Chris Brunnozi

April 5, 2024

Before Lincoln Financial Field, Citizens Bank Park, or even Veterans Stadium came along, there was JFK Stadium. It wasn’t called JFK Stadium until 1964, it was first known as the Sesquicentennial Stadium, which was in honor of America’s 150th Birthday. The same year it became known as the Philadelphia Municipal Stadium from 1926 to 1964. Then, in 1964, it was renamed JFK Stadium to honor the 35th president of the United States, John F. Kennedy.  

There were many defunct sports teams that played at JFK Stadium. The first sports team to play their games there was The Philadelphia Quakers, who were part of the American Football League, not to be confused by the National Football League. The Frankford Yellow Jackets also played at JFK Stadium as well. The Philadelphia Eagles played at the stadium from 1936-1939. The annual Army-Navy game was played at JFK stadium 41 times between 1936 to 1979. They later played their games at Veterans Stadium and Lincoln Financial Field. Some other sports events include when the undefeated Rocky Marciano defeated Jersey Joe Walcott at JFK stadium on September 23, 1952. 

JFK Stadium was known for hosting some of the most famous rock music acts of the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Starting in the late ‘60s, The Beatles performed their second and final Philadelphia concert on August 16, 1966. The Beatles had 20 #1 hits from 1964 to 1970. Some of those hits included “I Want to Hold Your Hand”, “She Loves You”, “Yesterday” “Help!”, “Let It Be”, “Hey Jude”, and “If I Fell”. On July 20, 1968, Judy Garland performed her last U.S. Concert. She was known for her film credits including The Wizard of Oz, Meet Me in St. Louis, and Summer Stock. Garland sadly died a year later in 1969. She was only 47 years old.

In the 1980s, one of the biggest concerts happened at JFK Stadium on July 13, 1985. The purpose of the Live Aid concert was not to have a good time, but to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. Live Aid also had an international concert at Wembley Stadium in London. In May of 1985, Philadelphia made international news when Mayor Wilson Goode dropped a bomb in West Philadelphia, which became later known as the MOVE Bombing. There were many local musicians and disk jockeys that attended Live Aid like Patti LaBelle, who lived in Wynnewood. Teddy Pendergrass, who performed with Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes. Pendergrass was in a wheelchair which left him paralyzed from the chest down in 1982 until his death in 2010. Some of the disk jockeys that attended were Robert Drake, who works at WXPN. Patty Jackson also attended Live Aid, she entered the radio business right after high school and was working at WSSJ in Camden. Pierre Robert, formerly of WMMR, was broadcasting outside of Winnebago. Legendary Disk Jockey named Jerry Blavat (a.k.a. The Geator) arranged for a limousine for Madonna from the airport.  

The lineup for Live Aid in Philadelphia was immaculate. There were singers that got their start in the 60s, some current bands from the late 70s and early 80s, and even musicians from the folk, rock, and R&B era. Some of those artists and musicians were Joan Baez, The Four Tops, The Beach Boys featuring Brian Wilson, Bo Diddley, Mick Jagger and Tina Turner, Crosby, Stills and Nash, and Santana. Billy Ocean, Black Sabbath, Run D.M.C, Bryan Adams, The Pretenders, The Cars, Eric Clapton, and Phil Collins. Can you believe that that was just half of the performers?  It was one of the biggest fundraising initiative concerts during the 20th Century. Sadly, Live Aid was one of the last big events during the time JFK Stadium existed. U2, Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd, and The Grateful Dead all had their performances in the late 1980s. Mayor Wilson Goode condemned the stadium in July of 1989. Inspectors found many structural problems with the stadium, including but not limited to electrical problems and falling concrete. JFK Stadium was going to be renovated in the early 1990s but was denied due to high costs. JFK Stadium was demolished on September 23, 1992. I felt that JFK Stadium really did not get the recognition as Veterans Stadium, Citizens Bank Park, or Lincoln Financial Field. Ask anyone that lived in the 60s, 70s, and 80s; they will be able to tell you all about Live Aid.  

The Wells Fargo Center stands tall on South Broad St and is most recognized as the home to the Philadelphia Flyers and the Philadelphia 76ers. There’s more to this stadium than sports and concerts; The Wells Fargo Center was home to the 2000 Republican National Convention and 2016 Democratic National Convention. JFK Stadium holds a lot of memories for Philadelphians alike, especially with Live Aid or attending an Army-Navy game.