It has been called many names: The Fabulous Forum, The Great Western Forum, The Forum presented by Chase, and most recently The Kia Forum. The cozy arena has also hosted many of the most famous names in music.
The stately yet simple mid century modern arena on the corner of Manchester and Prairie in Inglewood, California, is probably best known for being the home of the Showtime Lakers of the 1980s starring Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and the Laker Girls.
But decades before that, in January 1968, the Queen of Soul herself, Aretha Franklin was the first singer to perform at the $16 million arena in South Los Angeles.
Tickets ranged from $3.50 all the way up to $6.50 for the high rollers.
Later in 1968 the Forum would host concerts by The Staples Singers, Mahalia Jackson, Tony Bennett, Santana, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross & The Supremes, The Temptations, Cream with opening act Deep Purple, Joan Baez, and The Doors with Jerry Lee Lewis as the opener.
Here's some highlights from over the years in no particular order:
Prince Sells Out 21 Night Residency - 2011
"Inglewood is mine," Prince said on the opening night of his 21 night run at the Forum in 2011. The shows were long, unpredictable, star-studded, and shockingly low-priced.
Many of the tickets cost just $25. And a number of the nights went on until 1am.
Although he was on his Welcome 2 America tour, of the 21 shows he played at the Forum and the two sets he did at the Troubadour on a day off, he only played one song off the album, the title track, three times.
But damn did he rifle through the cover songs. Nearly every night the covers were sprinkled in with his hits.
Fans were sent home exhausted from the epic, multi-encore evenings.
Unrelated, sorta: Harry Styles was given a banner at The Forum when he did 15 sold out shows at the venue.
True, Harry's were spread out and he left town and returned, etc. But it's still an achievement.
Prince deserves a banner too, though.
Marvin Gaye sings the Star Spangled Banner - 1983
One might be able to debate if it is the best version, but it is easily the coolest rendition of the National Anthem.
Marvin Gaye, dressed to the nines, sunglasses on inside the Fabulous Forum, the day before Valentine's Day surrounded by some of the biggest stars the NBA ever saw.
This was Larry Bird, Isiah Thomas, Moses Malone, Maurice Cheeks and Dr. J from the East, facing off Magic, Kareem, George Gervin and Artis Gilmore in the West. And for those three minutes there was no bigger star than Marvin Gaye.
A few months later he would sail off on the Sexual Healing Tour, which sadly would be his last. He would be murdered by his father in '84 in the West Adams neighborhood of LA, not far from the Forum.
Morrissey and David Bowie perform a cover of T-Rex’s "Cosmic Dancer" - 1991
As adoring fans jump on stage to embrace Morrissey during the encore of his LA show on the Kill Uncle Tour, little do they notice David Bowie creeping towards the spotlight from behind the drum riser.
Indeed, it is the Thin White Duke singing the Marc Bolan tune in a duet with Moz, an artist he admired.
The sweet exchanges of smiles throughout the duet is delightful.
In '92, Bowie told NME, “I still rate Morrissey as one of the best lyricists in Britain.”
The Eagles Re-Open The Forum with a Six Night Run - 2014
“Jesus said, ‘Do business until I return,’ and that’s our plan,” Bishop Kenneth C. Ulmer of the Faithful Central Bible Church of Inglewood said when the church bought the Forum in 2000 for $22.5 million from the same company who owned Staples Center.
Thirteen years later the church sold it to the Madison Square Garden owner, billionaire James Dolan who most recently built the Sphere. MSG spent millions transforming the Forum from a multi-event facility, into one sole suited for music (the scoreboards had been torn down, new seats were put in it, new sound systems were installed).
Who better to re-open the joint than The Eagles who ended up playing six nights there that January.
Kurt Cobain kisses Eddie Van Halen in the mouth before the Nirvana show - 1994
Led Zeppelin played the Forum 16 times.
Nirvana played it once in 1994 at a show that will be released later this month as part of the In Utero re-release box set.
At that show, Sonic Youth guitarist Thurston Moore said it was the last time he'd see Kurt Cobain, but he “seemed very content. He was having fun playing the gig, especially in L.A., because Eddie Van Halen was there.” he wrote in Rolling Stone.
And then Moore described one of the most rock n roll moments that happened inside the Forum.
“Kurt was walking down the hall, and I said, ‘Dude, Eddie Van Halen’s in your dressing room holding court.’ And Kurt goes, ‘No way!’ He was real excited. Kurt went into the dressing room, walked right up to Eddie and kissed him on the mouth. He had to do that,” he wrote.
Dave Grohl's 45th Birthday Party where The D sang Immigrant Song with Slash - 2015
When Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl turned 45 he hosted an all star bash at the Forum and all though there were many highlights.
But how do you top Jack Black belting out Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" with Slash wailing away, Pat Smear cracking up, and Taylor Hawkins galloping along effortlessly?
The cover-heavy 3.5 hour show had guest appearances by Paul Stanley of Kiss, Slash, Alice Cooper, Perry Farrell, Zakk Wylde, David Lee Roth and Lemmy.
Upcoming shows this year at the Forum include Maneskin, Peter Gabriel, Jerry Seinfeld, Miss Lauryn Hill & The Fugees, John Mayer, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Nicks, Aerosmith, and Depeche Mode.
Tickets available through the Kia Forum website.
