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. 0. blues show montgomery, al 2021. Their big prize was three VOX . According to Dan, the only surviving brother, it was Bill's decision to offer$50,000 to the Beatles for their appearance at the Gator Bowl. "Excuse me---did I miss the ROLLING STONES STEEL WHEELS TOUR??????????????????" The Righteous Brothers. THE PROMOTIONAL POSTER OF THE WBAM, BIG BAM WINTER SPECTACULAR, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1967! Big Bam Fall Spectacular has had 1 concert. His clothes were all rumpled, and he said, 'Dan, I need to go on later in the show. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. "We had to import parkas, raincoats from Taiwan, so that was our rain insurance," Brennan says, laughing. He was a very special guy. No mention does anyone else remember that?". "There was a little one, and a big one, and we didn't know which was which," Brennan says. Classics such as Midnight Hour, (Wilson Pickett), Knock on Wood (Eddie Floyd), and Mr. Mountain 1971," said Billy Bromberg. The Byrds. Bobby Dupree (L) and Sonny Grier of the Rockin' Gibraltars. 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. 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). Show Hide article text (OCR) He also helped to choose and line up some of the concert talent. ", From ghostreader: "Springsteen, mobile civic center theater may 1976. So we had to delay the start of the show about 15 minutes or so while the carpenters came out and put these rails together. Its amazing the life we got to live.. Jerry Lee Lewis, the Brennans said. We played all the way through college, says Long. 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. BOBBY GOLDSBORO. 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). 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. Alabama State Coliseum (1951-1963) Garrett Coliseum (1963-) Oct 5 2019 Chuck Berry was an intro-act, great show he put on. Whitwam remembers little of that show, but subsequent performances are crystal clear. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. When was the last concert at Big Bam Fall Spectacular? Only concert I have ever been to where they had tee shirts for the guitarist in the band along with the band's shirts. We didn't make any money.". 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. 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. He wants to go on late in the show.' Though theyve had other jobs over the years, neither Jones nor Beavers have stopped playing music. ', "We went over there and asked Roy, and he said, 'No, we're not going to do that. Several others mentioned seeing the Rolling Stones in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. The Beatles in Alabama? Categories . I think he could call his own shots.". 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!' "They would be paying the acts, literally, in cash. Hes been a school principal and now sells wholesale art, although business has been suffering due to the economy. Montgomery's home for country music favorites like Tim McGraw, Blake Shelton, Alan Jackson, George Strait, Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert . The Fab Four wouldnt play to segregated audiences, and at that time this was the case in Alabama. He remembers the Kove days with Harvest/Harmony fondly, not only for the bands music but the people who came to see them. It was electric. The Who played there. 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. Tickets cost $3 apiece. I was there both times. "I think the story about Buckingham Nicks is pretty interesting. Shop Now Submit a request Contact us through a specially prepared form. J Jackie Culpepper 662 followers More information WBAM Big Bam Shows Remembered Record Case Montgomery Growing Up 60s Old Things Teen Memories Remember Videos Fees for the other acts were in the $300-$400 range, he says. "I'm so. Nothing else necessary. It was elbow to elbow in there, remembered drummer Tommy Beavers. ", From estevev: "Of the ones I attended, the most memorable ones were -- Ike and Tina Turner Review, Plush Horse, (1974? Formed: 1963, Troy. I missed a bunch more, though!". Props. One was the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama, which was to host a concert on September 10 th. Butspeaking in general terms, each also hada specialty: Bill the visionaryentrepreneur, Cyril the tech-mindedpioneer, Dan the key concert producer and a smooth, recognizable voice at WVOK. "It didn't matter. Joplin died on Oct. 4, 1970. 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. Yet there was also a gentler side of the city that is rarely revealed within the pages of history texts. Grier continued to sing with trios and orchestras, performing at wedding receptions and private parties. Were a dance band.. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. 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. Clapton! Anybody remember that one? In most cases, the concertswere multi-act affairs, featuring the hottest names the radio stations could secure. (The station's nickname, "the Mighty 690," referred to its spot on the AM dial.). It made me feel good in a way, he said. "We had a room set up at our house that had little cubbyholes, like a post office has, and Clara would be back there, stuffing these envelopes, and getting the tickets," Brennan says. Yet. "I'm also a little partial to Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Jerry Reed, Johnny Paycheck, when they played at Old York Farms in the late '90s," said Jeremy Don McCollough. Any of the Yes shows in Birmingham! Music you could dance to Dislike Share. Here, then, is a readers' choice list of 31 awesome concerts in Alabama, culled from email, Facebook and comments on the original post. Id never seen anybody get an audience so excited, Dan Brennan remembered. to see more entries, Posted on November 1, 2011 by bob in Features. Some of the concerts took place in a single location -- most often, Jacksonville. A memorable night that I won't ever forget. Dan Brennan, center, with the Grass Roots. Viva La Bam is an American reality television series that stars Bam Margera and his friends and family. His family owned WBAM in Montgomery, and WVOK in Birmingham, both 50,000 watt clear channels stations back in the day. 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. Ask anyone who was there. "One of my favorites was RUSH 1981 Mobile Municipal Auditorium," said tgfmiss. The station is locally owned and operated by Bluewater Broadcasting Company, LLC. The Show That Almost Happened It's not like now, where they have secret tunnels and drive right into the auditorium.". Dan Brennan, center, backstage at the Shower of Stars with with Paul Revere & the Raiders. The stage was an immense rectangle glutted with scaffolding and hundreds of klieg lights and a sound system on a board that looked like the skyline of New York at night. As a result, Captain and Tennille declined ABC's offer to do a second season. 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. I kept going to at least one show a year through about 1968, he said. Yet there was also a gentler side of the city that is rarely revealed within the pages of history texts. ", From rtrmark: "Alice Cooper. I was very happy with doing the work I did. 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. 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 . 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. One of the best concerts ever for Blues in Birmingham. It was a hold out because they had missed a previous show in May of 1974. From Billy Bromberg: "Led Zeppelin 1973, Coleman Coliseum." Members: Original members John Key, David Headley and Bob Corley plus David Langford, Mike Mobley, Larry Hughes, Bobby Johnson and Rick Roper. Both Shaw and Chapman have gone on to stardom as performers and songwriters.]. Famous quotes containing the words historical and/or videos: Cyril Brennan, who received a Top Program Director award from Billboard Magazine, is retired and lives in Pike Road. "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. She remembers her father's words with startling clarity, along with the thrill she experiencedwhile sitting in the front row. But it never happened. The . 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. Procedimientos. Find the answers to any question. The bands that performed were: The Beach Boys / lou christie / Ian Whitcomb / The Happenings / the hollies / peter and gordon. 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 So we had another beer. 1973(?). 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. I said, 'Cyril, what do you think we ought to do?' 1984 at the BJCC. Clipping found in Alabama Journal in Montgomery, Alabama on Mar 24, 1966. So many great City Stages performances: Chuck Berry (backed my some of Birmingham's finest), James Brown, Johnny Cash (right after Randy Newman! And the Brennans knew how to put on a show.. Iron Butterfly. "We'd camp out at the door, on the steps and wait. We always had the feeling, said Dan Brennan, that it was more than just a job., It was the golden era of rock and roll, said Moody. Top (l-r), Keith Brewer, Ed Sanford and Sonny Grier. big bam shows montgomery, alabama. The other name band on the show was the Allman Brothers, they had just released their first album. Wish I had gotten one. They had the Stones in about 1963-64, with Brian Jones before he died. In 1964 the Brennans Jacksonville, Florida station, WAPE, hosted the Beatles in concert at the Gator Bowl (see sidebar below). Both concerts were sold out. "The level of excitement was unbelievable," Bartoletti says. Dan Brennan recalls the reaction from performers. 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. From au92536: "June Jam in Fort Payne - I know it's country BUT. I had to play the whole set standing up!. The last concert at Big Bam Fall Spectacular was on September 30, 1966. So it was a deliberate attempt to identify with people, and to recognize that they were requesting these songs. A license for the station was issued in 1952. Whitwam, now in his 47th year playing music, is pleased with the makeup of their current audiences. It was a clear channel station that covered over 90 counties in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida, and could be heard everywhere. Hal Hodgens of WVOK is second from left. Of all the concerts I've been to in my lifetime, this one was the most memorable. He kicked it off with (what else?) He even did about 30 seconds of Sweet Home Alabama (that was before that song was worn out). Hank Williams was another frequent live on-air performer. The bands would come in cars -- just plain old cars -- and they'd get their guitars out and walk past you. As Brennan recalls it, the Beach Boys were paid $7,500 for their performance, and the Rolling Stones received $5,000. "Bill" Brennan, Billy Benns (Jr.) and Mrs. Luella B. Aldridge. 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. I always got seats on the floor for the shows. ", From Denniswingo: "The Grateful Dead in 1978 at the Boutwell Auditorium. Alabama Shakespeare Festival 192 Theaters By Questovia Attended the production of Macbeth in this stunning theater and enjoyed every moment of it. "(Listeners) would tell us what they liked and didn't like. "Eight Days a Week -- The Touring Years. Several readers made fond mention of multi-act shows presented by WBAM-AM, a sister station to Birmingham's WVOK-AM, during the 1960s and early '70s. 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. That one was epic alright, unlike any other! Big Bam Show. 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 didn't stay up there too long," Brennan says, laughing. He said, 'We're going to put both of them on.' She came back a few minutes later and absolutely blasted a massive bongo solo. White guys playing soul music!, Most of the stuff we played was music you could easily dance to, said Dupree. 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. "People were going crazy, and you couldn't hear anything because the girls were screaming so loud," Bartoletti says. "Cyril's idea was, 'Tell them to sing, just a little bit, and make sure that we get the right one.' Brennan, who understands the pull of nostalgia, says he's heard similar sentiments from many Birmingham folkswho came of age at the Shower of Stars. They had easy backstage access, as well, and would confidently sashay throughout the venue. They didn't come to hear me; they came to hear the Rolling Stones.'". Still, for radio listeners who tuned into WVOK back in the day, Brennan will always be Dan the Music Man. It would be tough going back to ballrooms and small clubs after this. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Formed: 1972, Tuscaloosa. (It was free.) We would skip class and work setting up the stages for free admission and backstage passes. Jerry Lee Lewis. Their annual Big Bam shows, and Show of Stars were traveling medicine shows and featured Lou Christie, Roy Orbison, The Animals. All rights reserved (About Us). Wynton M. Blount Cultural Park 52 Theaters Parks By Meowy The only multiple-act show in the country similar to what the Brennans offered were those produced by Dick Clark. ", All three Brennan brothers were ambitious businessmen who worked as a team. "Ringo said, 'I'm not getting up there unless you build me a bannister around this thing.' 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. We stayed at the same hotel as them. Renamed Rock Hull Band in 77 before reclaiming original name in 90. Ticket prices were never more expensive than $4.00. recent post listing 31 of the greatest shows, according to this story by Madison Underwood, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. We'll have to ask him. Formed: 1966, Tallassee. "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?' Skynnard (not really a fan) opening for Wet Willie - 1972-73(?). The Big Bam shows in Montgomery were on my list," said Jack Boles. 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. ", From Will-I: "Bruce Springsteen in Auburn in 1975. [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. "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. Roy Acuff and his Smoky Mountain Boys were the headliners that evening, and the billincluded Kitty Wells, Johnnie and Jack, Fred Wamble, Jack Turner and Buddy Hawk. Sweet Young Uns Consumate pranksters, duo Jan and Dean walk across the stage carrying a ladder to the surprise of Paul Revere and the Raiders' lead singer Mark Lindsey. The capsule was opened during a ceremony December 3, but a complete list of its contents were not released at the time. It was just the coolest thing.". Dylan with Brian Setzer Orchestra opening (about 1998 ?). He never asked forautographs. Dan Brennan at the mic introducing the Beatles at their Gator Bowl appearance in Jacksonville, Florida. ", From cj75: "Grateful Dead, 5/17/77 in Tuscaloosa. The Grass Roots. Yet there was also a gentler side of the city that. The Animals. ); 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). WBAM Big Bam Shows; Dan's Dusty Discs WBAM; WBAM Pictures; Read more about this topic: WBAM-FM, History. Disbanded in 66, reunited 76, returned to active performance 1991. By today's standards, his solution to the latter problemseems charmingly old-school. Edgar Winter Group with the Frankenstein tour," said Rick Allen. Anybody else remember seeing Joplin in Tuscaloosa? More on the Grateful Dead's 1995 shows in Birmingham, from AL.com's "Lost Stories" series. I've seen so many good shows in Birmingham over the years! 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. The mothership landed in the BJCC that night. Saw them at the University of Alabama home coming in 1978 as well. In 2020, the median property value in Montgomery, AL was $121,100, and the homeownership rate was 54.1%. We made $100, remembers Grier. He recalls the popular hangouts for older teens and the legendary "Big Bam Shows" of the period. By 1972 the heyday of the big shows had passed. "Lynyrd Skynyrd, after Montrose featuring Sammy Hagar July 4th, 1975 at Rickwood Field," said Bamabadger62. Just a few of the letters WBAM received from fans providing input into the acts they wished to see at the shows. A story by Ben Flanagan of AL.com, looking back at concerts at the coliseum, also mentions Joplin. on. The most popular group, both Brennan brothers agree, was Hermans Hermits (see sidebar below). ", From Ken Cole: "I was at Jerry Lee Lewis in Boutwell in the mid '60s when I was a kid. The Rockin' Gibraltars, Montgomery, 1960s. Bottom (l-r), Ronnie Monroe, Bobby Dupree and Rusty Crumpton. 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. 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. 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. With no sound checks between acts, group would run on stage and begin playing almost immediately. Signature songs include Brown Eyed Girl (Van Morrison), Cryin (Roy Orbison). Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. The chips were glued into Dianes scrap book between photos of the Beatles. 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. One show in particular stands out. ", From bhamboost: "Parliament Funkadelic Mothership Connection 1976. BB King's penultimate show at the Alabama (sitting but still playing and not drifting into non sequitur land). WVOK is now all-sports. Its better than not being remembered at all.. They enjoy reminiscing about the stars, the shows and the fans who made it possible. He founded his own company, Brennan Video Productions, in 1982and he continues to work there, transferring VHS tapes, old films and other retro footage to DVDs. the tall man aboriginal spirit; metadata api request failed: component conversion failed: file_ended; caleb foote sandlot Memorial Coliseum, now known as Coleman Coliseum. George Cumuze, RN, Case Manager 4150 Carmichael Court Montgomery, AL 36106 334-270-2274. show . I remember some of them telling us they came to every show that whole year.". "His 'side' men was the entire Little Feat rhythm section. Published by at February 16, 2022. The station is owned by Cumulus Media and the broadcast license is held by Cumulus Licensing LLC. Which concerts will go down in history at Alabama music venues? For this little kid from Wetumpka, that was a big, big deal, he said. We enjoyed all the years we spent in radio, said Dan Brennan, who now owns a video production company in Birmingham. "My brother, he was always a little bit of a gambler," Brennan says. And the Shower of Stars concerts still linger in localmemory. 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. One of the Beach Boys told me it was the biggest talent show hed ever been in!. Anotherbrother, Bill Brennan, was the undisputed chief of the Jacksonville station, and had houses in Montgomery and Jacksonville. We would always find the artists who were very popular with our audience, and we would try to get them, and we usually were successful.". We only heard them. We do everything from Jerry Jeff Walker to the Grateful Dead to Van Morrison, says Pappas. 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. WBAM signed on in 1953 as AM 740. The group recorded a few songs at Muscle Shoals FAME Studios, played around the Los Angeles area with big name bands like Vanilla Fudge and Three Dog Night, and once opened for Jimi Hendrix. A buddy and I went down hoping for a miracle and some guy offered us two tickets for $10 bucks each which we gladly paid. I think we had at least 15,000-16,000 people there.
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