team America was a professional version of the United States men's national soccer team which played as a franchise in the defunct North American Soccer League during the 1983 season...
soccer match against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
on May 31, 1976 as part of the 1976 U.S.A. Bicentennial Cup Tournament
1976 U.S.A. Bicentennial Cup Tournament
The Bicentennial Cup Tournament was an international association football competition, which took place in May 1976 in the USA. The tournament featured several World Cup stars both past and future....
. In the game, England defeated Team America, 3-1, in front of a small crowd of 16,239. England and Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
had failed to qualify for the 1976 European Championship final tournament and so they joined Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
and Team America, composed of international stars playing in the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
, in the four team competition. Because Team America was composed of international players and was not the American national team
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
, the Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
does not regard England's match against Team America as an official international match.
JFK Stadium was one of fifteen United States stadia (and along with Franklin Field
Franklin Field
Franklin Field is the University of Pennsylvania's stadium for football, field hockey, lacrosse, sprint football, and track and field . It is also used by Penn students for recreation, and for intramural and club sports, including touch football and cricket, and is the site of Penn's graduation...
one of two in Philadelphia) inspected by a five-member FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
committee in April 1988 in the evaluation of the United States as a possible host of the 1994 FIFA World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
. By the time the World Cup was held in 1994, JFK Stadium had already been demolished for two years.
Other events
The Philadelphia FlyersPhiladelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
won their second Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
on May 27, 1975, and celebrated with a parade down Broad Street
Broad Street (Philadelphia)
Broad Street is a major arterial street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is nearly 13 miles long.It is Pennsylvania Route 611 along its entire length with the exception of its northernmost part between Old York Road and Pennsylvania Route 309 and the southernmost part south of Interstate 95...
the next day that ended at the stadium. Five years later, the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
won their first World Series
1980 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 14, 1980 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaThe Royals jumped on Philly rookie starter Bob Walk early with a pair of two run bombs—one by Amos Otis in the second and another by Willie Aikens in the third...
on October 21 of that year. The following day, the team paraded the exact route.
In 1981, The Rolling Stones announced their World Tour via a press conference at JFK.
Concerts
Live Aid
Live Aid was a dual-venue concert that was held on 13 July 1985. The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for relief of the ongoing Ethiopian famine. Billed as the "global jukebox", the event was held simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom ...
on July 13, 1985.
The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
played at the stadium on September 10, 1965.
The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
played at the stadium on August 16, 1966.
Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
gave her last concert in America here in 1968.
The Pousette-Dart Band
Pousette-Dart Band
The Pousette-Dart Band was an American soft rock group active in the 1970s and early 1980s. Originally conceived in 1973 as a string band from Cambridge, Massachusetts, PDB comprised Jon Pousette-Dart, John Troy and John Curtis...
, Gary Wright
Gary Wright
Gary Malcolm Wright is an American musician, best known for his song, "Dream Weaver". He was the piano player on Harry Nilsson's version of "Without You".-Early life:...
, Peter Frampton
Peter Frampton
Peter Kenneth Frampton is an English musician, singer, producer, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. He was previously associated with the bands Humble Pie and The Herd. Frampton's international breakthrough album was his live release, Frampton Comes Alive!. The album sold over 6 million copies...
and Yes
Yes (band)
Yes are an English rock band who achieved worldwide success with their progressive, art, and symphonic style of rock music. Regarded as one of the pioneers of the progressive genre, Yes are known for their lengthy songs, mystical lyrics, elaborate album art, and live stage sets...
played the "1976 Bicentennial Concert" here on June 12, 1976.
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band, active in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s. Formed in 1968, they consisted of guitarist Jimmy Page, singer Robert Plant, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham...
was scheduled to conclude their 1977 US Tour
Led Zeppelin North American Tour 1977
Led Zeppelin's 1977 North American Tour was the eleventh and final concert tour of North America by the English rock band. The tour was divided into three legs, with performances commencing on 1 April and concluding on 24 July 1977...
at the stadium, but the final 7 concerts of the tour were cancelled, due to the death of Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
's 5 year old son Karac. The original Led Zeppelin never played in the US again, although the surviving members performed at Live Aid.
Peter Frampton returned from a seven-month lay-off and played with Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band prominent in spreading Southern Rock during the 1970s.Originally formed as the "Noble Five" in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964, the band rose to worldwide recognition on the basis of its driving live performances and signature tune, Freebird...
and The J. Geils Band before 91,000 fans on June 11, 1977.
On June 17, 1978, The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
performed before a crowd of 100,000 fans. Opening acts included Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
's former bandmate Peter Tosh
Peter Tosh
Peter Tosh, born Winston Hubert McIntosh , was a Jamaican reggae musician who was a core member of the band The Wailers , and who afterward had a successful solo career as well as being a promoter of Rastafari.Peter Tosh was born in Grange Hill, Jamaica, an illegitimate child to a mother too young...
and Foreigner
Foreigner (band)
Foreigner is a British-American rock band, originally formed in 1976 by veteran English musicians Mick Jones and ex-King Crimson member Ian McDonald along with American vocalist Lou Gramm...
. After The Stones finished their set, rowdy concert goers began throwing anything they could get, onto the stage that was shaped into The Rolling Stones "tongue" logo. Damage to the stage was estimated at a million dollars as smoke came pouring out marring an otherwise great day of vintage Rolling Stones. They also began their 6th U.S. tour
Rolling Stones American Tour 1981
The Rolling Stones' American Tour 1981 was a concert tour of stadiums and arenas in the United States to promote the album Tattoo You. It was the largest grossing tour of 1981 with $50 million in ticket sales...
on September 25, 1981.
Blondie
Blondie (band)
Blondie is an American rock band, founded by singer Deborah Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band was a pioneer in the early American New Wave and punk scenes of the mid-1970s...
concluded their Tracks Across America Tour
Tracks Across America Tour '82
The Tracks Across America Tour '82 is the last concert tour by American band Blondie during its original existence. The tour supported their last album, The Hunter. Originally, the concert was supposed to have 41 concerts played. But only 19 of those concerts were instantiated...
here, on August 21, 1982. They disbanded shortly thereafter, due to guitarist Chris Stein
Chris Stein
Christopher "Chris" Stein is co-founder and guitarist in the New Wave band, Blondie. He is also a producer and performer for the classic soundtrack of the hip hop film Wild Style....
being diagnosed with a rare life-threating disease, pemphigus
Pemphigus
Pemphigus is a rare group of blistering autoimmune diseases that affect the skin and mucous membranes.In pemphigus, autoantibodies form against desmoglein. Desmoglein forms the "glue" that attaches adjacent epidermal cells via attachment points called desmosomes...
and The Hunter having sold very poorly. They did not perform live again for 15 years, until 1997. Genesis
Genesis (band)
Genesis are an English rock band that formed in 1967. The band currently comprises the longest-tenured members Tony Banks , Mike Rutherford and Phil Collins . Past members Peter Gabriel , Steve Hackett and Anthony Phillips , also played major roles in the band in its early years...
was the headliner and used the open air stadium for one of their spectacular nighttime laser and fireworks shows. The show started at 3pm and also featured Elvis Costello and the Attractions, A Flock of Seagulls
A Flock of Seagulls
A Flock of Seagulls are an English New Wave band originally formed by brothers Michael "Mike" Score and Alister "Ali" James Score , with Frank Maudsley , Michael Kuby , H.J...
and Robert Hazard and the Heroes
Robert Hazard
Robert Hazard Robert Hazard Robert Hazard (born Robert Rimato, (August 21, 1948 – August 5, 2008), was a Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, musician, probably best known for composing and recording the song "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun", which Cyndi Lauper covered, turning the song into a...
.
The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
performed at the stadium on September 25, 1982, early into their (then) Farewell Tour
The Who Tour 1982
The Who Tour 1982 was The Who's last with drummer Kenney Jones. While the tour was originally intended to support their 1982 album It's Hard, the band later announced it would be their final tour, though they would eventually reunite twice and then tour again in 1989.-History:Aside from two warm-up...
which also supported their album It's Hard
It's Hard
It's Hard is the tenth studio album by English rock band The Who. It is the last Who album to feature bassist John Entwistle and drummer Kenney Jones, as well as the last to be released on Warner Bros. Records in the US. It was their last album until 2006's Endless Wire. It was released in 1982 on...
. Opening acts for the show were Santana
Santana (band)
Santana is a rock band based around guitarist Carlos Santana and founded in the late 1960s. It first came to public attention after their performing the song "Soul Sacrifice" at the Woodstock Festival in 1969, when their Latin rock provided a contrast to other acts on the bill...
and The Clash
The Clash
The Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
. A total of 91,451 were in attendance, one of the largest ticketed single-show, non-festival stadium concerts ever held in the U.S., as documented by Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
.
Journey headlined a concert June 4, 1983. The show featured Bryan Adams, The Tubes, Sammy Hagar, and John Cougar (as he was referred to at the time). This show provided the majority of the concert footage for an NFL Flims produced documentary called "Journey, Frontiers and Beyond".
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
held a concert there on September 19, 1987, in front of a crowd in excess of 120,000 (general admission was sold on the field), but the show was not sold out.
The stadium played host to The Monsters of Rock
Monsters of Rock Tour 1988
The Monsters of Rock Tour 1988 was a festival tour of the USA in 1988, headlined by hard rock band Van Halen as part of their promotion for their OU812 album with heavy metal band Metallica as well as other bands including Scorpions, Dokken, and Kingdom Come. It formed the first section of the...
Festival Tour, featuring Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
, Scorpions
Scorpions (band)
Scorpions are a heavy metal/hard rock band from Hannover, Germany, formed in 1965 by guitarist Rudolf Schenker, who is the band's only constant member. They are known for their 1980s rock anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and many singles, such as "No One Like You", "Send Me an Angel", "Still...
, Dokken
Dokken
Dokken is an American heavy metal and hard rock band formed in 1978. They split up in 1989 but reformed four years later. The group accumulated numerous charting singles and has sold more than 10 million albums worldwide...
, Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
and Kingdom Come
Kingdom Come (band)
Kingdom Come is a hard rock band fronted by Hamburg-born vocalist Lenny Wolf. The group's first album, Kingdom Come was that band's only international hit. It currently consists of an entirely German line-up.-History:...
, on June 11, 1988.
The stadium also played host to Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
's Human Rights Now! Benefit Concert on September 19, 1988. The show was headlined by Sting and Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
and also featured Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
& The E Street Band
E Street Band
The E Street Band has been rock musician Bruce Springsteen's primary backing band since 1972.The band has also recorded with a wide range of other artists including Bob Dylan, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Air Supply, Dire Straits, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Nicks, Tom Morello, Sting, Ian...
, Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her singles "Fast Car", "Talkin' 'bout a Revolution", "Baby Can I Hold You", "Give Me One Reason" and "Telling Stories". She is a multi-platinum and four-time Grammy Award-winning artist.-Biography:Tracy Chapman was born in Cleveland,...
, Youssou N'Dour
Youssou N'Dour
Youssou N'Dour is a Senegalese singer, percussionist and occasional actor. In 2004, Rolling Stone described him as, in Senegal and much of Africa, "perhaps the most famous singer alive." He helped develop a style of popular music in Senegal, known in the Serer language as mbalax, a type of music...
and Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
.
It was not known at the time, but the stadium's last event was The Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
's concert on July 7, 1989, with Bruce Hornsby & The Range as their opening act. Fans at the show recall concrete crumbling and bathrooms in poor shape. The Dead closed the show with "Knockin' on Heaven's Door
Knockin' on Heaven's Door
"Knockin' on Heaven's Door" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan for the soundtrack of the 1973 film Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid. It reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.-Story line and song structure:...
"; it would be the last song played at the stadium. In 2010, the concert recording was released on a CD/DVD combination, titled Crimson White & Indigo
Crimson White & Indigo
Crimson White & Indigo is a live album by the American rock band the Grateful Dead. It contains the complete concert recorded at John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on July 7, 1989. The album consists of three CDs, plus a video recording of the same show on one DVD...
.
Closing and demolition
JFK Stadium was condemned on July 13, 1989 by Mayor Wilson Goode after the Dead show on July 7, 1989. The stadium was demolished in 1992.The 1993 Philadelphia stop for the Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is an annual music festival featuring popular alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock and hip hop bands, dance and comedy performances, and craft booths. It has also provided a platform for non-profit and political groups. The music festival hosts more than 160,000 people over a...
music festival was held at the JFK Stadium site on July 18, 1993. The site was an open field as construction had not yet begun on the then still tentatively named "Spectrum II" (Wells Fargo Center). This was the show at which Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1991, the group's line-up consists of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim Commerford, guitarist Tom Morello and drummer Brad Wilk...
did not play, in protest of the Parents Music Resource Center
Parents Music Resource Center
The Parents Music Resource Center was an American committee formed in 1985 with the goal of increasing parental control over the access of children to music deemed to be violent, have drug use or be sexual.The committee was founded by four women: Tipper Gore, wife of Senator and later Vice...
.
The Wells Fargo Center now stands on the site, which is part of the complex
South Philadelphia Sports Complex
The South Philadelphia Sports Complex is the current home of Philadelphia's professional sports teams. It is the site of the Wells Fargo Center, Lincoln Financial Field and Citizens Bank Park...
that also includes Lincoln Financial Field
Lincoln Financial Field
Lincoln Financial Field is the home stadium of the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles. It has a seating capacity of 68,532 . It is located in South Philadelphia on Pattison Avenue between 11th and 10th streets, also aside I-95 as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
and Citizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park
Citizens Bank Park is a 43,647-seat baseball park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, and home of the Philadelphia Phillies. Citizens Bank Park opened on April 3, 2004, and hosted its first regular season baseball game on April 12 of the same year, with the...
.