Page "Toledo, Ohio" Paragraph 65

John Denver sang a disparaging song about visiting Toledo titled " Saturday Night In Toledo, Ohio " which was composed by Randy Sparks.

It was written in 1967 when Sparks and his group arrived in Toledo at 10 p. m. on a Saturday night, and found everything closed.

Following a performance of the song on The Tonight Show, there was a large public outcry from Toledo residents.

In response, the City Fathers recorded a song entitled " We're Strong For Toledo ".

Ultimately the controversy was such that John Denver cancelled a concert shortly thereafter, but when Denver returned for a 1980 concert, he set a one-show attendance record at the venue, Centennial Hall, and sang the song as well to the approval of the crowd.