Four for McGovern

Four for McGovern
Concert flyer with sketches of Carole King, Barbra Streisand and James Taylor over a musical clef indicating 3, 4 McGovern. Underneath is listed Quincy Jones and his Orchestra.
Concert flyer with caricature sketches: Streisand by Robert Redding
DateApril 15, 1972 (1972-04-15)
VenueThe Forum
LocationInglewood, California
Also known as3/4 McGovern
TypeBenefit concert, fundraiser
CauseGeorge McGovern 1972 presidential campaign
Organised by
Participants

Four for McGovern, also known as 3
4 McGovern, was a benefit concert held on April 15, 1972, produced by actor Warren Beatty to assist the 1972 presidential campaign of George McGovern, running as the anti-war candidate. The concert, held at The Forum in Greater Los Angeles, featured performances by Carole King, James Taylor, Quincy Jones and his Orchestra, and Barbra Streisand. Streisand's performance was audio-taped to create the album Live Concert at the Forum, released on October 1.

The concert was attended by 18,000 people, with 16,000 in the permanent arena seating paying $4 to $10 per seat, and another 2,000 in temporary seats set up on the arena floor, paying $100 each. It was widely reported that $300,000[1] or even $320,000[2] had been raised for the cause, but after expenses were tallied, only about $18,000 (equivalent to $131,000 in 2023) was given to McGovern's campaign.[3]

Although King and Taylor were at the top of their fame, it was Streisand who was acclaimed the star of the evening. She had the audience in her control the whole time, and received standing ovations at the end.[4][5] McGovern was not significantly helped by the concert; he went on to lose in a landslide to Richard Nixon in November 1972. Streisand's album performed well in the marketplace, rising to number 19 on the Billboard 200, and staying on the charts for 27 weeks.[4]

  1. ^ Roberts, Steven V. (April 16, 1972). "Film and Music Stars Raise $300,000 at McGovern Concert". The New York Times.
  2. ^ Orth, Maureen (April 27, 1972). "Warren Beatty Sexes Up George McGovern". The Village Voice. Retrieved August 2, 2020. Archival article introduced by Tony Ortega on February 15, 2011.
  3. ^ Spada, James; Nickens, Christopher (1981). Streisand: The Woman and the Legend. Dolphin Books. p. 149. ISBN 0385175671.
  4. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference Waldman was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Goode was invoked but never defined (see the help page).