I was born in 1970. Thus, I was 15 years old in September 1985, which could best be considered "The Day the Music Died, part Deux".

I remember well the PMRC hearings, led most notably by Tipper Gore, Al Gore's wife, who blew her top after she caught her daughter (allegedly, I still don't believe this story) masturbating to Prince's song "Darlin' Nikki". She then decided to be the moral arbiter of all American Rock music, notably exempting country music and many others from the same attacks. Using her political influence, she persuaded Congress to hold hearings investigating "porn rock". Frank Zappa, Dee Snyder, and John Denver were witnesses for the recording industry, the latter considered a dubious selection at best, as nobody knew exactly what he was going to say (an aviation enthusiast, Denver was widely thought to be courting Congress to select him for a ride on the space shuttle).

In probably the most memorable moments of their careers, Zappa and Snyder stepped up to the plate in defense of the First Amendment. In his characteristic style, Zappa compared the proposed solutions to "treating dandruff with decapitation", and humorously invited Ms. Gore over to look at his kids' play toys when she speculated what sorts of toys his children may have played with.

After Zappa and Snyder's solid, consistent testimony, Denver stepped up to the plate. When questioned about censorship, Denver, an icon of American purity at the time, said he was solidly against it, recounting that his song "Rocky Mountain High" was banned by certain radio stations because it allegedly referenced marijuana use.

But the RIAA's victory was a hollow one at best, as their lawyers capitulated to pressure and agreed to add on the now infamous (and, in the information age, superfluous) "Parental Advisory" labels that led to the banning of their sale by the nation's number one retailer, WalMart. But, thanks in large part to Denver's testimony, the right of rock musicians to self expression (within the editing confines of their producers...but that's another blog entirely) was kept partially intact.

So, for those of you too young to remember, please remember this particular episode when someone tells you how the Democrats allegedly stand behind free speech rights.