We were all so nervous we wore dark sunglasses so nobody could see how scared we were, said Dupree. With no sound checks between acts, group would run on stage and begin playing almost immediately. People would come night after night, said Lander, who owns Bama Lanes in Montgomery and Prattville. The Hollies. J. Frank Wilson, and The Webs. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Tommy James & the Shondells. In the 1960's WVOK, in Birmingham Alabama, would have the top bands play at one huge concert. 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. We were the opening act and it was the biggest crowd we had ever played before, nearly 30,000 people. The Who played there. 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. Several others mentioned seeing the Rolling Stones in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. The Beatles in Alabama? I always was impressed about how well the bands performed when they were live, even though the Coliseum acoustics werent so good.. Patsy Cline. (L-R) Bob Corley, David Headley, Cary Green, Jeffery Johnson, Bob Pike, John Key. We enjoyed all the years we spent in radio, said Dan Brennan, who now owns a video production company in Birmingham. Big Bam Fall Spectacular has had 1 concert. I was blown away. Many regulars from the Kove days brought their grown children and will likely do so again. I never chased the stars around to hotels or anything. "Billsaid, 'Well, if anybody makes any money out of it, it's going to be me.' "Probably the most famous and beloved would be Buckingham Nicks at Boutwell in January of 1975. The Big BAM was WBAM, the 50,000-watt AM radio station owned by the Brennan family, whose other Alabama station was Birminghams WVOK. "Bill" Brennan, Billy Benns (Jr.) and Mrs. Luella B. Aldridge. Tommy James & Ed Sullivan. He plays locally at Ruddles, Coaches Corner in Wetumpka, Young Barn Oyster Pub, and has recorded a CD. From Brian Willis: "Any of Alabama's June Jams. Four dates per year were standard -- in winter, spring, summer and fall -- and total attendance topped out at 15,000 people for each three-show stint in Birmingham. He must have played an hour and 20 minutes or more. Brennan also remembers that Starr requested reinforcements to the stage area near his drum kit, because strong gusts lingered after the hurricane. Ticket prices were never more expensive than $4.00. Big Bam Show . He never asked forautographs. Their most popular singles were It Will Stand (also recorded by The Showmen) and Bug of Soul. The groups members drifted back to Alabama, with the exception of Townsend and Sanford who formed the Sanford-Townsend Band and recorded the hit Smoke from a Distant Fire.. The 8:30 p.m. show -- which happened in the windy aftermath of Hurricane Dora-- came courtesy of WAPE-AM, a radio station owned by the Brennan family. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. J Jackie Culpepper 662 followers More information WBAM Big Bam Shows Remembered Record Case Montgomery Growing Up 60s Old Things Teen Memories Remember Videos The Huntsville Times file photo/Michael Proffitt. Formed: 1966, Tallassee. 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. "That was before he became very big. ", Several readers mentioned Lynyrd Skynyrd as a given, pointing to various concerts throughout the state. The WMSP studios are located on the 3rd floor of . We played all the way through college, says Long. The original investors in the company were William J. 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. The WMAQ slogan came from a contest where winners would have to answer the phone "WMAQ's gonna make me rich," so you had people using the phrase anytime. Make Favorite Store Contact 1957 Cobbs Ford Rd. Local garage bands (they practiced in their parents garages or living rooms) were found in almost every town in the United States in the mid-to late 60s, and the Montgomery area was no exception. Kenny Rogers and the First Edition. 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. Members: Original members Larry Hoyle, Johnny Hassett and Ron Howard, plus Chris Seymour, Johnny Long, Jr. and Craig Young. Can you believe it? When was the last concert at Big Bam Fall Spectacular? "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?' Originally licensed in 1953 as WBAM, the station broadcast contemporary and country music before turning to sports talk under the WMSP callsign in 1995. The Captain and Tennille Show became a network hit and featured guest stars such as John Travolta, Don Knotts, The Pointer Sisters, and Red Foxx. Submit a request Contact us through a specially prepared form. He also helped to choose and line up some of the concert talent. It was just before his popularity exploded. "Best concert I caught in this state was at Memorial Coliseum in Tuscaloosa in 1978 Lowell George and Little Feat. By the summer of 1975 hed joined singer and keyboardist Eddie Wohlford and drummer Tommy Beavers to become part of Harvest, the precursor to the group Harmony at the Kove that spawned two major talents who made it big nationally: Tommy Shaw and Beth Nielsen Chapman. 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. Brennanleft the radio business for good in 1982. . "They would be paying the acts, literally, in cash. "And that made a big difference, because people didn't have the opportunity to turn on the TV set and see these artists, after they'd been buying their records. "We're big on memories," Brennan says. Yet. Springsteen played the 'short end' of the the Beard-Eaves with the curtain up. How many people have been able to say this at a concert, facing a roaring crowd? Thousands of Beatles fans were ready to twist and shout in the Southeast, and the Brennan clan had made it happen. 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. Saw them at the University of Alabama home coming in 1978 as well. The venue? 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. But it never happened. shimano ep8 630wh battery range They have reformed several times with different members, playing for Lee High School reunions. The rock band played several times at the Shower of Stars and appeared at one of the last few shows in the concert series, in July 1972. By March 15, 2021 No Comments. In spirited retaliation, Paul Revere and the Raiders march in lock step across the stage behind performers Jan and Dean. Patsy Cline Performs Her Final Show Country Music Memories; Most Wanted Music: 2023's Country and Americana Album Releases; Follow Us. The station's studios are . So I went out and introduced Bobby Edwards, and he sang songs, and I came back about half an hour later, and I said, 'Now, here's Bobby Edwards!' If it's all right with him, it's all right with me. They were a staple at dances for years, packing National Guard armories, gymnasiums, and teen clubs from Montgomery to Opp and Troy, and college campuses at Tuscaloosa, Auburn and Ole Miss. We had enough left over that, for a lot of our promotions after that, people would get free raincoats.". 0. blues show montgomery, al 2021. He was replaced by Johnny Townsend from Tuscaloosa, who was living with Duane and Gregg Allman in LA. "This was a daytime concert that seemed like a war zone with fireworks flying everywhere. Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis were on the bill, said Whitwam of their first performance at Garrett Coliseum. Yet there was also a gentler side of the city that is rarely revealed within the pages of history texts. From 1963 to 73 the Big BAM shows and their counterpart in Birmingham, the Shower of Stars shows, presented four concerts a year. Their big prize was three VOX . "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. Joni Mitchell at Tuscaloosa 1975 would be third," said jarobertson. They moved to LA, minus Grier whod gotten married and had a new baby and didnt want to move. The following year 13 acts played in WVOKs Shower of Stars show at Legion Field in Birmingham. Carl Perkins. Montgomery, Alabama, United States: Apr 15, 2016 keith sweat / Juvenile / Morris Day & The Time / Cherelle: . Elton John played three different years and drew over 40,000 total. Both Shaw and Chapman have gone on to stardom as performers and songwriters.]. Rock 'n' roll had just started, and you were right in the middle of it.". "You didn't have to know anything about guitar to realize that he was one of the best ever to take the stage. 3. And didn't ever explain to the people what had happened. The Four Seasons. 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. Ticket prices were $2 for shows in the early 1960s, gradually increasing to a top price of $5.50, a pittance by todays standards. (The station's nickname, "the Mighty 690," referred to its spot on the AM dial.). The Beach Boys. It was a hold out because they had missed a previous show in May of 1974. Thanks to Donnie Brennan for the Elvis photos. We made $100, remembers Grier. Grier continued to sing with trios and orchestras, performing at wedding receptions and private parties. 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. Steve Lander, who originally booked Harvest at the Kove in 1975, has offered the Blue Iguana free for the night. So we had another beer. At least 25 people tried to jump the stage during the concert and were knocked backward into the crowd by gigantic stage bouncers! We'll have to ask him. His family owned WBAM in Montgomery, and WVOK in Birmingham, both 50,000 watt clear channels stations back in the day. the tall man aboriginal spirit; metadata api request failed: component conversion failed: file_ended; caleb foote sandlot A close second would be Yes at the Concert Hall in 2013. Montgomery resident Mike Vickery remembers getting a friends mother to drive him and others to the WBAM station to get tickets as soon as they went on sale so we could get them near the front on the floor. On one occasion, he accompanied some female friends to the Diplomat Inn where they spotted Lou Christie sitting by the pool, a secret one of them has never told her mother to this day.. porsche cayman 987 bodykit; efficiencies for rent in riverview, fl. [2] Originally licensed in 1953 as WBAM, the station broadcast contemporary and country music before turning to sports talk under the WMSP callsign in 1995. Roy Orbis. The Rockin' Gibraltars, Montgomery, 1960s. Go to the Archives 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. "One of my favorites was RUSH 1981 Mobile Municipal Auditorium," said tgfmiss. In most cases, the concertswere multi-act affairs, featuring the hottest names the radio stations could secure. That one was epic alright, unlike any other! Where else could you scream your head off while watching a dozen live acts play the hit songs you listened to on your transistor radio for the whopping ticket price of $2.50? Both stations played Top 40 hits of the day, and the concerts were the Brennans' gifts to a loyal radio audience. They had the Stones in about 1963-64, with Brian Jones before he died. He showed up about five minutes before his show was to go on. George Howell, who as George the D.J. co-hosted Hubcap Classics, was a big fan of the BAM shows beginning in the 9th grade. Elvis Presley. 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. (Photo courtesy of the Brennan family). 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. Here, then, is a readers' choice list of 31 awesome concerts in Alabama, culled from email, Facebook and comments on the original post. It feels good. Dylan with Brian Setzer Orchestra opening (about 1998 ?). Formed: 1963, Troy. Our four-piece horn section sets us apart, said Key. [Montgomery native and fellow Robert E. Lee graduate Tommy Shaw came back from Chicago to join the group, staying six months until getting a call to join Styx, who needed a replacement for a guitarist whod left as they were about to go on tour. It was everything. He was lead singer of the Rockin Gibraltars, formed in 1965 by a group of students at Lee High School. Beavers and Jones will be joined by former members Kelvin Holly, who works in the recording industry in Muscle Shoals and tours with Neil Young, and Bill Hinds, who tours with the Paul Thorn Band. "My brother, he was always a little bit of a gambler," Brennan says. It wasnt concerts where you played and 500 people sat down and listened to you. ", 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." Garrett Coliseum Montgomery Concert Setlists City Montgomery, AL, United States Add Montgomery venue Address 1555 Federal Drive Montgomery, AL 36107 USA Opened 1963 Web Official Website Garrett Coliseum on Wikipedia Info Located at he Alabama Agricultural Center. "Ringo had a riser above the stage, and of course this is all outdoors, and the winds were blowing up to 70 miles an hour," Brennan says. Hal Hodgens of WVOK is second from left. ", 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. George Cumuze, RN, Case Manager 4150 Carmichael Court Montgomery, AL 36106 334-270-2274. show . "We had to import parkas, raincoats from Taiwan, so that was our rain insurance," Brennan says, laughing. I kept going to at least one show a year through about 1968, he said.

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