Four for McGovern
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.
Date
April 15, 1972
3/4 McGovern
- Warren Beatty (executive)
- Lou Adler (sponsor)
- Jim Rissmiller (The Forum)
- Carole King
- Barbra Streisand
- James Taylor
- Quincy Jones and his Orchestra
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]