The Watts Riots were indeed in 1965. When Barry White was 18, like the rest of us in The Rumblers, I used to take him home. He lived in Watts then.
Barry always had a friend come out and meet us at the edge of the war zone. His buddy would take him the rest of the way in.
Even before the riots, Barry would say, "As long as I'm in the car, you're OK. But if you drop me off at home, you'll never make it out of Watts alive." That was dangerously more true after the riots.
A little funny:
Cornell Gunter, then alive and leader of The Coasters made a good gag the first night of the Watts Riots. The Rumblers backed up Cornell and The Coasters at the Hollywood Cinnamon Cinder (Bob Eubanks' place.) The Coasters were late. When they took the stage w/ us, Cornell said, "Sorry to be late, but I was just standin' around w/ a brick in my hand and I had to figure out something to do w/ it."
The Rez
. . . Black Day in LA
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