John Sinclair – Renegade Poet, Beatnik and Cultural Revolutionary

Immortalized by John Lennon’s 1972 song that bears his name, Sinclair is an iconic figure of ‘60s counterculture, famous for, among other things, having co-founded the anti-racist White Panther Party and for managing Detroit’s legendary proto-punk outfit MC5 early in its history. Following a highly publicized two-year stint in prison for marijuana possession (Lennon’s song was a protest against his incarceration), Sinclair has stuck to his guns as an advocate for marijuana reform. “Living Euro to Euro, sleeping on the couches and extra beds of friends, a man without a country and a post office box in New Orleans for a permanent address.” That's how spoken word poet John Sinclair describes…

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John Sinclair Presents Detroit Artists Workshop

Not many people can say that John Lennon wrote a song about them, but John Sinclair is among that select bunch. Viewed by the powers-that-be as a dangerous revolutionary for his involvement with the White Panther Party, Sinclair was handed a ludicrously harsh sentence – “they gave him ten for two” – for marijuana possession after a police sting. In 1971, Lennon, along with Yoko Ono, Stevie Wonder, Phil Ochs and Archie Shepp played a freedom rally in Michigan and three days later Sinclair was freed. Sinclair is probably best known in the music world for managing riotous proto-punks The MC5 and imbuing them with a radical zeal. But Sinclair is…

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50th Anniversary Celebration of the John Sinclair Freedom Rally, Detroit, 10th December, 2021

Beatnik Youth Ambient by John Sinclair (Detroit, November 20, 2021)—Former Michigan marijuana prisoner John Sinclair, his family and friends will celebrate his release from Jackson Prison 50 years ago with an early evening party at the Ralston Holistic Healing Center at 19730 Ralston Street (near State Fair) from 6:00-10:00 pm on December 10, 2021, exactly 50 years after the John Sinclair Freedom Rally at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor where John Lennon & Yoko Ono, Stevie Wonder, Bobby Seale, Phil Ochs, Allen Ginsberg, Bob Seger, Commander Cody and a host of others gathered to speak, play and protest the imprisonment of their friend John Sinclair following a sentence in Detroit Recorder’s…

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50th Anniversary Celebration of the John Sinclair Freedom Rally to be held at Ralston Center in Detroit on 10th December, 2021

Beatnik Youth Ambient by John Sinclair (Detroit, November 20, 2021)—Former Michigan marijuana prisoner John Sinclair, his family and friends will celebrate his release from Jackson Prison 50 years ago with an early evening party at the Ralston Holistic Healing Center and Stonehouse Bar at 19730 Ralston Street (near State Fair) from 6:00-10:00 pm on December 10, 2021, exactly 50 years after the John Sinclair Freedom Rally at Crisler Arena in Ann Arbor where John Lennon & Yoko Ono, Stevie Wonder, Bobby Seale, Phil Ochs, Allen Ginsberg, Bob Seger, Commander Cody and a host of others gathered to speak, play and protest the imprisonment of their friend John Sinclair following a sentence…

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RETROPOPIC 435 – Poet John Sinclair Talks: Freed By A John Lennon Song & Other Life Stories

Alongside the music of Gil Scott Heron, MC5, John Lennon, Charlie Parker, The Clovers & John's own words set to music, in this 59 minute podcast The Saint of RETROPOPIC RADIO talks with the legendary poet John Sinclair. How does John remember his childhood? Why did he move to Detroit? What was so different about the music of MC5? How did he receive a prison sentence for possessing dope? What were the circumstances that lead to John Lennon campaigning for his freedom? How does he regard the 'John Sinclair' song that appeared on Lennon's album 'Sometime In New York City'? What relationship did he have with Lennon after his release? Why…

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Cultural Revolution through a Total Assault on the Culture

Our program is Cultural Revolution through a total assault on the culture, which makes us use every tool, every energy and any media we can get our collective hands on. We take our program with us everywhere we go and use any means necessary to expose people to it. Our culture, our art, the music, newspapers, books, posters, our clothing, our homes, the way we walk and talk, the way our hair grows, the way we smoke dope and fuck and eat and sleep — it is all one message, and the message is FREEDOM! We are the mother country madmen in charge of our own lives and we are taking…

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John Sinclair Freedom Rally – The Full Movie – December 10, 1971, in Crisler Arena

The John Sinclair Freedom Rally was a protest and concert in response to the imprisonment of John Sinclair for possession of marijuana, held on December 10, 1971, in Crisler Arena at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The event was filmed and released as Ten For Two. The reason behind the concert was the arrest of Sinclair, who was given ten years in prison for possessing two marijuana cigarettes. Shortly after the event, Sinclair was released. POWER TO THE OCCUPY MOVEMENT! Directed by Steve Gebhardt Cast Commander Cody and The Lost Planet Airmen ... Themselves Rennie Davis Rennie Davis ... Himself David Dellinger David Dellinger ... Himself Allen Ginsberg…

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Kick Out The Jams – John Sinclair – Limited Edition T-shirt has arrived

The T-shirts arrived today, they look fantastic. Gerv at Mission Print has done a fantastic job on the printing as usual. Big thanks to Russ at Shockproof-Design for putting it all together and Steve Fly for researching and proposing the John Sinclair quote. Here are a few pictures to show you what the finished design looks like. I have started posting orders already so look out for delivery from next week. This is the first in a series of Limited Edition John Sinclair T-shirts featuring a White Panther design on the FRONT and a quote from John Sinclair on the BACK. Strictly Limited to 50 Shirts including a download code for…

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Beatnik Warrior Poet John Sinclair in the News

January 22, 2019 A group of citizens and NGOs led by Michigan poet John Sinclair and including a physician, a pharmacist, a medical marihuana patient, together with MINORML and the Michigan Medical Marijuana Association have sued the Michigan Board of Pharmacy and its chairperson Nichole Cover seeking to declare void the Board’s continued listing of marihuana as a controlled substance under state law. Under Michigan law, the Board of Pharmacy is charged with the duty to schedule, re-schedule, and de-schedule substances based upon their medical benefits, relative harm and potential for abuse. Notwithstanding the passage of the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act and the Medical Marihuana Facilities Licensing Act, the Board continues…

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John Sinclair + The Founder Effect – Spiegeltent, Canary Wharf, London 17th Sept

John Sinclair and The Founder Effect perform songs from ‘Mohawk’ at Canary Wharf Spiegeltent, London Download the Spiegeltent Leaflet PDF here "John Sinclair - renegade poet, scholar and cultural revolutionary.....an Archetype of the 1960's art, music and literary synthesis, still kicking with both feet on his trajectory for cultural transformation. Mohawk features ten tracks from his book of verse: always know: a book of monk. Beatnik poems, great odes and personal reflections of the Be-Bop jazz persuasion, all flowering together." Doors – 6.00pm John Sinclair on stage 6.30pm – 7.45pm Tickets available through SEE Tickets for £10 + Booking Fee All Press Enquiries Sean Newsham: sean@mutante-inc.demon.co.uk All Guest List requests to:…

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John Sinclair – Biography (June 2013)

Cultural revolutionary, pioneer of marijuana activism, radical leader, political prisoner by the end of the 1960s, a legend of the imagine nation, the last of the Beatnik Warrior Poets, and a founding father of the U.S rock and roll constitution, John Sinclair. John Sinclair was born on the 2nd of October 1941, in Flint, Michigan, and grew from being a rock’n’roll fanatic and teenage disc jockey enthusiast to a cultural revolutionary icon, pioneer of marijuana activism, co-founder of the White Panther Party and a political prisoner, all by the end of the explosive 1960’s. He first tuned into rhythm and blues radio at a young age, getting his hands on records by…

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John Sinclair – Biography

John Sinclair author, poet and activist John Sinclair (born October 2, 1941, in Flint, Michigan) mutated from small-town rock’n’roll fanatic and teenage disc jockey to cultural revolutionary, pioneer of marijuana activism, radical leader and political prisoner by the end of the 1960s. In 1966-67 the jazz poet, downbeat correspondent, founder of the Detroit Artists Workshop and underground journalist joined the front ranks of the hippie revolution, managing the “avant-rock” MC5 and organizing countless free concerts in the parks, White Panther rallies and radical benefits. Working closely with lead singer and songwriter Rob Tyner and the members of the band, Sinclair brought the MC5 to local fame, national attention and a contract…

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