Beacon Street Union

{{short description|1960s American rock band}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Beacon Street Union

| image = Beacon Street Union.jpg

| image_size = 250

| landscape = yes

| origin = Boston, Massachusetts, United States

| genre = Psychedelic rock

| years_active = 1966–1969

| label = {{flatlist |

• MGM
• RTP

}}

| associated_acts = Eagle

| past_members = John Lincoln Wright
Paul Tartachny
Richard Weisberg
Robert Rhodes
Wayne Ulaky

}}

The Beacon Street Union was an American psychedelic rock band in the late 1960s, named for a street in their native Boston, Massachusetts, United States.

The band was composed of Boston College students, singer John Lincoln Wright (September 23, 1947 - December 4, 2011),{{cite web |url=https://obittree.com/obituary/us/massachusetts/watertown/faggas-funeral-home/john-wright/2955664/ |title=John Lincoln Wright Obituary - Watertown, MA |website=Obittree.com |access-date=October 10, 2018}} guitarist/singer Paul Tartachny, bassist/singer Wayne Ulaky, keyboardist Robert Rhodes (born Rosenblatt) and drummer Richard Weisberg. With the exception of a few rock standards, their diverse music was composed by members of the band, primarily Wright and Ulaky.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-beacon-street-union-mn0000129282|title=Beacon Street Union – Biography|website=AllMusic|author=Ruhlmann, William|access-date=March 30, 2015}}

The band's label, MGM Records promoted them as part of the so-called Bosstown Sound (along with the bands Ultimate Spinach and Orpheus), shepherded by the record producer Alan Lorber.{{cite book|title=The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music|editor=Colin Larkin|publisher=Guinness Publishing|date=1992|edition=First|isbn=0-85112-939-0|page=197}} The band met with little nationwide success. Their debut album, The Eyes of the Beacon Street Union, charted at number 75 on May 4, 1968. The band relocated to New York and recorded its second album, The Clown Died in Marvin Gardens. Wright, Ulaky, Weisberg, and Rhodes recorded another album, Come Under Nancy's Tent in 1970 under the band name Eagle for Janus Records. On August 12, 1970, Beacon Street Union opened for Janis Joplin at Harvard Stadium, which was her last public performance before her death. In 1970, The Beacon Street Union recorded their final single "Lord Why Is it So Hard" / "Can't Find My Fingers", adding Charlie Vatalaro on tenor sax.

Wright went on to perform and record as a country artist shortly after, and fronted the Sour Mash Boys. He regularly toured across North America, through to the mid-1990s. He died on December 4, 2011, at age 64, following a series of strokes and a long-time drinking problem.{{cite web |url=http://archive.boston.com/bostonglobe/obituaries/articles/2011/12/10/john_lincoln_wright_64_voice_soul_of_country_music_in_new_england/?page=full |title=John Lincoln Wright, 64, voice, soul of country music in New England |last=Morse |first=Steve |date=December 10, 2011 |website=Boston.com |access-date=January 15, 2018}} Due to health problems, he stopped performing in 2007. Bandmate and producer Larry Flint admitted by 2007 that Wright "was in pretty bad physical shape, and even his voice was going", with an album recorded that year left unreleased. At the time of his death, he was separated from his wife, who refused to divorce him to ensure that he stayed on her health insurance.{{cite web |url=http://www.patriotledger.com/x536735765/MUSIC-SCENE-John-Lincoln-Wright-was-a-country-icon |title=MUSIC SCENE: John Lincoln Wright was a country icon |last=Miller |first=Jay |date=December 12, 2011 |website=Patriotledger.com |access-date=October 10, 2018}}