The actual Tower of Power Anniversary date is Aug. 13, 1968.

"The actual Tower of Power Anniversary date is Aug. 13, 1968. Back then our band was called The Motowns and we’d been playing under that name for over a year when I met Doc on the 4th of July weekend at the Alameda County Fair in Pleasanton, CA. He went by the name Steve Kupka back then and he was the first “Hippie” I’d ever met. He was a roadie for a “Hippie “ soul band called The Loading Zone that had appeared many times at the Filmore West and we were opening for them. I asked them if I could use their Hammond B3 and they sent Doc over to talk to me about it. After the show he came up to me and said, “You got a good band; only one thing wrong.” I asked him what that was and he said “Your horn section needs some bottom and, by the way, I play the baritone Sax.” I invited him to my house the following week and gave him an audition and when we heard that big sax, we immediately hired him. He eventually urged me to try writing songs and the first song we wrote was “You’re Still A Young Man”. We date Tower of Power from Doc’s first gig which was Aug 13, 1968 at the I. D. E. S. Hall in Hayward, CA. It’s been 50 years of great times, great songwriting, and a wonderful friendship. What a blessing.”
 
Emilio Castillo - Bandleader for Tower of Power