The Who Concert, December 3, 1979; A View from the Front

One of the things that defined the 1970's for both my peers and myself, was the Who concert tragedy.

Before the concert started, several people died, and many were almost killed, having been trampled to death by their friends and neighbor's, while waiting for the doors to open.

On the 31st anniversary of the Who concert at Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, Ohio, I asked my Facebook friends what they remembered about that day.

Some were there, some were not, but every one of them remembered exactly where they were and what they were doing the evening of the concert.

Every person who was at the concert remembered the shoes, the "Who Shoes".

If you are interested in sharing your story, (Patrick) please leave it on the comments and I'll add it to this record.

Thank you to everyone that took the time to contribute. It's a part of Cincinnati history that needs to be recorded. I am reprinting your stories as you wrote them, in your own voice.

Randy Cheek: yeah...no longer like a crowd (it seemed like a living thing, not individual people at all,but a big whirlpool of flesh)-will always blame the stupid mother-fuckers in the back chanting '' fuck iran!" as the mashing started...plenty i could say but fuck after all this time...yeah i keep exits and doors in mind at all times.
Janis Hastings: I was 2. And I wasn't there, but I'm sure my parents were pissed off that night since they couldn't go bc they had to take care of me & my bro. I wouldn't call myself a hero, but I guess you could say I saved their lives. All in a day's work.. ;)
Tami Skurow Stephens: ok..went with val and his gf anita.... we were about 10 feet from the 1 door that opened and u could hear music inside....people behind us going across the walk bridge to old riverfront started pushing forward thinking the concert started....thats when it got real bad.... val grabbed my arm and pulled me with him and we got thru a door then he popped a few open..... after the concert we saw all the ems but hey it was the who...someone od'd or somethin...remember seein jimmy afterwards in passing...we drove home in anitas new car with no radio - we stopped for food, takin our time up reading rd into roselawn not knowing a thing until we walked in and marilyn n hy were awake watching the news freaked out.... i immediately called momma walters and let her know i saw jimmy and he was fine...the end!!

Shari Lauter: I was there, still remember it vividly---the cloud of steam rising from the compressed cold even though it was only 30 degrees out; to this day I don't like to be closed in inside a crowd, I'll email more
Kelly Hale: I was .. and my good friend and Band-mate( at the time) was interviewed and made the front page of the Cinci Enquier .. I remember it well...

David Neal Lewis: When news of the Who Concert drifted in like a bird on a wire I was working at Subway Records on Vine St. Greg Fernandez and I tuned into Alan Browning's "Rapline" show in hopes of some news, but he was running some creaky topic about the Shah of Iran. I called in and asked on air if they could devote some more coverage to the Who Concert and what was going on. He got really mad, insulted me and hung up my call. Afterward he was so deluged with calls asking for the same thing that he stormed off the set.

Later at a WAIF show I was covering I played Throbbing Gristle's "Blood on the Floor." What I remember mainly from the Who Concert were huge heaps of shoes; tried to find photographic evidence of this years later but couldn't find any pictures like that. The Who Concert deeply impressed me and ingrained my hatred of arena rock, which has relaxed over the years. But not so relaxed is my deep disappointment that no one was ever held responsible for what happened that deadly night.

Libby Carter Ostrow: I was living in Houston and watching TV and there was Lonnie Ostrow on The Tom Snyder show describing the horrible event. Still have the tape.
David Cover: I was living in South Bend Indiana. My wife and I were watching T.V. when a news flash can on about what had happened. We both got scared cause my sister in law was going to the concert. Found out she was almost killed and that one of the people who died was with her party that night. He died trying to help others get out. The only thing that saved here was the guy she dated at that time was able to pull her up time after time when she would get knocked down. Finally he yelled "this woman is sick and will puke on you " The crowed picked her up and passed her back to the end and dumped her on the ground at the back of the crowed.
Paige Graham: I had tickets and was supposed to go. The day of the concert, a Monday, my girlfriends pierced my upper ear in my bedroom. My ear of course got infected and when my Mom found out I double pierced my ear I wasn't allowed to go. My friends did go and I still have the t-shirt they bought me back. My friend Brian Wagner from Ft Thomas was one of the first to die that night when they opened the doors Brian, who was in front was trampled.......RIP Brian.....
Sage Walker: My sister's boyfriend was there. When my mom saw it on the news she started FREAKING out sure that he'd been one of them. He wasn't. Paula Rosenberg: ‎@sage...yes, i know. i was with you...to make our short story shorter.

Ray Kennedy: Since you asked, here's my story of that night. I was working at the Palace Theater up in Downtown, there was a Harry Chapin concert there the same night. The manager caught wind of the events at the coliseum, and had two comp tickets, and wanted someone to see what was up. I went down there in a taxi with his girlfriend, probably an hour or so into the concert, and news trucks and news crews were everywhere, along with a big police presence and probably still some medics. The casualties were all gone by then, but there were shoes scattered where they had come off feet, and a few reporters were looking for interviews, asking us if we had seen anything, which we of course hadn't. We went inside and the concert was happening as if nothing had occurred. It was quite strange, we already knew people had died, but there were thousands inside who had no clue and were mostly just enjoying the show. I seem to remember the authorities didn't tell the band until after the show. The thing that was really striking was the shoes. I guess people were in some cases just pulled out of them by the force of the crowd. I will always remember the shoes.

Andrew Cloud: I waited to buy a Ticket and then it was sold out. I went trippin in Frenck park. I still remember the sunset and the scene from up on the hill that night.

Cheryl Beardslee: My brother went, we all waited up to see whether or not he would come home when the concert was over. When he walked in the door, we all jumped on him with "Jeff, thank God you're alive!!" He looks at us and says "Yea right, I know what time it is and I am not late. I'm not even close to my curfew! Whatever head game you're trying to play, it's not working." We told him what happpened and he didn't believe us. Then the news came on the TV again...
Jeff Demaree: I was born in Cincy in 1971 and can remember listening to Baba O'Reily at the bus stop when I was 5 years old. The Who are still my all-time favourite band and I still live in the Queen City. I knew none of this about the tragedy! If these first hand anecdotes aren't recorded the real story of that night will be lost forever! Excellent job Paula in collating these stories and thanks to everyone for contributing- it's vital.

Lisa Rosenberg: I was front and center at the who concert and was right below the awning that some people fell from.... We just thought people were passed out only to find out later that they were deceased. You know me... the ultimate rocker, always in the very front of the lines at any concert.

Robert E Beatty: I wasn't there but I remember previous incidents that led up to it. I had bee lifted off of my feet trying to get into UC Fieldhouse, and remember people being pushed through the plate glass at Cinti Gardens.

Elise Waxler: I was living on my own for the 1st time and putting up my first Xmas tree when I heard the newscast. I immediately called my father to see if my brother had gone. I didn't go simply because my dad had asked me not to. My brother didn't go either but my cousin had. My cousin had left his identication at home so my Uncle went down to the morgue. My cousin wasn't one the bodies. We just had to sit back and wait until he called us. We didn't hear from him until late after the concert was over. He was busy looking for his boots. During the pushing, he got seperated from his girlfriend and lifted out of his boots so he was trying to locate them. Her did find his girlfriend but never did find his shoes. The waiting was horrible and the incident should never have happened.