As a transplant to the Pacific Northwest, I know that “Louie, Louie” is the unofficial song of Washington state. As an Oregon Ducks fan, I know it must still burn them up that the Guinness World Records-setting performance of that song, featuring over 400 guitarists, took place in none other than South Carolina.
Back on July 14, 1989, 432 guitarists gathered for South Carolina’s Peach Festival “guitar gala.” Per Go Upstate, the group gathered “under the giant Peachoid water tower” to play Richard Berry’s “Louie, Louie” for a full 30 minutes.
At the time, Festival Chairman Ken Elder claimed that “newspapers as far away as Boston and St. Paul, Minn. carried stories about the event,” which went on to earn a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.
While ‘Louie Louie’ was Richard Berry’s Song, it was the Kingsmen’s version that catapulted the song to global acclaim
After “Louie Louie” became a huge hit for Berry, many covers of the song began to emerge. The most notable is that of The Kingsmen, a Portland, Oregon-based rock band. In 1968, the group released their rendition, and its popularity in the Pacific Northwest—and the world—soared even higher.
Jumping a few decades to after Berry wrote and released the song in the late 50s, “Louis Louie” became a massive hit in the PNW. Specifically, it really caught on in Washington. So much so that there was once a campaign to make it the state’s official song.
Per a throwback Washington State Archives entry: “In 1985, KING TV’s sketch comedy show ‘Almost Live’ host Ross Shafer launched a campaign to change the current state song ‘Washington, My Home’ to ‘Louie Louie.’
Louie Louie-lovers from all corners of the state joined the legislative effort, and on April 12th, 1985, LOUIE LOUIE DAY was declared in Washington by State Senate Resolution 1985-37.
“The rally turned out more than five thousand people and debuted a Washington-specific parody of the song, performed by local bands. While the campaign was ultimately unsuccessful, ‘Louie Louie’ remains a beloved unofficial anthem in Washington—especially for fans of the Seattle Mariners.”
Now, four decades later, “Louie Louie” can still be heard at pretty much every major Washington sports event. And the crowd still goes wild.
The post On This Day in 1989: Over 400 Guitarists Played ‘Louie Louie’ Together at a South Carolina Festival, and I Just Know Washington Is Still Jealous appeared first on VICE.
