The Jacksons Victory Tour ~ Friday, September 21st & Saturday, September 22nd, 1984 ~ Washington, D.C. ~ RFK Stadium ~

The Jacksons Victory Tour ~ Friday, September 21st & Saturday, September 22nd, 1984 ~ Washington, D.C. ~ RFK Stadium ~ 45,000 People In Attendance Each Night ~ SOLD OUT!

In 1984, my Mom was teaching at Eastern High School on East Capitol St. N.E. right across from RFK Stadium where The Washington Redskins played.

She asked me to meet her there to both help her clean up and help prepare her classroom for her new class (something she drafted me to do wherever she taught over the years no matter where she taught and no matter what school I was attending! lol!).

It was smoking hot outside. Had to be over 90 degrees. This was pretty warm for mid-September in D.C. even though we can get hot days during that month too. She had all her windows open so we could get air. A couple of her students also came to help as I think it was an Administrative/Staff Day with only staff and cleaning crews in the bldg. My Mom had students who loved her so much they would show up to help her even on their own Student Half Days and after school.



Sometime in the afternoon, while cleaning up her classroom, we could hear The Jacksons doing their soundcheck down the street in RFK. We knew they were coming so there of course was already a buzz but we had no idea that on this day they were not only here in town but right across the street and actually rehearsing! lol! We all leaned out the windows. Talk about excited! We could feel the electricity even from up the street! We spent the rest of the day cleaning and leaning out the windows while grooving and listening to The Jacksons running through their show. That brought smiles to all of our faces and made the cleaning go quickly.



My Mom, Sister, and I got tickets to the Victory Tour D.C. Stop sometime earlier in the summer and we even made a big sign for The Jacksons as it was part of a local radio station's promotional contest: "Who Can Make The Best Jacksons, We Love You! Sign!" We went to the Saturday night show. Exciting and fun times.

There was a great chance The Jacksons would skip D.C. for various reasons. One being the entrance to the stadium for Big Rig Equipment was not steep or deep enough (the ground level entry ramps) and the ramp entry ceilings were not high enough to get all The Jacksons tour equipment inside. RFK actually had construction crews come in that summer right before the tour to deepen the ramps so all the equipment could get through. D.C. wanted The Victory Tour! lol! I still remember that. This is when it hit me even as a young teen that not only we as kids loved the Jacksons but grown adults and the city itself wanted The Jacksons to not miss D.C. and for D.C. not to miss out on this event - This Was Serious! lol!

The Press and Media covered "The Digging of RFK's Entry Ramps For The Jacksons." It was funny but, man were we glad that everything was finally a "Go!" and The Jackson were coming to D.C.! I remember thinking to myself as I saw the news clips, "The city actually cleared the previous laws for height requirements for RFK entrances and dug the ramps down deeper? They cleared that for The Jacksons? Now That's Some Power! I Love It!" ~ "Can You Feel It? Can You Feel It? Can You Feel It?" ~LT