"His 'side' men was the entire Little Feat rhythm section. recent post listing 31 of the greatest shows, according to this story by Madison Underwood, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. "It cost enough that we were lucky to come out with just enough and break even with it," Brennan says. ", From dassani: "I was there Could not have been better! Yet there was also a gentler side of the city that is rarely revealed within the pages of history texts. 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. WBAM signed on in 1953 as AM 740. Paul Revere & the Raiders. They agreed to do it, but they were on one end of it, and the Beach Boys were on the other end of it. He must have played an hour and 20 minutes or more. His clothes were all rumpled, and he said, 'Dan, I need to go on later in the show. 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. "Bill" Brennan, one of the owners of The Big Bam, Montgomery's renowned 50,000-watt radio station. He wanted us to sign a management contract with him, but we were still under contract with Marshall and . "Radio played the song every twenty minutes. Read reviews from world's largest community for readers. "Eight Days a Week -- The Touring Years. I was blown away. Many regulars from the Kove days brought their grown children and will likely do so again. 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 Animals. Bobby Dupree (L) and Sonny Grier of the Rockin' Gibraltars. Their big prize was three VOX . 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 . (In 1965, Legion Field could seat more than 68,000 people.) 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. One show in particular stands out. 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. We only heard them. Gobs of people have asked us when were going to do another reunion. He showed up about five minutes before his show was to go on. Readers shared fond memories of June Jam, the annual music festival that ran 1982-1997. Big Bam Show . The Righteous Brothers. The wildest thing other than the Troggs rocking out to "Wild Thing" and whipping around long dirty hanks of British hair was Lou Christie. "Elviswas an opening act," Brennan says. It was important to us.". "Two guitars and a stool. (The Beatles' popularity in the U.S. exploded in 1964, and that year's tour was a watershed moment for the band.). Bobby Goldsboro was having a nice run of hits in the mid-'60s when suddenly, with the release of a song called "Honey" in 1968, he became a major star. snapchat chat bitmoji peeking. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Music lovers would line up at each venue, some arriving hours in advance, then rush inside to secure their favorite general-admission seats. From Denniswingo: "Was there! 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. Procedimientos. ', "We went over there and asked Roy, and he said, 'No, we're not going to do that. Vocalist in Salem, Alabama 1,320 views on fandalism. Despite her young age -- she was 7 that year -- Bartoletti felt another emotion at the Gator Bowl: extreme pride. Montgomery's home for country music favorites like Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Alan Jackson, George Strait, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert . Wed ask them, Who would you like to see? Then wed select artists for the shows from this listener input.. Reactions to these picks -- made by entertainment reporters Matt Wake, Lawrence Specker and Mary Colurso -- ranged from praise to anger, support to dismay. They actually were already signed to join, when Peace Concerts booked the January 31, 1975 show. 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. "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. Props. 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! Dan Brennan at the mic introducing the Beatles at their Gator Bowl appearance in Jacksonville, Florida. 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 I told someone to lower the seat, and when I sat down, it went all the way to the bottom, he said, chuckling. 0. blues show montgomery, al 2021. 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. If possible, the Brennans liked to present the same lineup of artists in all three cities over a single weekend, offering three shows in Birmingham for the Shower of Stars, one in Montgomery for the Big BAM and one in Jacksonville for the Big APE. But he's sure the introduction was brief, wasting no time as Beatlemania raged. [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. Neil Diamond. By today's standards, his solution to the latter problemseems charmingly old-school. He and his wife live north of Prattville in a 1930s shack, have three grown children and are expecting their first grandchild. For more, visit Rich's YouTube Channel . We stayed at the same hotel as them. Anotherbrother, Bill Brennan, was the undisputed chief of the Jacksonville station, and had houses in Montgomery and Jacksonville. Carl Perkins. So they both sang a few bars of the song, 'You're the Reason I'm Living," and we still couldn't decide which one was the real one. Then another. "Ringo said, 'I'm not getting up there unless you build me a bannister around this thing.' Just a few of the letters WBAM received from fans providing input into the acts they wished to see at the shows. Date:Sun, 5 Jun 2005 09:12:45 -0400 I'll tell you a story about that WBAM show in Montgomery. Moody remembers the group mysteriously disappeared after one show and had to be retrieved to play their second gig (lead singer Peter Noone was known to enjoy a party.). He never asked forautographs. It was elbow to elbow in there, remembered drummer Tommy Beavers. In Brennan's view, that's a satisfying legacy. 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. When was the last concert at Big Bam Fall Spectacular? Chuck Berry was an intro-act, great show he put on. big bam shows montgomery, alabama. Wed go all over, even the Old Dutch in Panama City.. Alabama Shakespeare Festival 192 Theaters By Questovia Attended the production of Macbeth in this stunning theater and enjoyed every moment of it. People would come night after night, said Lander, who owns Bama Lanes in Montgomery and Prattville. Wish I had gotten one. "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.". Welcome to my Nightmare in Huntsville Von Braun 1975 and KISS in 1976 at Von Braun. With no sound checks between acts, group would run on stage and begin playing almost immediately. Search the Largest Online Newspaper Archive. Saw them at the University of Alabama home coming in 1978 as well. 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. Brother Cyril Brennan, 84, was alternately chief engineer, manager, program director and music director at WBAM and also involved in lining up talent. Add the extra costs associated with security guards and insurance, and hiring bands is not a profitable option for many club owners. ", From Jeremy Don McCollough: "Guns N' Roses played the Birmingham race course, it was a muddy mess. From 1963 to 73 the Big BAM shows and their counterpart in Birmingham, the Shower of Stars shows, presented four concerts a year. Springsteen played the 'short end' of the the Beard-Eaves with the curtain up. She remembers her father's words with startling clarity, along with the thrill she experiencedwhile sitting in the front row. The other was Municipal Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, where a show had been set for September 15 th. WBAM was a powerhouse at 50,000 watts, covering much of Alabama, Georgia, and Florida.From its earliest days, WBAM put on concerts for the Montgomery area. That was one of my first big gigs - the Big BAM shows! 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us). The Alabama band was the organizer and centerpiece, raising money for charity. Brennan, now 86, introduced the Beatles at the Gator Bowlin Jacksonville, Fla., when the Fab Four played there on Sept. 11, 1964. Sweet Young Uns Big Bam All-Star Spring Show Setlists Apr 8 1967 Date Saturday, April 8, 1967 Venue Garrett Coliseum, Montgomery, AL, USA So far there are setlists of 9 gigs Saturday, April 8, 1967 Garrett Coliseum, Montgomery, AL Blues Magoos Brian Hyland Lou Christie The Buckinghams The Casinos The Electric Prunes The Royal Guardsmen The Turtles Capital Cool. It was a real happening thing.. Submit a request Contact us through a specially prepared form. pigella miraculous ladybug power. He said, 'We're going to put both of them on.' By the time they came to get us we were pretty shozzeled.. I don't even think it was a sell out. I don't know, I guess people got to trust us. After helping escort her safely away from an unruly crowd, she rewarded him with a big kiss. Saturday, April 8, 1967 Garrett Coliseum, Montgomery, AL Blues Magoos Brian Hyland Lou Christie The Buckinghams The Casinos The Electric Prunes The Royal Guardsmen The Turtles Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. There were a lot of fun people.. ", 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. We do everything from Jerry Jeff Walker to the Grateful Dead to Van Morrison, says Pappas. Dylan with Brian Setzer Orchestra opening (about 1998 ?). 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. ", From REDSEA: "While I was going to UNA back in 81, I worked on the Stage Crew on these concerts at UNA: Atlanta Rhythm Section (pictured), Jimmy Buffett, Tom Petty, Hotel, Crystal Gale. Both concerts were sold out. "We all felt very privileged," Bartoletti says. But it never happened. 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. ", From cj75: "Grateful Dead, 5/17/77 in Tuscaloosa. J. Frank Wilson, and The Webs. And the Brennans knew how to put on a show.. "You didn't have to know anything about guitar to realize that he was one of the best ever to take the stage. Neither Tommy Shaw nor Beth Nielsen Chapman will be on hand due to their schedules. If it's all right with him, it's all right with me. In 1964 the Brennans booked the Beatles for a concert in either Legion Field in Birmingham, or Garrett Coliseum or Crampton Bowl in Montgomery. I kept going to at least one show a year through about 1968, he said. We'd be there from the crack of dawn until midnight. Formed: 1963, Troy. If you were a teenager anywhere near Montgomery in the mid-60s and early 70s, the concert scene didnt get any better than the fanfests known as the Big BAM shows. Rich Thomas Weather. ), "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.'". Johnny Carson wanted him on The Tonight Show.Music fans were clamoring for the single and album that featured this emotion-filled song about a man in love with his wife, who planted a . The band's management initially asked for 85 percent of the ticket proceeds or $25,000, whichever was greater, Brennan says. He was lead singer of the Rockin Gibraltars, formed in 1965 by a group of students at Lee High School. We enjoyed all the years we spent in radio, said Dan Brennan, who now owns a video production company in Birmingham. If you have one, it's going to be way down the other part of the field.' Fees for the other acts were in the $300-$400 range, he says. (His moniker on the air: Dan the Music Man. 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. Hendrix only played a limited number of concerts before he died and the one in Tuscaloosa blew the top off Memorial Coliseum. Thomas, joined by John Kay (solo after leaving Steppenwolf), the Grass Roots and others. 2. But with two hotshot rock bandson the bill at Legion Field, the twangier acts faced a tougher crowd and some of the musicians felt like underdogs. Can you say Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?". (L-R) Bob Corley, David Headley, Cary Green, Jeffery Johnson, Bob Pike, John Key. 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. Here, then, is a readers' choice list of 31 awesome concerts in Alabama, culled from email, Facebook and comments on the original post. Still, for radio listeners who tuned into WVOK back in the day, Brennan will always be Dan the Music Man. A memorable night that I won't ever forget. Iron Butterfly. A close second would be Yes at the Concert Hall in 2013. We were the opening act and it was the biggest crowd we had ever played before, nearly 30,000 people. He also helped to choose and line up some of the concert talent. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. shimano ep8 630wh battery range This doesn't even scratch the surface! 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. This was the last concert they did before going back to LA and joining the band Fleetwood Mac. We made $100, remembers Grier. It made me feel good in a way, he said. 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. ", Jerry Tavin/Photo courtesy of Everett Collection, From mcarter3: "Uhh. Where's Jimi Hendrix's concert at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa in 1969? Members: Mitch Alton (original member), Gregg Pappas, Ham Wilson, Bill Marshall , Dwight Williams, Rick Byrd, Orville Cain, Carl Tesh. He pulls this at every one of our shows. She came back a few minutes later and absolutely blasted a massive bongo solo. I said, 'Cyril, what do you think we ought to do?' Members: Original members John Key, David Headley and Bob Corley plus David Langford, Mike Mobley, Larry Hughes, Bobby Johnson and Rick Roper. "It was cold outside, show was to begin at 6 but began at 9; coeds from T-town waited for 2nd show which was to begin at 9 but began at about 2 next morning, had to get permission to stay in those days and freeze outside at Auburn University Coliseum. The Rogues of Montgomery, AL cut one great rock single, "Put You Down" b/w a version of "Stormy Monday Blues". Several members still play in other bands for private parties, or solo at local restaurants, and on June 9, several members of Harmony plan a reunion show at the Blue Iguana in Prattville. "We started in 1947, and if you think about it, you didn't have very much television in those days," Brennan says in a recent interview. ", "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 original investors in the company were William J. I also went to one free concert on the old Quad (Woods Hall) in the late 60s that featured Linda Ronstadt (backed up by the Eagles). Once solo and once with a band. The station is locally owned and operated by Bluewater Broadcasting Company, LLC. Bell. It wasnt concerts where you played and 500 people sat down and listened to you. 6 places sorted by traveler favorites Clear all filters 1. Ask anyone who was there. You can either do that, or you will not have a place to change. Can you believe it? We played all the way through college, says Long. 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 a fabulous time.. 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. Their first gig was at the Wetumpka Recreation Center where admission was $1. Oh, and some guy named David on slide. He kicked it off with (what else?) The entire show was magic, beginning with The Stranger and of course included many of the unknown Joel early songs. They played at YMCAs, American Legion halls, private parties, and dances all over south Alabama, Panama City, Savannah, and Greenville, Miss. The capsule was opened during a ceremony December 3, but a complete list of its contents were not released at the time. "Billsaid, 'Well, if anybody makes any money out of it, it's going to be me.' I had to play the whole set standing up!. 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. "What's that Frank Sinatra song? The Young Rascals. Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis were on the bill, said Whitwam of their first performance at Garrett Coliseum. The Lovin' Spoonful. More on the Grateful Dead's 1995 shows in Birmingham, from AL.com's "Lost Stories" series. Hes been a school principal and now sells wholesale art, although business has been suffering due to the economy. Emerson, Lake and Palmer in QUAD sound - Tuscaloosa circa 1973. One of its earliest Big BAM Shows featured Elvis Presley as he ascended to fame, on the same bill with Roy Acuff. We didn't make any money.". truly historic happening. the tall man aboriginal spirit; metadata api request failed: component conversion failed: file_ended; caleb foote sandlot Both Shaw and Chapman have gone on to stardom as performers and songwriters.]. Things changed a little bit after that. J Jackie Culpepper 662 followers More information WBAM Big Bam Shows Remembered Record Case Montgomery Growing Up 60s Old Things Teen Memories Remember Videos I said, 'Elvis, I'm sorry, but we can't accommodate you, because it is his show.' "He said, 'Dan, I like to play for you here in town, but I don't want you to ever book me on a show like this again. When Cher and Sonny first met in 1963, she was 16, while he was 27 and married (he and his first wife were separated). Best Review Site for Digital Cameras. Thanks to Donnie Brennan for the Elvis photos. They would buy so many tickets in advance, we didn't have to worry about whether they were going to come or not.". nellson nutraceutical revenue; arlington catholic basketball roster; jack cawood and suzy hunt; lawn vacuum for acorns rental. The Who. Which concerts will go down in history at Alabama music venues? ", "Leo Kottke, Foster Auditorium, UA campus, about 1974," said 57939names. Tickets were priced at$1.50-$5.50 per show, Brennan says, and artists' fees usually ran about $300-$7,500 per act. Lowell George in his prime," says Bingothatwuzagoody. "My brother, he was always a little bit of a gambler," Brennan says. $14 million dollar house maine; Jimbo Jones (L) and Tommy Beavers look forward to the reunion of Harmony. 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.

Dennis Casey Obituary, Financial Times Editor Salary, Does Bug Bite Thing Work On Zits, Stutz Blackhawk For Sale 2020, Articles B