Tommy James, of Tommy James and the Shondells, describing his appearance at the WBAM and WVOK Summer Shows in 1966 (from Me, the Mob and the Music). Toni loved doing the show, but Daryl, who never enjoyed being on camera, did not. ", Brennan, headquartered in Birmingham, rode herd over the Shower of Stars and was the primary talent buyer for the concerts, along with his other duties at WVOK. Its amazing the life we got to live.. Both Shaw and Chapman have gone on to stardom as performers and songwriters.]. Bama Country 98.9 - WBAM - Montgomery's Most Country Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. I didn't stay afterwards, but my friends who did said that he stood in the lobby as long as anyone was there greeting fans and talking about world hunger. 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 Rockin' Rebellions | Birmingham Record Collectors All rights reserved (About Us). We were waiting at the Holiday Inn, in the bar at the hotel having a beer. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Wed go all over, even the Old Dutch in Panama City.. Viva La Bam is an American reality television series that stars Bam Margera and his friends and family. In the spring of 1968, we played the Big Bam Spring show in Montgomery and were seen by a producer from Hollywood named Bob Hinkle. Jones, now 59, also played school dances and armories in a group called The Drones. "I always had an idea about saving memories for people, and using the media that was becoming available, and that's what led me into this.". The Other Side of Montgomery: Growing Up White in the Birthplace of the ", From bhamboost: "Parliament Funkadelic Mothership Connection 1976. We occasionally wouldn't fill all three seatings in Birmingham, but I don't think we ever had one that was less than about 70 percent full, with all three together. Bob Brennen gave me these. I've seen so many good shows in Birmingham over the years! I tried to get us all to dress up as the Fruit of the Loom guys but no one wanted to., For musicians who played together for years, there wont be a need to practice much, if at all. at 3126 Jasmine Road, was built in the early 1960s by William J. Thanks to Donnie Brennan for the Elvis photos. Brennan also remembers that Starr requested reinforcements to the stage area near his drum kit, because strong gusts lingered after the hurricane. Formed: 1963, Troy. Brennan, now 86, introduced the Beatles at the Gator Bowlin Jacksonville, Fla., when the Fab Four played there on Sept. 11, 1964. "They would be paying the acts, literally, in cash. Jerry Lee Lewis hristie Lou C. Paul Revere & the Raiders . From Sell it to the tourists: "I saw an amazing Harry Chapin show at the BJCC Concert Hall in around 1978? And the Shower of Stars concerts still linger in localmemory. The Rolling Stones. ", From Don Haley Benson: "Bruce Springsteen Born in the USA! Rare Earth. Rock 'n' roll had just started, and you were right in the middle of it.". Originally licensed in 1953 as WBAM, the station broadcast contemporary and country music before turning White guys playing soul music!, Most of the stuff we played was music you could easily dance to, said Dupree. The Carpenters. Joplin died on Oct. 4, 1970. Published by at February 16, 2022. The Other Side of Montgomery : Growing Up White in the Birthplace of Tommy James & Ed Sullivan. "I don't have any regrets," hesays. The Other Side of Montgomery: Growing Up White in the Birthplace of the The Troggs. There are still a lot of local bands out there, said Sonny Grier, lead singer with the Rockin Gibraltars. I kept going to at least one show a year through about 1968, he said. Tommy James & the Shondells. 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. In spirited retaliation, Paul Revere and the Raiders march in lock step across the stage behind performers Jan and Dean. One big favorite, however, appears to be a '70s date at Legion Field. They didn't come to hear me; they came to hear the Rolling Stones.'". WMSP - Wikiwand I play music half the time, the other half Im a toilet salesman, Jones said, which means hes in wholesale plumbing with Thompson Supply Co. When I got on stage the drum kit seat was way too high. 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 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). I said, 'Well, this is Roy's show. But Lewis went over his allotted time. Beth Nielsen joined the group after Shaw left. In Birmingham, we know of only one man who's had the honor: Dan Brennan, a former radio host, station manager, concert promoter and prime moverat WVOK-AM. Dan Brennan had the honor of introducing the Beatles. "We had to import parkas, raincoats from Taiwan, so that was our rain insurance," Brennan says, laughing. rock pilgrimage We would skip class and work setting up the stages for free admission and backstage passes. "We'd camp out at the door, on the steps and wait. Or Nirvana at Boutwell in 1993?Or Roger McGuinn at Merrimack Hall in 2014? 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 George Harrison is behind Dan on the left, John Lennon on the right. Clipping found in Alabama Journal in Montgomery, Alabama on Mar 24, 1966. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. The station is owned by Cumulus Media and the broadcast license is held by Cumulus Licensing LLC. We get young people, folks our age, and older folks, he said proudly. I'll never forget it. WBAM Big Bam Shows 7,142 views Nov 21, 2010 One of the big hit singers of the 60's and 70's working on a bit with me for a TV show..a little behind the scenes..Bobby is involved with art. Here, then, is a readers' choice list of 31 awesome concerts in Alabama, culled from email, Facebook and comments on the original post. Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (each updated 1/26/2023). Ticket prices were never more expensive than $4.00. WMSP (740 AM, Sports Radio 740) is a radio station licensed to serve Montgomery, Alabama, USA. Neil Diamond. "Best concert I caught in this state was at Memorial Coliseum in Tuscaloosa in 1978 Lowell George and Little Feat. He was a very special guy. The football stadiumposed a few extra challenges, Brennan says, from seating assignments to sound quality to weather preparation. WBAM-FM - ipfs.fleek.co big bam shows montgomery, alabama - cirujanoplasticoleon.com The Fabulous Shades Bottom (l-r), Ronnie Monroe, Bobby Dupree and Rusty Crumpton. The show is a spin-off from MTV 's Jackass, in which Margera and most of the main cast appeared. They have reformed several times with different members, playing for Lee High School reunions. His wild antics while playing the piano, including jumping on the keyboard, whipped the audience into a frenzy, making his act the most exciting at the time, Cyril Brennan added. No mention does anyone else remember that?". ", Jerry Tavin/Photo courtesy of Everett Collection, From mcarter3: "Uhh. Where's Jimi Hendrix's concert at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa in 1969? More like this Cheerleading Pictures Cheerleading Uniforms Girls Knee Socks Saddle Shoes Long Socks Roller Derby Time Capsule Cheer Up Female Athletes Cheerleaders 1960-70s- Loving the knee socks, saddle shoes, and huge pom poms! big bam shows montgomery, alabama ", From rtrmark: "Alice Cooper. Lou Christie was huge in Montgomery. "We're big on memories," Brennan says. He even did about 30 seconds of Sweet Home Alabama (that was before that song was worn out). By the time we got to the steps of the BJCC a guy had a shoebox full of tickets that he was trying to sell for a buck each. Saw them at the University of Alabama home coming in 1978 as well. WBAM Big Bam Shows Remembered - YouTube It was electric. A recent Skype video call to his U.K. home found Whitwam fondly remembering the Hermits Big BAM Show performances. We made $100, remembers Grier. A guy during intermission pulled his hankee out of his pockes and a gun fell out and fired a round into the row od seats in front of us. Think it was 1977," says Craigmo. The Alabama band was the organizer and centerpiece, raising money for charity. ", From GmanGent: "Alice Cooper Von Braun in 1974's Welcome to my Nightmare Tourone of the most successful tours financially up until that time. How Sonny and Cher Went From TV's Power Couple to Bitter Exes - Biography His clothes were all rumpled, and he said, 'Dan, I need to go on later in the show. Believing they could be the next stateside version of the Beatles, they went by a variety of catchy names: The Rockin Gibraltars, the Sweet Young Uns, The Drones, The Fabulous Shades, the Gate Band. Formed: 1966, Tallassee. But it never happened. Iron Butterfly. "People were going crazy, and you couldn't hear anything because the girls were screaming so loud," Bartoletti says. Wish I had gotten one. JLL put on a hell of a show also. Best Review Site for Digital Cameras. Respi Mee Sup Sabahiiat. ", From StolibGeezer: "Zevon played the Alabama twice. 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." We had a fabulous time.. For an 18-year-old to take home a pillowsack full of dollars, that was quite a heady time.. Readers shared fond memories of June Jam, the annual music festival that ran 1982-1997. Lindley. In Brennan's view, that's a satisfying legacy. Music lovers would line up at each venue, some arriving hours in advance, then rush inside to secure their favorite general-admission seats. Solid show during a year held in very high regard by a large number of Deadheads. After helping escort her safely away from an unruly crowd, she rewarded him with a big kiss. Bob was producing a medical documentary in Alabama, and also was a promoter for Evil Kneival and Chill Wills. Map of Alabama State, USA - Nations Online Project "My late husband was owner of Peace Concerts, he brought hundreds of concerts to Birmingham, all over Alabama and southeast from 1970-1975," said Shari Graye. WBAM-FM - History - Historical Videos 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. 1984 at the BJCC. 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 . Still, for radio listeners who tuned into WVOK back in the day, Brennan will always be Dan the Music Man. pigella miraculous ladybug power. Brennan's memories of the showsare less starry-eyed and more businesslike, as befitsthe man who booked the acts, paid the bills and tallied the proceeds. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. recent post listing 31 of the greatest shows, according to this story by Madison Underwood, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. Paul Revere & the Raiders. Whitwam, now in his 47th year playing music, is pleased with the makeup of their current audiences. "There was a little one, and a big one, and we didn't know which was which," Brennan says. His current band, The Soul Crackas, does many of the same soul hits the Rockin Gibraltar performed. 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. At this point, Mick Jagger and his pals were poised to release"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," their first international smash. He and his wife live north of Prattville in a 1930s shack, have three grown children and are expecting their first grandchild. During a recent show some ladies, obviously a few years older than him, recognized Grier from the early Gibraltar days. The author recalls with fondness the casual neighborliness that existed within his community, the freedom that children enjoyed to roam and play, and the slower pace of life that prevailed. I believe that city has a particular significance to you. ", Also on his list: "Eric Clapton, Billy Preston, and Jesse Colin Young and The Youngbloods, Legion Field, sometime in the 70's. Customer Help Desk It was just before his popularity exploded. 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. We played a lot of soul music, the Beatles, the Stones, he said. 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. I'm sure they were totally confused.". Which concerts will go down in history at Alabama music venues? They responded, swiftly and passionately, to a recent post listing 31 of the greatest shows at venues throughout the state.

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