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<br />concert venues in the nation, known as "The Lighthouse" on Victory Boulevard, and
<br />
<br />WHEREAS, at the time The Lighthouse became Portsmouth's equivalent of the famed
<br />Fillmore West Auditorium in San Francisco and the Fillmore East in New York City, and
<br />
<br />WHEREAS, Owens brought many extraordinary musicians to Portsmouth to play at The
<br />Lighthouse before they achieved national fame, including the Allman Brothers, the Kingsmen,
<br />the Box Tops, Grand Funk Railroad, Deep Purple, Rufus Thomas, the Four Aces, the Swinging
<br />Machine, and Portsmouth's own Bill Deal and the Rhondells, and many of those musicians,
<br />including Greg and Duane Allman, stayed at his house in Hodges Manor while playing here and
<br />have remained his friends for life, and
<br />
<br />WHEREAS, The Lighthouse was at the vanguard of breaking down the barriers of
<br />segregation by welcoming black and white young people to attend and enjoy events there
<br />together while many other entertainment facilities were still segregated by race, and it was a safe
<br />and clean haven for young people to have fun, regardless of race or economic status, and this was
<br />an inspiring formative experience to many young Portsmouth residents during the 1960's and
<br />1970's, and
<br />
<br />WHEREAS, one former teenage patron of The Lighthouse, now a successful Las Vegas
<br />entertainer, describes it as "a kind of wonderland, a doorway through which I learned a lot about
<br />myself," and
<br />
<br />WHEREAS, prior to establishing The Lighthouse, Owens worked at NASA on space
<br />exploration projects, including Mercury and Gemini, and he was the first human being to see the
<br />dark side of the moon from photos taken by a NASA reconnaissance satellite, and in more recent
<br />years he has served his native city by service on multiple citizen boards and commissions,
<br />including the Clean Community Commission (Chairman), the Portsmouth Fine Arts
<br />Commission, the Portsmouth History Commission (Chairman), the Mayor's Sister City
<br />Commission, the Mayor's Military Affairs Commission, and the West Park View Civic League
<br />(President), and
<br />
<br />. WHEREAS, it is fitting and proper that Portsmouth take some official action to
<br />recognize Gene Vincent, the Blue Caps, Tommy Facenda, and Peppy Owens, all of whom helped
<br />create American music as we know it today, and all of whom have brought honor to Portsmouth:
<br />
<br />NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Council of the City of Portsmouth,
<br />Virginia:
<br />
<br />1. That the block of Harbor Court between Crawford Street and Bill Deal Street is
<br />hereby given the honorary street name "BLUE CAPS STREET."
<br />
<br />2. That the block of Water Street between Crawford Street and Bill Deal Street is hereby
<br />given the honorary street name "TOMMY FACENDA STREET."
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