Holmesburg Prison - Redbone, Up Close and Personal, and Acres of Skin
In the 1970s, the Native American rock band Redbone performed a concert for the inmates of this prison. It was broadcasted several times on local public TV. It would be great to find a copy of that film or tape.
It took place on Christmas or around Christmas, 1970. I recall, as a youngster, seeing it played on Channel 12 over and over. I contacted WHYY a few years ago, and more recently other stations that played it as that information became available on the Web (ex., listings on newspapers.com), to no avail (no one even remembers it), as well as a Redbone fan club (www.markguerrero.com/23.php discusses the concert).Philly radio pioneer Jerry Stevens conceived of and produced the show. Even in this Internet age, I can't find contact information for him. This Redbone concert was Philly's equivalent to Johnny Cash's at Folsom and San Quentin, yet there is no trace of it today. The film (tape?) is important and should be offered for viewing somewhere, somehow. But where is it? Does anyone have any idea who might have a copy of the performance?
Also, parts of the movie "Up Close and Personal" were filmed here. Other films were shot here, too; see the Wikipedia site for the prison.
Dr. Albert Kligman, a professor of dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania, led human subject research on prisoners here from the 1950s to the 1970s, most of whom were African Americans. This is detailed in Allen Hornblum's book, "Acres of Skin." See, for ex., the Philadelphia Inquirer, 1/10/21, at p. E2.