3. The Beach Boys, Nancy Reagan, and a Ban on the 4th of July

In 1983, at the height of concern over drug culture, a moralizing Reagan cabinet member bans the Beach Boys from playing a July 4th party on the Mall. The group, promoted by John Meglen, are furious. But then Nancy Reagan, a superfan of the band, steps in to help out, and the ensuing publicity helps the Beach Boys launch one of the great comebacks in pop history.

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