Gary Tovar

Tovar was born in Los Angeles[1] and began smuggling illicit goods as a 14-year-old when he brought fireworks into the US from Tijuana in Mexico, influenced by someone referred to as LaRue, who was connected to Timothy Leary's The Brotherhood of Eternal Love.

The punk rock genre was not popular with promoters or authorities, mainly because of its association with violence, but Tovar believes that, "We had every right to perform and every right to this culture," and he was not perturbed when put under pressure by the police.

Basing his Goldenvoice business in Huntington Beach, he gained a reputation for being an atypical promoter: he did not take advantage of the performers, instead he paid them reasonable rates for their work.

In 1982, Tovar visited Britain on a scouting mission and eventually, using money obtained through his smuggling operations, financed shows in Los Angeles by British punk bands such as the Anti-Nowhere League, The Damned, GBH, Public Image Ltd and Siouxsie and the Banshees.

His shows there, which featured groups including the Dead Kennedys and Bad Religion, were cheaply priced and attracted over 4,000 fans, twice as many as were attending similar events in New York City.

His promotions ultimately lost money—he estimated his losses between three and four million dollars over a ten-year period—but they did provide a means for him to launder money from his illegal drug business.

[1]The Olympic Auditorium shows ended in 1985 as interest waned but Goldenvoice moved successfully into other venues such as Fender's Ballroom, The Waters Club, and the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre, where tickets for concert by the Ramones were sold for $5 USD.

[1] The business promoted some of the first concerts by bands such as Nirvana and Red Hot Chili Peppers,[4] expanding beyond punk to be in the vanguard of the speed metal, Goth and alternative music movements.

He believes that the present-day movement towards legalization of marijuana in the US and the fact that music from punks such as The Ramones is played in such commonplace settings as elevators vindicates his past maverick activities.