The Night that James Brown Saved Boston

Following the tragic assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968, there was widespread turmoil throughout the nation’s urban centers. On the night of April 5th, James Brown brought the city of Boston together and kept the riots at bay. But it wasn’t easy.

On April 5th, with the city still reeling from the brutal news, Kevin White, the mayor of Boston, was facing a difficult choice. James Brown was scheduled to play the Boston Garden, and the mayor felt that, with so many people in such a heightened emotional state, there would be an increased risk of rioting, as had been seen in cities across the country. Or he could cancel the show, which could prove to be even more disastrous.

The Nnght James Brown saved Boston details the story of how James Brown and his band, Mayor Kevin White, and producers at WGBH kept riots at bay by holding the concert and broadcasting it live on TV, thereby keeping people either at the show, or at home, glued to their sets watching the Godfather of Soul perform, broker peace between fans and security, and above all else, get funky and keep folks from being super bad.

When the concert ended, WGBH played it again. And again…and now you can watch it for the first time fully remastered and restored.