big bam shows montgomery, alabama big bam shows montgomery, alabama

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. "Little Feat at Boutwell mid 70s. Chuck Berry was an intro-act, great show he put on. People came from several states to see these shows. The most entertaining act? The early concert didn't begin until it was time for the second one, but it was worth the wait. In spirited retaliation, Paul Revere and the Raiders march in lock step across the stage behind performers Jan and Dean. Jimbo Jones (L) and Tommy Beavers look forward to the reunion of Harmony. We made $100, remembers Grier. ", From StolibGeezer: "Zevon played the Alabama twice. In the 1960s and early 1970s, the station sponsored a series of pop/rock concerts known as "Big BAM Shows" featuring acts ranging from Paul Revere and the Raiders, Lou Christie, and The Beach Boys to comedian Pat Paulsen. "People were going crazy, and you couldn't hear anything because the girls were screaming so loud," Bartoletti says. 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. He never collectedconcertposters, handbills orother pieces of memorabilia. Steve Lander, who originally booked Harvest at the Kove in 1975, has offered the Blue Iguana free for the night. Dan Brennan recalls the reaction from performers. 1984 at the BJCC. You are free to use the above map for educational and similar purposes; if you publish it online or in print . "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.". Procedimientos. That was one of my first big gigs - the Big BAM shows! The Righteous Brothers. I told someone to lower the seat, and when I sat down, it went all the way to the bottom, he said, chuckling. I always was impressed about how well the bands performed when they were live, even though the Coliseum acoustics werent so good.. 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 The capsule was opened during a ceremony December 3, but a complete list of its contents were not released at the time. We were waiting at the Holiday Inn, in the bar at the hotel having a beer. Then another. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. Blue arcs of electricity knocked him unconscious and the show ended 15 minutes early. It was the most important thing in our lives. I don't know, I guess people got to trust us. Clapton! Sonny Grier is another longtime Montgomery band member who still plays music. Keyboardist Mark Marvin will fill in for Eddie Wohlford who is unable to attend. It is amazing to think that was 41 years ago. Add the extra costs associated with security guards and insurance, and hiring bands is not a profitable option for many club owners. (In 1965, Legion Field could seat more than 68,000 people.) Jones, now 59, also played school dances and armories in a group called The Drones. Skyping with a Hermit I just went to the Coliseum for the music. From Billy Bromberg: "Led Zeppelin 1973, Coleman Coliseum." Only concert I have ever been to where they had tee shirts for the guitarist in the band along with the band's shirts. She remembers her father's words with startling clarity, along with the thrill she experiencedwhile sitting in the front row. ", From Denniswingo: "The Grateful Dead in 1978 at the Boutwell Auditorium. In 1964 the Brennans booked the Beatles for a concert in either Legion Field in Birmingham, or Garrett Coliseum or Crampton Bowl in Montgomery. It was a hold out because they had missed a previous show in May of 1974. truly historic happening. Bobby Darin. 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 . Emerson, Lake and Palmer in QUAD sound - Tuscaloosa circa 1973. Show Duplicate for Mar 22, 2013: Mar 08, 2013 Justin Moore: Garrett Coliseum: 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). 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. Alicia McLeod - Vocals. For more, visit Rich's YouTube Channel . ", "Rolling Stones in Auburn '69," said James Robert Chambless. As Brennan recalls it, the Beach Boys were paid $7,500 for their performance, and the Rolling Stones received $5,000. From what we can tell, she appeared there in 1970, but the story mentions Dec. 3, 1970, as the date of her show. And the Brennans knew how to put on a show.. ", From Don Haley Benson: "Bruce Springsteen Born in the USA! ", 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. Deep South was incorporated in late July of 1950 with a capitalization of $60,000. We didn't make any money.". The Animals. Originally licensed in 1953 as WBAM, the station broadcast contemporary and country music before turning to sports talk under the WMSP callsign in 1995. They agreed to do it, but they were on one end of it, and the Beach Boys were on the other end of it. One of its earliest Big BAM Shows featured Elvis Presley as he ascended to fame, on the same bill with Roy Acuff. [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. Formed: 1972, Tuscaloosa. Thomas, joined by John Kay (solo after leaving Steppenwolf), the Grass Roots and others. Thanks to Donnie Brennan for the Elvis photos. Birmingham on May 20, 1967. Otherwise . 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. One was the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama, which was to host a concert on September 10 th. ", From estevev: "Of the ones I attended, the most memorable ones were -- Ike and Tina Turner Review, Plush Horse, (1974? The wildest thing other than the Troggs rocking out to "Wild Thing" and whipping around long dirty hanks of British hair was Lou Christie. +40 (724) 307.599 Lu - Vi: 9:00 - 18:00; big bam shows montgomery, alabama For an 18-year-old to take home a pillowsack full of dollars, that was quite a heady time.. While Gator Bowl officials relented to a desegregated audience for the concert, two other venues Epstein had chosen were problematic. Wed have them in the spring, summer, fall and winter, said Dan Brennan, known on-air as Dan the Music Man hosting Dans Dusty Discs, who also announced acts on-stage. "It was rewarding, because people seemed to respond to some of the things I was doing. big bam shows montgomery, alabamasmart search field in safari. Our four-piece horn section sets us apart, said Key. "Best concert I caught in this state was at Memorial Coliseum in Tuscaloosa in 1978 Lowell George and Little Feat. 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. Ticket prices were never more expensive than $4.00. He never asked forautographs. The Brennans often picked up and drove band members to and from the airport and hotels, quite a thrill for Diane Brennan Knapp and Donnie Kay Brennan, daughters of Cyril Brennan and teenagers at the time. J Jackie Culpepper 662 followers More information WBAM Big Bam Shows Remembered Record Case Montgomery Growing Up 60s Old Things Teen Memories Remember Videos It was just the coolest thing.". Wed ask them, Who would you like to see? Then wed select artists for the shows from this listener input.. (Photo courtesy of the Brennan family). 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. Viva La Bam is an American reality television series that stars Bam Margera and his friends and family. 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. Its magic, said Beavers. (The station's nickname, "the Mighty 690," referred to its spot on the AM dial.). 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. 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. I believe that city has a particular significance to you. The Big BAM Shows. Hes been in a few movies, raced sports cars and been inducted into the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. Louise Brennan, Cyril's wife, at the Beatles' press conference in Jacksonville. All who attended the big September 19th show must present ticket stub at gate between 12 noon and 1PM. Moody remembers Roy Orbison being one of the nicer, more polite performers, and the Grass Roots, Paul Revere and Buckinghams being easy to work with. The station is locally owned and operated by Bluewater Broadcasting Company, LLC Back then, thats what music was about, remembers Bobby Dupree, 63, drummer with The Rockin Gibraltars, a popular Montgomery-based group in the 60s. "Two guitars and a stool. When I got on stage the drum kit seat was way too high. Neither Tommy Shaw nor Beth Nielsen Chapman will be on hand due to their schedules. Both stations played Top 40 hits of the day, and the concerts were the Brennans' gifts to a loyal radio audience. The chips were glued into Dianes scrap book between photos of the Beatles. Show Hide article text (OCR) The entire show was magic, beginning with The Stranger and of course included many of the unknown Joel early songs. Lowell George in his prime," says Bingothatwuzagoody. 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. By 1972 the heyday of the big shows had passed. We only heard them. "We had to import parkas, raincoats from Taiwan, so that was our rain insurance," Brennan says, laughing. White guys playing soul music!, Most of the stuff we played was music you could easily dance to, said Dupree. By today's standards, his solution to the latter problemseems charmingly old-school. The Grass Roots. They changed their name to Heart before eventually folding. 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. Several others mentioned seeing the Rolling Stones in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. 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). Rich Thomas Weather. 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. The Fabulous Shades Welcome to my Nightmare in Huntsville Von Braun 1975 and KISS in 1976 at Von Braun. 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. 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!' ", Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. I always got seats on the floor for the shows. Yes, the Beatles' performance was "a really big show," as Ed Sullivan wouldhave said. Tickets were priced at$1.50-$5.50 per show, Brennan says, and artists' fees usually ran about $300-$7,500 per act. In one fell swoop, he was in hot demand. I only have these pictures of all the concerts we attended from the early 1960's to late 1960's. This one in 1969, was probably the last one I attended. Yet there was also a gentler side of the city that is rarely revealed within the pages of history texts. "Rolling Stones, October 5, 1989, Legion Field," said Emily A. "Excuse me---did I miss the ROLLING STONES STEEL WHEELS TOUR??????????????????" Peter (Asher) and Gordon (Waller), Big BAM Show. Patsy Cline Performs Her Final Show Country Music Memories; Most Wanted Music: 2023's Country and Americana Album Releases; Follow Us. Tommy James & the Shondells. "There was a little office backstage, and I remember seeing my father and uncles back there with a security guard," Bartoletti says. 100 feet later someone offered us tickets at face value. ", 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." snapchat chat bitmoji peeking. 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.). They had easy backstage access, as well, and would confidently sashay throughout the venue. The station is locally owned and operated by Bluewater Broadcasting Company, LLC. Memorial Coliseum, now known as Coleman Coliseum. The Fab Four wouldnt play to segregated audiences, and at that time this was the case in Alabama. Rinoplastia; Blefaroplastia In 1964 the Brennans Jacksonville, Florida station, WAPE, hosted the Beatles in concert at the Gator Bowl (see sidebar below). Once solo and once with a band. I can sing as good or better now than I did then, said Grier. From 1963 to 73 the Big BAM shows and their counterpart in Birmingham, the Shower of Stars shows, presented four concerts a year. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. "Elviswas an opening act," Brennan says. 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. 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. ", From bamamaam: "What about the lynyrd skynyrd concert at rickwood field in the '70's.? We were the opening act and it was the biggest crowd we had ever played before, nearly 30,000 people. His family owned WBAM in Montgomery, and WVOK in Birmingham, both 50,000 watt clear channels stations back in the day. The audience was huge, sold out, 10,000 or more. They enjoy reminiscing about the stars, the shows and the fans who made it possible. Beth Nielsen joined the group after Shaw left. "I didn't stay up there too long," Brennan says, laughing. Date:Sun, 5 Jun 2005 09:12:45 -0400 I'll tell you a story about that WBAM show in Montgomery. The Buckinghams. Anotherbrother, Bill Brennan, was the undisputed chief of the Jacksonville station, and had houses in Montgomery and Jacksonville. 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). Wish I had gotten one. So many great City Stages performances: Chuck Berry (backed my some of Birmingham's finest), James Brown, Johnny Cash (right after Randy Newman! to see more entries, Posted on November 1, 2011 by bob in Features. Published by at February 16, 2022. Studio Phone Number: (334) 244-9898. Business Office/Studios 4101-A Wall Street Montgomery, AL 36106. It was great! Things changed a little bit after that. I think we had at least 15,000-16,000 people there. Joplin died on Oct. 4, 1970. From Sell it to the tourists: "I saw an amazing Harry Chapin show at the BJCC Concert Hall in around 1978? The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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. "We all felt very privileged," Bartoletti says. The Hollies. Dan Brennan, center, with the Grass Roots. We had a fabulous time.. "Radio played the song every twenty minutes. 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. ", From ghostreader: "Springsteen, mobile civic center theater may 1976. Any of the Yes shows in Birmingham! The Rogues recorded the 45 in February of 1966, for MBM Records, a Birmingham, Alabama label that goes back to the early '60s. Other notable former personalities included Bill J. Moody, Paul Simpkins, Mark Robbins, Gene Hocutt and Joe Cook. At least 25 people tried to jump the stage during the concert and were knocked backward into the crowd by gigantic stage bouncers! Packed house for a 1960s Big BAM Show at Garrett Coliseum. Classics such as Midnight Hour, (Wilson Pickett), Knock on Wood (Eddie Floyd), and Mr. Fees for the other acts were in the $300-$400 range, he says. Many of the artists told me these were the biggest shows theyd ever done.. The Temptations and The Supremes, The TCB Tour, Auburn University, 1972. He and his wife live north of Prattville in a 1930s shack, have three grown children and are expecting their first grandchild. They would buy so many tickets in advance, we didn't have to worry about whether they were going to come or not.". "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?' porsche cayman 987 bodykit; efficiencies for rent in riverview, fl. This was the last concert they did before going back to LA and joining the band Fleetwood Mac. 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. Bob was producing a medical documentary in Alabama, and also was a promoter for Evil Kneival and Chill Wills. Gary Puckett & the Union Gap. "You didn't have to know anything about guitar to realize that he was one of the best ever to take the stage. Jerry Lee Lewis. The Fabulous Shades, 1965. George Cumuze, RN, Case Manager 4150 Carmichael Court Montgomery, AL 36106 334-270-2274. show . Fans also rushed to nominate their favorites when asked for feedback. Music lovers would line up at each venue, some arriving hours in advance, then rush inside to secure their favorite general-admission seats. We got started because of the Beatles, said Jimbo Jones, longtime singer and guitarist with Harmony, one of the most popular bands to come out of Montgomery that played in the mid to late 70s at Keglers Kove, the lounge at Bama Lanes. "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. They responded, swiftly and passionately, to a recent post listing 31 of the greatest shows at venues throughout the state. His clothes were all rumpled, and he said, 'Dan, I need to go on later in the show. Cyril's wife Louise would make us outfits for the Shower of Stars, and we'd have on these big bell bottoms. (The Beatles' popularity in the U.S. exploded in 1964, and that year's tour was a watershed moment for the band.). But the moment was indelible for one of his daughters, Debbie Brennan Bartoletti. Both Shaw and Chapman have gone on to stardom as performers and songwriters.]. The primary reason for the shows was to keep a personal relationship with the listeners, said Dan Brennan, 81, former general manager at WVOK. Many who danced the night away to the Rockin Gibraltars or who nursed a beer and smoked a cigarette listening to Harmony, recall those days with particular fondness and with nostalgia for a time that wont likely return. Go to the Archives Solid show during a year held in very high regard by a large number of Deadheads. at 3126 Jasmine Road, was built in the early 1960s by William J. But it never happened. Cosmic Slop was classic, turned that mother out. A story by Ben Flanagan of AL.com, looking back at concerts at the coliseum, also mentions Joplin. "Big Church Night Out" / Newsboys / Sidewalk Prophets / 7eventh Time Down / Blanca / Derek Minor / Brock Gill / Jeremy Willet . Respi Mee Sup Sabahiiat. Anybody remember that one? ", From cj75: "Grateful Dead, 5/17/77 in Tuscaloosa. 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. Hank Williams was another frequent live on-air performer. He showed up about five minutes before his show was to go on. Brennan also remembers that Starr requested reinforcements to the stage area near his drum kit, because strong gusts lingered after the hurricane. FUNK-ON. 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 . "Bill" Brennan, Billy Benns (Jr.) and Mrs. Luella B. Aldridge. In fact, it's safe to say that music shows producedby the Brennans, focusing on rock 'n' roll, Top 40 pop and country, defined the concert experience for an entire generation of fans in those cities. The largest universities in Montgomery, AL are Auburn University at Montgomery (975 degrees awarded in 2020), Faulkner University (844 degrees), and Alabama State University (712 degrees). He wants to go on late in the show.' 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. It would be tough going back to ballrooms and small clubs after this. It was a real happening thing.. There was always so much excitement surrounding the shows, Knapp said. December 24, 1958: Jerry Lee Lewis ; December 12, 1959: Fabian, The Fleetwoods, The Browns, Floyd Robinson and Bobby Lee Trammell ); 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). Jerry Lee Lewis hristie Lou C. Paul Revere & the Raiders . From Mike Travis: "KISS, Van Halen, Rush, The Who, The Rolling Stones , Pink Floyd the racetrack mudfield to see GNR, Billy Joel and Elton John as well as the Eagles and Metallica in '81. "Ringo said, 'I'm not getting up there unless you build me a bannister around this thing.' 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. It made me feel good in a way, he said. ", From Larry Gilbreath: "I know it's been a long time ago but not one single June Jam in Fort Payne on the list unbelievable." "Lynyrd Skynyrd, after Montrose featuring Sammy Hagar July 4th, 1975 at Rickwood Field," said Bamabadger62. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Categories . 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. If you have one, it's going to be way down the other part of the field.' The Show That Almost Happened "We'd camp out at the door, on the steps and wait. Signature songs include Brown Eyed Girl (Van Morrison), Cryin (Roy Orbison). 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. Because it was so big, we ran on stage as soon as we were introduced, grabbed our instruments and started playing before the applause died down. 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.