Famous quotes containing the words historical and/or videos: Top (l-r), Keith Brewer, Ed Sanford and Sonny Grier. "Tuscaloosa Memorial Coliseum 1972," said Randy Palmer. The song actually topped the charts on WBAM in Montgomery, AL for a few weeks which gave us introductions to the British Invasion groups coming through Montgomery for the Big BAM shows held at the Coliseum for many years, like The Who, The Hollies, The Blues Magoos, The Kinks, and many more including American groups like The Beach Boys, The . He was lead singer of the Rockin Gibraltars, formed in 1965 by a group of students at Lee High School. recent post listing 31 of the greatest shows, according to this story by Madison Underwood, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. When I got on stage the drum kit seat was way too high. According to Dan, the only surviving brother, it was Bill's decision to offer$50,000 to the Beatles for their appearance at the Gator Bowl. The early concert didn't begin until it was time for the second one, but it was worth the wait. WVOK would produce another show at Legion Field before the station left the concert business -- the Osmonds and Springfield Revival appeared there on Aug. 15, 1973 -- but for the most part, Municipal Auditorium remained home base for the Shower of Stars. But the moment was indelible for one of his daughters, Debbie Brennan Bartoletti. By today's standards, his solution to the latter problemseems charmingly old-school. "Radio played the song every twenty minutes. "I'm so. Signature songs include Brown Eyed Girl (Van Morrison), Cryin (Roy Orbison). "I remember the Rolling Stones came up to me, and they said, 'You don't really expect us to get into the same RV that the Beach Boys are in, do you?' Yet there was also a gentler side of the city that. View the Full Page. He was replaced by Johnny Townsend from Tuscaloosa, who was living with Duane and Gregg Allman in LA. Dupree served with the Army in Vietnam, worked as an engineer in Muscle Shoals, and has been an electrical engineer for the Alabama Legislature for 27 years. Fees for the other acts were in the $300-$400 range, he says. The 7 p.m.show-- billedas a music battle between the England and the United States-- also includedtheRighteous Brothers, Marty Robbins, Sonny James, Skeeter Davis, Del Reeves, Archie "Rindercella" Campbell and Cannibal and the Headhunters. But from the . At least 25 people tried to jump the stage during the concert and were knocked backward into the crowd by gigantic stage bouncers! Clipping found in Alabama Journal in Montgomery, Alabama on Mar 24, 1966. K Jamie Carter Childhood Toys Childhood Memories Camille Redouble Sheila E Gate Band Instant Help Questions? Several others mentioned seeing the Rolling Stones in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. Ticket prices were never more expensive than $4.00. Date:Sun, 5 Jun 2005 09:12:45 -0400 I'll tell you a story about that WBAM show in Montgomery. One of the Beach Boys told me it was the biggest talent show hed ever been in!. Lead in groups were the James Gang with Joe Walsh, and a group that got booed called Frampton's Camel before Peter Frampton hit it big. April 8, 1967: State Coliseum, Montgomery, AL with Electric Prunes, Buckinghams, Lou Christie, Brian Hyland and The Jokers, Tommy James and The Shondells, Royal Guardsmen, The Blues Magoos, The Casinos and others "WBAM presents Big Bam All-Star Spring Show" April 14, 1967: University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA with Freudian Slip "Me and my girlfriends would get up at -- holy moly, 6 a.m. -- and get there long before the show ever started," said Connie Peek, a former Shower of Stars regular, during a 2003 interview with The Birmingham News. Music lovers would line up at each venue, some arriving hours in advance, then rush inside to secure their favorite general-admission seats. But theres not a whole lot of money because theres no place for them to play. Props. ", From estevev: "Of the ones I attended, the most memorable ones were -- Ike and Tina Turner Review, Plush Horse, (1974? We do everything from Jerry Jeff Walker to the Grateful Dead to Van Morrison, says Pappas. Make Favorite Store Contact 1957 Cobbs Ford Rd. But Lewis went over his allotted time. We were considered the number one soul band in the south. Kenny Rogers and the First Edition. Joni Mitchell at Tuscaloosa 1975 would be third," said jarobertson. "Ringo said, 'I'm not getting up there unless you build me a bannister around this thing.' WBAM, also known as Bama Country 98.9, is a country music formatted radio station that serves the Montgomery Metropolitan Area, broadcasting on the FM band at a frequency of 98.9 MHz and licensed to Montgomery, Alabama. Its effortless., Even after all these years, agreed Jones. I said, 'Well, this is Roy's show. This book takes a thought-provoking, even-handed look at those days from the perspective of a typical white kid growing up in Montgomery during that . Show Duplicate for Mar 22, 2013: Mar 08, 2013 Justin Moore: Garrett Coliseum: It was elbow to elbow in there, remembered drummer Tommy Beavers. shimano ep8 630wh battery range Patsy Cline Performs Her Final Show Country Music Memories; Most Wanted Music: 2023's Country and Americana Album Releases; Follow Us. The detailed map shows the US state of Alabama with boundaries, the location of the state capital Montgomery, major cities and populated places, rivers and lakes, interstate highways, principal highways, railroads and major airports. But it was one of many concerts organized by the Brennans, as they sought to cement listeners' loyalty to WVOK in Birmingham, WBAM-AM in Montgomery and WAPE in Jacksonville. By 1972 the heyday of the big shows had passed. ); Lynyrd Skynyrd and Black Oak Arkansas, Rickwood Field (1975); Pink Floyd, Legion Field (1994); Peter Frampton and Robin Trower, Oak Mountain (1994); Rolling Stones, Legion Field (1994); Bruce Springsteen, BJCC, 2002; and, James Brown, Jubilee CityFest Montgomery (2003). 1973(?). My personal favorite concert of all times was Billy Joel at the BJCC Concert Hall. WBAM-FM /98.9 (" Bama Country 98.9 ") is a country music formatted radio station that serves the Montgomery Metropolitan Area, broadcasting on the FM band at a frequency of 98.9 MHz and licensed to Montgomery, Alabama. We made $100, remembers Grier. Members: Original members Larry Hoyle, Johnny Hassett and Ron Howard, plus Chris Seymour, Johnny Long, Jr. and Craig Young. Thousands of Beatles fans were ready to twist and shout in the Southeast, and the Brennan clan had made it happen. TheRolling Stones were closing the gap quickly, though, with a tougher, bluesier songbook that included "The Last Time," "Play With Fire" and "Time Is On My Side." 6 places sorted by traveler favorites Clear all filters 1. Jones, now 59, also played school dances and armories in a group called The Drones. by Lenore Vickrey If you were a teenager in south-central Alabama in the 1960s, chances are you danced the jerk, flirted with that cute boy, or made out in the corner of the high school gym to the music of a live band of local erstwhile musicians. In the 1950s and '60s, Montgomery, Alabama, was ground zero f. The Other Side of Montgomery book. ", From rtrmark: "Alice Cooper. So we had to delay the start of the show about 15 minutes or so while the carpenters came out and put these rails together. 100 feet later someone offered us tickets at face value. At the time, though, Brennan was simply doing his job, helping the family's radio stations to connect with listeners in a vivid, concrete way. The band has undergone several incarnations. White guys playing soul music!, Most of the stuff we played was music you could easily dance to, said Dupree. "It didn't matter. "I'm so old. I dont feel like well have any problem (remembering their songs). Its a good bet theyll play some Steely Dan, Crosby, Stills & Nash, a favorite, Sweet Magnolia, and Bill Hinds rendition of Joe Walshs Rocky Mountain Way.. The Brennan Brothers were radio broadcast innovators of the 1950s and 60s, when they owned and operated powerhouse stations in Jacksonville, Chattanooga, and . Studio Phone Number: (334) 244-9898. Business Office/Studios 4101-A Wall Street Montgomery, AL 36106. He even did about 30 seconds of Sweet Home Alabama (that was before that song was worn out). "We're big on memories," Brennan says. Big Bam All-Star Spring Show Setlists Apr 8 1967 Date Saturday, April 8, 1967 Venue Garrett Coliseum, Montgomery, AL, USA Report festival So far there are setlists of 9 gigs. Tommy James & Ed Sullivan. WVOK used Legion Field as a test case that spring, Brennan says, to see if the Shower of Stars could work at Birmingham's largest venue. WMSP is a radio station licensed to serve Montgomery, Alabama, United States. Carl Perkins. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. The audience was huge, sold out, 10,000 or more. It was a clear channel station that covered over 90 counties in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, and could be heard everywhere. Brennan bid farewell to concert promotion in 1973 --a necessary business decision, he says -- and for Birmingham music lovers, it was the end of an era. By nature, talent and inclination, Brennanwasentirely suited to the family business; thousands of fans knew his voice and remembered his name. "Put You Down" was written by lead guitarist Max Kendrick and vocalist Rich Gainer. "Excuse me---did I miss the ROLLING STONES STEEL WHEELS TOUR??????????????????" Yet. It is amazing to think that was 41 years ago. We came along at just the right time.. For fans, half the fun was trying for a glimpse of the stars at their hotel or coming to and from the coliseum. Members: Mitch Alton (original member), Gregg Pappas, Ham Wilson, Bill Marshall , Dwight Williams, Rick Byrd, Orville Cain, Carl Tesh. We always had the feeling, said Dan Brennan, that it was more than just a job., It was the golden era of rock and roll, said Moody. In the 1950s and '60s, Montgomery, Alabama, was ground zero for many of the major events central to the civil rights movement in this country. The resulting concerts -- which evolved into a series called the WVOK Shower of Stars in Birmingham, the Big BAM shows in Montgomery and the Big APE Convention in Jacksonville -- became enormously popular with radio listeners. The Louvin Brothers. Canned Heat. Big BAM shows, Montgomery Several readers made fond mention of multi-act shows presented by WBAM-AM, a sister station to Birmingham's WVOK-AM, during the 1960s and early '70s. He was a very special guy. ", "I'm also inclined to mention 1982 at Boutwell when the Blizzard of Ozz played; Randy Rhoades' third to last appearance before his tragic death," said GmanGent. The . "One of the the things we had to do, in order to provide bathroom facilities for all of the artists, we had a bunch of RVs, recreation vehicles, and they were all over the field out there," Brennan says. We try to introduce people to music maybe they werent aware of. Signature song includes Both Sides of the Road, about Perdido Bay, written by Ham Wilson. ", From dassani: "I was there Could not have been better! For an 18-year-old to take home a pillowsack full of dollars, that was quite a heady time.. We were waiting at the Holiday Inn, in the bar at the hotel having a beer. And so he gave them -- the only show in the whole country that did this -- we gave them a flat $50,000, which was pretty good in those days. I missed a bunch more, though!". Their friends were quite envious when they got to hang out with the Grass Roots, Hamilton, Joe Frank and Reynolds, Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere and the Raiders, and rode around with Eric Burden and the Animals. Alabama Shakespeare Festival 192 Theaters By Questovia Attended the production of Macbeth in this stunning theater and enjoyed every moment of it. "They would be paying the acts, literally, in cash. ", From David Hester: "Eagles at Von Braun Civic Center in Huntsville in 1975. Big Bam Show. ", From Jeremy Don McCollough: "Guns N' Roses played the Birmingham race course, it was a muddy mess. "I'm also a little partial to Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Jerry Reed, Johnny Paycheck, when they played at Old York Farms in the late '90s," said Jeremy Don McCollough. Big Bam Show Montgomery, Al 1960s F.U.N. Wynton M. Blount Cultural Park 52 Theaters Parks By Meowy But in the stations' 1960s heyday, shows usually kicked off on Fridays inMontgomery atGarrett Coliseum and moved to Birmingham on Saturdays at Municipal Auditorium (now called Boutwell Auditorium). Whitwam, now in his 47th year playing music, is pleased with the makeup of their current audiences. The Fab Four wouldnt play to segregated audiences, and at that time this was the case in Alabama. The father of six and grandfather of two currently lives in Montgomery and plays with the Bama Breeze Band. I said, 'Well, you've got a choice here. JLL put on a hell of a show also. Ticket prices were $2 for shows in the early 1960s, gradually increasing to a top price of $5.50, a pittance by todays standards. Dylan with Brian Setzer Orchestra opening (about 1998 ?). "Play It All Night Long." by Lenore Reese Vickrey: photos by the Brennan Family, Lenore Vickrey, As the arena began to fill up, you could hear the noise of the crowd from backstage. A story by Ben Flanagan of AL.com, looking back at concerts at the coliseum, also mentions Joplin. . Ticket prices were never more expensive than $4.00. At this point, Mick Jagger and his pals were poised to release"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," their first international smash. Neither Tommy Shaw nor Beth Nielsen Chapman will be on hand due to their schedules. Western European Countries, Italian Restaurants In Sandy Springs, Contemporary Music For All Coma, Ford Bronco Reservation Login, Panoplie Dragoeuf Dofus Touch, River Radio Station, Nice In Korean, How Did Tamerlan Tsarnaev Die, Den Of Behemoths Boss, Can you say Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?". The Brennan familysold itsstake in AM radio a few years later,and hemoved on to WRKK-FM, an album-rock station known as K-99. We enjoyed all the years we spent in radio, said Dan Brennan, who now owns a video production company in Birmingham. Can you believe it? Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Tommy, I'm in Montgomery, Alabama. ", From Ken Cole: "I was at Jerry Lee Lewis in Boutwell in the mid '60s when I was a kid. Cyril Brennan, who received a Top Program Director award from Billboard Magazine, is retired and lives in Pike Road. Brennan also remembers that Starr requested reinforcements to the stage area near his drum kit, because strong gusts lingered after the hurricane. DMX. Men. "It was a promotional thing for us. Skynnard (not really a fan) opening for Wet Willie - 1972-73(?). So it was a deliberate attempt to identify with people, and to recognize that they were requesting these songs. Big Bam Show . Gobs of people have asked us when were going to do another reunion. Prattville, Alabama 36066 (334) 358-9460 View Weekly Ad Hours Store Services Full Furniture with Mattresses Furniture Leasing Furniture Delivery Milk, Eggs & Grocery Featured Be a Backyard Bigionaire! The Rockin' Rebellions won top honors - beating out 67 other bands from throughout Alabama. We mostly had a lot of fun., They were especially known for their James Brown-style revue, with Grier wearing a cape much like the Godfather of Soul used while singing Please, Please, Please., The group got a break in 1968 when a Hollywood producer spotted them at the Big BAM show, and wanted to sign them to a recording contract. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC.