The original concert booked by BOG was Harry Chapin, but after his death in July 1981, Ray Charles was the “next best show available,” Morton said. (Photo provided by writer)
Leading up to homecoming weekend in 1981, ticket sales were reportedly low for the Ray Charles concert, put on by the Board of Governors (BOG) Concert Committee.
BOG considered turning to off-campus advertising to promote the event, as only 2,000 of the 5,000 tickets available had been sold two days before the start of homecoming weekend.
According to then-Concert Committee Chairman Bill Morton, if the concert did not sell at least 75 percent of the tickets, BOG would be in danger of losing “a good amount of money and the concert program for next semester will be in jeopardy.”
The original concert booked by BOG was Harry Chapin, but after his death in July 1981, Ray Charles was the “next best show available,” Morton said.
Ashley Anglisano is a campus correspondent for The Daily Campus. She can be reached by email at ashley.anglisano@uconn.edu.
