The station is locally owned and operated by Bluewater Broadcasting Company, LLC Brennan had many encounters with celebritiesover his three decades as a concert promoter, but says he never felt famous -- not even when he was widely regardedas a household name in Birmingham radio. K Jamie Carter Childhood Toys Childhood Memories Camille Redouble Sheila E What made those shows big was that Dan and Cyril would always pick the artists who were hot at the time, remembered Bill J. Moody, a former WBAM announcer and later host of Hubcap Classics. If a group had a hit record, we would have them. "(Listeners) would tell us what they liked and didn't like. We get young people, folks our age, and older folks, he said proudly. Dislike Share. The Big BAM was WBAM, the 50,000-watt AM radio station owned by the Brennan family, whose other Alabama station was Birminghams WVOK. 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. Competition was evident between the two bands, Brennan says, as the Beach Boys returned for their splashiest date at the Shower of Stars, and the Stones made theirBirmingham debut on their first U.S. tour. Some of the concerts took place in a single location -- most often, Jacksonville. For an 18-year-old to take home a pillowsack full of dollars, that was quite a heady time.. It was a real happening thing.. It was the summer after my senior year, said Grier, who was joined by Keith Brewer on bass, Bobby Dupree on drums, Rusty Crumpton on guitar, Ronnie Monroe on trumpet and Ed Sanford on keyboards. Just a few of the letters WBAM received from fans providing input into the acts they wished to see at the shows. "Rickwood Field, late 70's. former wcti reporters; winter village montreal; western new england university greek life; 1980 camaro z28 for sale in canada. ", From Eric Pendergrass: "Grateful Dead BJCC April 4,5 1995.". I always was impressed about how well the bands performed when they were live, even though the Coliseum acoustics werent so good.. No mention does anyone else remember that?". The entire show was magic, beginning with The Stranger and of course included many of the unknown Joel early songs. WMSP (740 AM, "Sports Radio 740") is a radio station licensed to serve Montgomery, Alabama, USA.The station is owned by Cumulus Media and the broadcast license is held by Cumulus Licensing LLC. Iron Butterfly. The Big BAM Shows. Later acts included the Beach Boys, the Animals, the Dave Clark Five, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Tommy James and the Shondells and the perennial Montgomery favorite, Lou Christie. Disbanded in 66, reunited 76, returned to active performance 1991. The concert series started around 1960 with such stars as Fabian and Brenda Lee. To be honest, Brennan doesn't precisely recall what he said to the audience that evening, just before the mop-topped John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr took the stage. The WVOK Shower of Stars was a series of concerts sponsored by WVOK-AM at the Birmingham Armory and later at Birmingham's Municipal Auditorium.Program director Dan Brennan organized the shows, which gained national notice.. Concerts. 100 feet later someone offered us tickets at face value. Montgomery, Alabama, United States: Apr 15, 2016 keith sweat / Juvenile / Morris Day & The Time / Cherelle: . Add the extra costs associated with security guards and insurance, and hiring bands is not a profitable option for many club owners. "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. truly historic happening. BOBBY GOLDSBORO. Dan Brennan had the honor of introducing the Beatles. From Brian Willis: "Any of Alabama's June Jams. Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy Uploaded 11 years ago Music 4; Photos 0; Interview . The Brennan kids were popular during the concert years, as you might expect, and Bartoletti says she, her four siblings and her cousins were fixtures at the WVOK shows, seated in the front row. Elvis Presley. Beth Nielsen joined the group after Shaw left. Go to the Archives to see more entries, Posted on June 1, 2011 by bob in Features. FACIAL. nellson nutraceutical revenue; arlington catholic basketball roster; jack cawood and suzy hunt; lawn vacuum for acorns rental. The last concert at Big Bam Fall Spectacular was on September 30, 1966. THE PROMOTIONAL POSTER OF THE WBAM, BIG BAM WINTER SPECTACULAR, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1967! Ticket prices were never more expensive than $4.00. Both stations played Top 40 hits of the day, and the concerts were the Brennans gifts to a loyal radio audience. You can either do that, or you will not have a place to change. They have reformed several times with different members, playing for Lee High School reunions. With no sound checks between acts, group would run on stage and begin playing almost immediately. His current band, The Soul Crackas, does many of the same soul hits the Rockin Gibraltar performed. Edgar Winter Group with the Frankenstein tour," said Rick Allen. ", Looking back on it, Brennan realizes that bringing the Beatles to the Gator Bowl was a milestone event -- one firmly enshrined in Beatles lore and noted by Ron Howard in his 2016 documentary, "Eight Days a Week -- The Touring Years." said donnna. White guys playing soul music!, Most of the stuff we played was music you could easily dance to, said Dupree. ), "I remember we used to have people come out to our station on the Bessemer Superhighway," Brennan says, "and they would tell us that our transmitter -- we had a 50-kilowatt transmitter, and it was pretty close to their homes -- and they said, 'Well, I'm picking you up on my coffeepot.'". A memorable night that I won't ever forget. Top (l-r), Keith Brewer, Ed Sanford and Sonny Grier. It was just the coolest thing.". "We had to import parkas, raincoats from Taiwan, so that was our rain insurance," Brennan says, laughing. The other name band on the show was the Allman Brothers, they had just released their first album. A license for the station was issued in 1952. Big Bam Show . But Brennandoes have many stories to share -- about preventing a fistfight between two starswho wanted theclosing spot in Birmingham, or example, or puzzling over two entertainerswho showed up in Montgomery, both claiming to be country singer Bobby Edwards. The most popular group, both Brennan brothers agree, was Hermans Hermits (see sidebar below). Performers would play to more than 10,000 at Garrett Coliseum in Montgomery Friday night (for Tommy James in 1967 it just seemed like 30,000), then pack-up and play three shows in Birmingham on Saturday. By March 15, 2021 No Comments. Elton John played three different years and drew over 40,000 total. Alabama State Coliseum (1951-1963) Garrett Coliseum (1963-) Oct 5 2019 According to Ben Flanagan's story for AL.com, the band also played in Tuscaloosa at Memorial Coliseum, now Coleman Coliseum. In the 1960's WVOK, in Birmingham Alabama, would have the top bands play at one huge concert. "There was a police line for the Beatles to run through, and the stage was built up so people couldn't get to them.". They actually were already signed to join, when Peace Concerts booked the January 31, 1975 show. It would be tough going back to ballrooms and small clubs after this. 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. All rights reserved (About Us). Peter (Asher) and Gordon (Waller), Big BAM Show. Roy Orbis. "Probably the most famous and beloved would be Buckingham Nicks at Boutwell in January of 1975. "I didn't stay up there too long," Brennan says, laughing. "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. One show in particular stands out. Grier continued to sing with trios and orchestras, performing at wedding receptions and private parties. I believe that city has a particular significance to you. He was replaced by Johnny Townsend from Tuscaloosa, who was living with Duane and Gregg Allman in LA. One was the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama, which was to host a concert on September 10 th. (The station's nickname, "the Mighty 690," referred to its spot on the AM dial.). There were a lot of fun people.. Oh, and some guy named David on slide. But it never happened. Fans also rushed to nominate their favorites when asked for feedback. Or Nirvana at Boutwell in 1993?Or Roger McGuinn at Merrimack Hall in 2014? "That was before he became very big. 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. By nature, talent and inclination, Brennanwasentirely suited to the family business; thousands of fans knew his voice and remembered his name. Wynton M. Blount Cultural Park 52 Theaters Parks By Meowy All who attended the big September 19th show must present ticket stub at gate between 12 noon and 1PM. Fans would mail their orders to the station, requesting a specific showtime, and the envelopes often included suggestions for artists they'd like to see. The Rogues recorded the 45 in February of 1966, for MBM Records, a Birmingham, Alabama label that goes back to the early '60s. 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. 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. Tickets were priced at$1.50-$5.50 per show, Brennan says, and artists' fees usually ran about $300-$7,500 per act. ", From ghostreader: "Springsteen, mobile civic center theater may 1976. Yet there was also a gentler side of the city that is rarely revealed within the pages of history texts. Jerry Lee Lewis hristie Lou C. Paul Revere & the Raiders . From what we can tell, she appeared there in 1970, but the story mentions Dec. 3, 1970, as the date of her show. Both stations played Top 40 hits of the day, and the concerts were the Brennans' gifts to a loyal radio audience. From 1963 to 73 the Big BAM shows and their counterpart in Birmingham, the Shower of Stars shows, presented four concerts a year. Rare Earth. ", From Denniswingo: "The Grateful Dead in 1978 at the Boutwell Auditorium. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. 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. 6 places sorted by traveler favorites Clear all filters 1. 3. ", "I don't know if it has been mentioned yet, but for the Alabama Theater I would definitely include Warren Zevon's show in, what?.1986 or '87?, said earman1. One of the most powerful Shower of Stars events happened on May 7, 1965, when WVOK brought the Rolling Stones and the Beach Boys to Legion Field. A story by Ben Flanagan of AL.com, looking back at concerts at the coliseum, also mentions Joplin. The original investors in the company were William J. JLL put on a hell of a show also. ", From StolibGeezer: "Zevon played the Alabama twice. One of Brennan's favorite anecdotes concerns a young Elvis Presley, making waves and jostling for position before a concerton Dec. 3,1955, at Garrett Coliseum. I never chased the stars around to hotels or anything. "Excuse me---did I miss the ROLLING STONES STEEL WHEELS TOUR??????????????????" WBAM Big Bam Shows; Dan's Dusty Discs WBAM; WBAM Pictures; Read more about this topic: WBAM-FM, History. Deep South was incorporated in late July of 1950 with a capitalization of $60,000. This might have swelled a lesser man's head, but for Brennan, it was all about connecting with the listeners. "We'd camp out at the door, on the steps and wait. The Big BAM was WBAM, the 50,000-watt AM radio station owned by the Brennan family, whose other Alabama station was Birmingham's WVOK. Respi Mee Sup Sabahiiat. Our four-piece horn section sets us apart, said Key. Ask anyone who was there. (In 1965, Legion Field could seat more than 68,000 people.) Office Phone: (334) 244-0961 Office Fax: (334) 279-9563 Rick Peters - President / General Manager Jennifer Pestrichelli - Director of Sales Jay Scott - Operations Manager Shelby Ingram - Promotions Director ", From shapeshiftinhmojo: "The Allman Brothers played at the National Guard Armory as both the Almond Joys and as the Allman Brothers in the 1960's as well as Tuscaloosa in the seventies when they were huge. ", From Cobb: "Buckingham Nicks in Morgan Auditorium Tuscaloosa Alabama Fall 1973.". I told someone to lower the seat, and when I sat down, it went all the way to the bottom, he said, chuckling. I kept going to at least one show a year through about 1968, he said. Of all the concerts I've been to in my lifetime, this one was the most memorable. Wed go all over, even the Old Dutch in Panama City.. Big BAM Shows of the late 1960s and early 1970s featured all the biggest artists of the day, including Paul Revere and the Raiders, Lou Christie, Iron Butterfly, The Carpenters, The Monkees (as a group and individually), Tommy Joyce and Bobby Heart, The Grass Roots, and many more. 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. The Beatles in Alabama? They had easy backstage access, as well, and would confidently sashay throughout the venue. "Best concert I caught in this state was at Memorial Coliseum in Tuscaloosa in 1978 Lowell George and Little Feat. We were considered the number one soul band in the south. Rich Thomas Weather. "Billsaid, 'Well, if anybody makes any money out of it, it's going to be me.' The Louvin Brothers. Whitwam, now in his 47th year playing music, is pleased with the makeup of their current audiences. Tommy James & the Shondells. He plays locally at Ruddles, Coaches Corner in Wetumpka, Young Barn Oyster Pub, and has recorded a CD. Memorial Coliseum, now known as Coleman Coliseum. At this point, Mick Jagger and his pals were poised to release"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," their first international smash. Herman's Hermits in the studio, Barry Whitwam on drums. Gary Puckett & the Union Gap. The Rogues of Montgomery, AL cut one great rock single, "Put You Down" b/w a version of "Stormy Monday Blues".
Lilola Home Customer Service Number, How Long Should A Dental Office Keep Eobs, Whole Foods Cork Recycling 2021, National Appreciate Your Short Friend Day, Articles B
Lilola Home Customer Service Number, How Long Should A Dental Office Keep Eobs, Whole Foods Cork Recycling 2021, National Appreciate Your Short Friend Day, Articles B