The Grass Roots. From Billy Bromberg: "Led Zeppelin 1973, Coleman Coliseum." They actually were already signed to join, when Peace Concerts booked the January 31, 1975 show. Can you say Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?". 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. 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. She came back a few minutes later and absolutely blasted a massive bongo solo. ", "Rolling Stones in Auburn '69," said James Robert Chambless. Members: Mitch Alton (original member), Gregg Pappas, Ham Wilson, Bill Marshall , Dwight Williams, Rick Byrd, Orville Cain, Carl Tesh. ", From Don Haley Benson: "Bruce Springsteen Born in the USA! He recalls the popular hangouts for older teens and the legendary "Big Bam Shows" of the period. Skyping with a Hermit (His moniker on the air: Dan the Music Man. Mountain 1971," said Billy Bromberg. It is amazing to think that was 41 years ago. Sweet Young Uns 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. ", From UABMBA: "One of the greatest concerts in Alabama was The Rolling Stones with Chuck Berry at Auburn Memorial Coliseum, November 14, 1969. Melissa Parker (Smashing Interviews Magazine): Tommy, I'm in Montgomery, Alabama. 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. "Play It All Night Long." Grier continued to sing with trios and orchestras, performing at wedding receptions and private parties. All rights reserved (About Us). The station's studios are . 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. Anybody remember that one? Still, for radio listeners who tuned into WVOK back in the day, Brennan will always be Dan the Music Man. Our four-piece horn section sets us apart, said Key. 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. These are just a few of the acts presentedby the Brennans during the 1950s, '60s and early '70s. Men. The band's management initially asked for 85 percent of the ticket proceeds or $25,000, whichever was greater, Brennan says. ); 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). Brennan and his wife, Clara, who handled ticketing, estimate that one-third of the tickets for any Shower of Stars datewere purchased on faith, before the lineup was ever announced. Anybody else remember seeing Joplin in Tuscaloosa? December 24, 1958: Jerry Lee Lewis ; December 12, 1959: Fabian, The Fleetwoods, The Browns, Floyd Robinson and Bobby Lee Trammell She remembers her father's words with startling clarity, along with the thrill she experiencedwhile sitting in the front row. 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 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. 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.). Both Shaw and Chapman have gone on to stardom as performers and songwriters.]. Wish I had gotten one. 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. One big favorite, however, appears to be a '70s date at Legion Field. Show Duplicate for Mar 22, 2013: Mar 08, 2013 Justin Moore: Garrett Coliseum: When was the last concert at Big Bam Fall Spectacular? It was great! I said, 'Cyril, what do you think we ought to do?' 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. I was there both times. 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. He wants to go on late in the show.' Her very own father was on stage, standing closeto four of the most famous musicians in the world. The Carpenters. Yet there was also a gentler side of the city that is rarely revealed within the pages of history texts. WVOK is now all-sports. Big Bam Show. And the Brennans knew how to put on a show.. It was just the coolest thing.". From Denniswingo: "April 1977 was Led Zeppelin.famous because it was so totally over promoted with the K-99 disc jockeys claiming $100 scalped tickets (it was $7.50 ticket price). 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. For an 18-year-old to take home a pillowsack full of dollars, that was quite a heady time.. No mention does anyone else remember that?". A memorable night that I won't ever forget. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Kenny Rogers and the First Edition. Signature songs include Brown Eyed Girl (Van Morrison), Cryin (Roy Orbison). He wanted us to sign a management contract with him, but we were still under contract with Marshall and . We enjoyed all the years we spent in radio, said Dan Brennan, who now owns a video production company in Birmingham. Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy Uploaded 11 years ago Music 4; Photos 0; Interview . 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. "Hendrix, Joplin, the Who, Elvis, Dylan all played in Tuscaloosa," said Jeremy Don McCollough. ", From dassani: "I was there Could not have been better! "Billsaid, 'Well, if anybody makes any money out of it, it's going to be me.' They enjoy reminiscing about the stars, the shows and the fans who made it possible. Yet there was also a gentler side of the city that. Gate Band 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. 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. I just went to the Coliseum for the music. The primary reason for the shows was to keep a personal relationship with the listeners, said Dan Brennan, 81, former general manager at WVOK. WBAM Big Bam Shows 7,142 views Nov 21, 2010 One of the big hit singers of the 60's and 70's working on a bit with me for a TV show..a little behind the scenes..Bobby is involved with art. After the Beatles press conference, where the Fab Four were munching on potato chips, Diane Brennan, daughter of Cyril and Louise, grabbed the partially consumed shards in fear that her sister Donnie would eat them. 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. Search the Largest Online Newspaper Archive. "We gave everybody who came a free rain parka. "Two guitars and a stool. Jerry Lee Lewis, the Brennans said. Tickets cost $3 apiece. [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. Fees for the other acts were in the $300-$400 range, he says. 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). Yet. Keyboardist Mark Marvin will fill in for Eddie Wohlford who is unable to attend. 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. It would be tough going back to ballrooms and small clubs after this. Welcome to my Nightmare in Huntsville Von Braun 1975 and KISS in 1976 at Von Braun. 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. For this little kid from Wetumpka, that was a big, big deal, he said. The football stadiumposed a few extra challenges, Brennan says, from seating assignments to sound quality to weather preparation. Rock 'n' roll had just started, and you were right in the middle of it.". They had the Stones in about 1963-64, with Brian Jones before he died. So many great City Stages performances: Chuck Berry (backed my some of Birmingham's finest), James Brown, Johnny Cash (right after Randy Newman! "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. Rinoplastia; Blefaroplastia I told Jimbo we should all come in with walkers, laughed Beavers. "People were going crazy, and you couldn't hear anything because the girls were screaming so loud," Bartoletti says. 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. Hello? We do everything from Jerry Jeff Walker to the Grateful Dead to Van Morrison, says Pappas. pigella miraculous ladybug power. I told someone to lower the seat, and when I sat down, it went all the way to the bottom, he said, chuckling. I can sing as good or better now than I did then, said Grier. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Herman's Hermits. Whitwam remembers little of that show, but subsequent performances are crystal clear. Clapton! Each episode had a specific theme, mission, or challenge which was accomplished by performing pranks, skateboarding, and enlisting the help of . J. Frank Wilson, and The Webs. "I'm so old. truly historic happening. Oh, and some guy named David on slide. $14 million dollar house maine; The other was Municipal Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, where a show had been set for September 15 th. Dan'sbrother, Cyril Brennan, who lived in Montgomery, held several titles during his tenure at WBAM: chief engineer, station manager and program director among them. The Rogues of Montgomery, AL cut one great rock single, "Put You Down" b/w a version of "Stormy Monday Blues". Via a longstanding partnership with the Benns family, the Brennans also extended theirreach to Chattanooga, the home of WFLI-AM. The venue? From Brian Willis: "Any of Alabama's June Jams. Although he admits to anoccasional pang of longing, looking back on his previouscareer, Brennan is far from retired. In the 1950s and '60s, Montgomery, Alabama, was ground zero f. Home; My Books; Browse . ", From Shapeshiftinhmojo: "Jimi Hendrix played Alabama twice in both Tuscaloosa and Auburn in 1968 or 69. With an amazing backing band, he proceeded to entertain the entire evening. "Best concert I caught in this state was at Memorial Coliseum in Tuscaloosa in 1978 Lowell George and Little Feat. And not just the concerts, but the whole experience building up to it. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Add the extra costs associated with security guards and insurance, and hiring bands is not a profitable option for many club owners. ", 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." One of the Beach Boys told me it was the biggest talent show hed ever been in!. The Byrds. Both stations played Top 40 hits of the day, and the concerts were the Brennans' gifts to a loyal radio audience. Best Review Site for Digital Cameras. This might have swelled a lesser man's head, but for Brennan, it was all about connecting with the listeners. We were waiting at the Holiday Inn, in the bar at the hotel having a beer. "It was a promotional thing for us. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. ", From David Hester: "Eagles at Von Braun Civic Center in Huntsville in 1975. Ask anyone who was there. 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. The Alabama band was the organizer and centerpiece, raising money for charity. Dan Brennan, center, backstage at the Shower of Stars with with Paul Revere & the Raiders. And they accepted it, but we did get the total amount of the gate that came in. 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 was a very special guy. The mothership landed in the BJCC that night. The Who. Fans also rushed to nominate their favorites when asked for feedback. We had a fabulous time.. 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. The Show That Almost Happened Hal Hodgens of WVOK is second from left. The Lovin' Spoonful. Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis were on the bill, said Whitwam of their first performance at Garrett 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. 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. ", From StolibGeezer: "Zevon played the Alabama twice. But Lewis went over his allotted time. I've got to change clothes and everything.' He was lead singer of the Rockin Gibraltars, formed in 1965 by a group of students at Lee High School. With no sound checks between acts, group would run on stage and begin playing almost immediately. The Who played there. "We're big on memories," Brennan says. Hes been a school principal and now sells wholesale art, although business has been suffering due to the economy. The Beatles in Alabama? "The level of excitement was unbelievable," Bartoletti says. former wcti reporters; winter village montreal; western new england university greek life; 1980 camaro z28 for sale in canada. ", 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. Bell. The station is locally owned and operated by Bluewater Broadcasting Company, LLC Brother Cyril Brennan, 84, was alternately chief engineer, manager, program director and music director at WBAM and also involved in lining up talent. Tommy James & the Shondells. I always was impressed about how well the bands performed when they were live, even though the Coliseum acoustics werent so good.. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. 100 feet later someone offered us tickets at face value. 'I did it my way.'". We were the opening act and it was the biggest crowd we had ever played before, nearly 30,000 people. The Huntsville Times file photo/Michael Proffitt. Dan Brennan at the mic introducing the Beatles at their Gator Bowl appearance in Jacksonville, Florida. Formed: 1963, Troy. The station's transmitter is located in the town of Grady, Alabama. (The station's nickname, "the Mighty 690," referred to its spot on the AM dial.). Those two days in Alabama left a lasting impression on us because it was how we measured the rest of our gigs.. Alicia McLeod - Vocals. Thousands of Beatles fans were ready to twist and shout in the Southeast, and the Brennan clan had made it happen. "My brother, he was always a little bit of a gambler," Brennan says. . YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. People came from several states to see these shows. ", 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. go to da moon copy and paste. From Denniswingo: "Was there! We came along at just the right time.. Cosmic Slop was classic, turned that mother out. While Gator Bowl officials relented to a desegregated audience for the concert, two other venues Epstein had chosen were problematic. Most of the clubs have gone to a single performer, or a duo or karaoke. We were considered the number one soul band in the south. The following year 13 acts played in WVOKs Shower of Stars show at Legion Field in Birmingham. 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. "Lynyrd Skynyrd, after Montrose featuring Sammy Hagar July 4th, 1975 at Rickwood Field," said Bamabadger62. Famous quotes containing the words historical and/or videos: Show Hide article text (OCR) His family owned WBAM in Montgomery, and WVOK in Birmingham, both 50,000 watt clear channels stations back in the day. 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. 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. "I think the story about Buckingham Nicks is pretty interesting. ", From GmanGent: "Alice Cooper Von Braun in 1974's Welcome to my Nightmare Tourone of the most successful tours financially up until that time. 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. From au92536: "June Jam in Fort Payne - I know it's country BUT. This doesn't even scratch the surface! 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. 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). Flintstone House. at 3126 Jasmine Road, was built in the early 1960s by William J. Some of the items will go on exhibit starting Thursday at the Alabama. ", From estevev: "Of the ones I attended, the most memorable ones were -- Ike and Tina Turner Review, Plush Horse, (1974? "This was a daytime concert that seemed like a war zone with fireworks flying everywhere. I always got seats on the floor for the shows. Thanks to Donnie Brennan for the Elvis photos. But it was one of many concerts organized by the Brennans, as they sought to cement listeners' loyalty to WVOK in Birmingham, WBAM-AM in Montgomery and WAPE in Jacksonville.
