MY FIRST BLACK SABBATH CONCERT

It was Sunday August 4, 1975. Me and a buddy were driving down Pipeline going to pick up my girlfriend Pam and go to a Black Sabbath concert.

Suddenly there was cop right on my tail. It was like he had a rope attached to my bumper. He followed me quite a ways and I decided to hang a left just before we got to Precinct Line.
I was a little nervous because we had about 40 joints rolled up in the glove compartment, and my buddy had another ounce stuck in his pants.

I hung that left and so did the cop, and that’s when he hit the lights I pulled over. He came to my door. I nearly fainted. It was Officer Thorn, who a few months prior had found a small quantity of marijuana on my person and let me slide. He asked for my license and went back to his car. I looked in my rear view mirror and was surprised to see a girl named Miller and a guy named Bill that were schoolmates. Apparently, being model citizens and interested in a possible career in law enforcement,  they had been riding along as interns. Now Officer Thorn had them strategically placed on my flanks to make sure I didn’t try to pull a fast one.
But what can you do with 40 pre-rolled joints?
I was stuck like a fly on sticky paper.

When he came back to the door with my license he said “Mr. Renfro, would you please step out of the car?”
I said “Can you tell me what this is about? I have places to go and people to meet”.

He didn’t say a word. Just opened the door, took me by the arm and escorted me to the hood of the car.

Later, when they were putting the cuffs on me, I looked over at Miller. She had turned kind of green and mouthed a silent
“I’m sorry” to me.

And that is how it came to pass that I had waited  years to see Black Sabbath and would have to wait two more before I actually made it to a show.