I've seen so many good shows in Birmingham over the years! We didnt play where people sat around and drank. Whitwam remembers little of that show, but subsequent performances are crystal clear. "You didn't have to know anything about guitar to realize that he was one of the best ever to take the stage. 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. In the 1950s and '60s, Montgomery, Alabama, was ground zero f. The Other Side of Montgomery book. 'I did it my way.'". That one was epic alright, unlike any other! The football stadiumposed a few extra challenges, Brennan says, from seating assignments to sound quality to weather preparation. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. We would skip class and work setting up the stages for free admission and backstage passes. 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). Here, then, is a readers' choice list of 31 awesome concerts in Alabama, culled from email, Facebook and comments on the original post. He and his wife live north of Prattville in a 1930s shack, have three grown children and are expecting their first grandchild. rock pilgrimage I just went to the Coliseum for the music. 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. Wynton M. Blount Cultural Park 52 Theaters Parks By Meowy So it was a deliberate attempt to identify with people, and to recognize that they were requesting these songs. ", 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. The station is owned by Cumulus Media and the broadcast license is held by Cumulus Licensing LLC. Emerson, Lake and Palmer in QUAD sound - Tuscaloosa circa 1973. There was a little jealousy there.". White guys playing soul music!, Most of the stuff we played was music you could easily dance to, said Dupree. That was a lot of money. Read reviews from world's largest community for readers. I dont feel like well have any problem (remembering their songs). Its a good bet theyll play some Steely Dan, Crosby, Stills & Nash, a favorite, Sweet Magnolia, and Bill Hinds rendition of Joe Walshs Rocky Mountain Way.. 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. (Photo courtesy of the Brennan family). Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis were on the bill, said Whitwam of their first performance at Garrett Coliseum. 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. ", From Cobb: "Buckingham Nicks in Morgan Auditorium Tuscaloosa Alabama Fall 1973.". The WMSP studios are located on the 3rd floor of . "Little Feat at Boutwell mid 70s. truly historic happening. "I think the story about Buckingham Nicks is pretty interesting. Top (l-r), Keith Brewer, Ed Sanford and Sonny Grier. Where else could you scream your head off while watching a dozen live acts play the hit songs you listened to on your transistor radio for the whopping ticket price of $2.50? 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. When was the last concert at Big Bam Fall Spectacular? "Marty Robbins came up to me, and he looked so sad," Brennan recalls. [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. The Beach Boys. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. on. Bobby Goldsboro | Way Back Attack A real commercial from the 60's with announcer Bill J Moody .Exciting times as a teen.growing up in Montgomery. WBAM-FM - History - Former Programming and Personalities The Carpenters. former wcti reporters; winter village montreal; western new england university greek life; 1980 camaro z28 for sale in canada. George Harrison is behind Dan on the left, John Lennon on the right. Mosley tribes Lyndel . But theres not a whole lot of money because theres no place for them to play. Studio Phone Number: (334) 244-9898. Business Office/Studios 4101-A Wall Street Montgomery, AL 36106. Viva La Bam is an American reality television series that stars Bam Margera and his friends and family. 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! The original investors in the company were William J. WMSP (740 AM, Sports Radio 740) is a radio station licensed to serve Montgomery, Alabama, USA. Ticket prices were never more expensive than $4.00. We'd get hamburgers and bring them back, with someone always holding our place. Bobby Darin. In 1964 the Brennans Jacksonville, Florida station, WAPE, hosted the Beatles in concert at the Gator Bowl (see sidebar below). The bands that performed were: The Beach Boys / lou christie / Ian Whitcomb / The Happenings / the hollies / peter and gordon. Hendrix only played a limited number of concerts before he died and the one in Tuscaloosa blew the top off Memorial Coliseum. But it never happened. The 7 p.m.show-- billedas a music battle between the England and the United States-- also includedtheRighteous Brothers, Marty Robbins, Sonny James, Skeeter Davis, Del Reeves, Archie "Rindercella" Campbell and Cannibal and the Headhunters. I've got to change clothes and everything.' Memorial Coliseum, now known as Coleman Coliseum. "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?' Then another. The Fabulous Shades We made $100, remembers Grier. "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.". Hello? The audience was huge, sold out, 10,000 or more. Jerry Lee Lewis hristie Lou C. Paul Revere & the Raiders . ", From estevev: "Of the ones I attended, the most memorable ones were -- Ike and Tina Turner Review, Plush Horse, (1974? Despite her young age -- she was 7 that year -- Bartoletti felt another emotion at the Gator Bowl: extreme pride. Can you say Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?". Hal Hodgens of WVOK is second from left. "My brother, he was always a little bit of a gambler," Brennan says. Neither Tommy Shaw nor Beth Nielsen Chapman will be on hand due to their schedules. (The Beatles' popularity in the U.S. exploded in 1964, and that year's tour was a watershed moment for the band.). From what we can tell, she appeared there in 1970, but the story mentions Dec. 3, 1970, as the date of her show. Your favorite concerts in Alabama music history - al.com I remember some of them telling us they came to every show that whole year.". I never chased the stars around to hotels or anything. From Billy Bromberg: "Led Zeppelin 1973, Coleman Coliseum." There was this woman who was playing the bongos who literally passed out playing. All rights reserved (About Us). By March 15, 2021 No Comments. "The Stranger album had just come out and was only beginning to get some air play. Fans would mail their orders to the station, requesting a specific showtime, and the envelopes often included suggestions for artists they'd like to see. 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. Once solo and once with a band. Thats not to say Montgomery area favorite bands cant be seen any more. By today's standards, his solution to the latter problemseems charmingly old-school. December 24, 1958: Jerry Lee Lewis ; December 12, 1959: Fabian, The Fleetwoods, The Browns, Floyd Robinson and Bobby Lee Trammell big bam shows montgomery, alabama 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. The last Big BAM show was headlined by B.J. From Sell it to the tourists: "I saw an amazing Harry Chapin show at the BJCC Concert Hall in around 1978? It is amazing to think that was 41 years ago. WVOK is now all-sports. Yet there was also a gentler side of the city that. His clothes were all rumpled, and he said, 'Dan, I need to go on later in the show. Instead, the concert was held at the Gator Bowl under the auspices of the Brennans Jacksonville station WAPE, the Big APE. Here's what was in the 1969 Montgomery time capsule 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 stayed at the same hotel as them. The Quad show was FREE! "Elviswas an opening act," Brennan says. (The station's nickname, "the Mighty 690," referred to its spot on the AM dial.). the tall man aboriginal spirit; metadata api request failed: component conversion failed: file_ended; caleb foote sandlot Renamed Rock Hull Band in 77 before reclaiming original name in 90. "We had to import parkas, raincoats from Taiwan, so that was our rain insurance," Brennan says, laughing. 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. The Other Side of Montgomery: Growing Up White in the Birthplace of the The station is locally owned and operated by Bluewater Broadcasting Company, LLC. 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. ", From ghostreader: "Springsteen, mobile civic center theater may 1976. The station is locally owned and operated by Bluewater Broadcasting Company, LLC He doesnt keep up with Johnny Townsend, but remains friends with Rusty Crumpton and Ed Sanford, who is a successful artist in Los Angeles. We do everything from Jerry Jeff Walker to the Grateful Dead to Van Morrison, says Pappas. The venue? 1984 at the BJCC. Procedimientos. Saw them at the University of Alabama home coming in 1978 as well. When Cher and Sonny first met in 1963, she was 16, while he was 27 and married (he and his first wife were separated). The Louvin Brothers. She remembers her father's words with startling clarity, along with the thrill she experiencedwhile sitting in the front row. Roy Orbis. The resulting concerts -- which evolved into a series called the WVOK Shower of Stars in Birmingham, the Big BAM shows in Montgomery and the Big APE Convention in Jacksonville -- became enormously popular with radio listeners. blues show montgomery, al 2021. guildford school of acting auditions; gilroy google font alternative; cuisinart steamer insert; Blog Post Title February 26, 2018. 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. ", Several readers mentioned Lynyrd Skynyrd as a given, pointing to various concerts throughout the state. We played a lot of soul music, the Beatles, the Stones, he said. The show is a spin-off from MTV 's Jackass, in which Margera and most of the main cast appeared. Its amazing the life we got to live.. One of its earliest Big BAM Shows featured Elvis Presley as he ascended to fame, on the same bill with Roy Acuff. Dupree served with the Army in Vietnam, worked as an engineer in Muscle Shoals, and has been an electrical engineer for the Alabama Legislature for 27 years. Go to the Archives In 1964 the Brennans booked the Beatles for a concert in either Legion Field in Birmingham, or Garrett Coliseum or Crampton Bowl in Montgomery. Jerry Lee Lewis, the Brennans said. 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. In most cases, the concertswere multi-act affairs, featuring the hottest names the radio stations could secure. Both stations played Top 40 hits of the day, and the concerts were the Brennans' gifts to a loyal radio audience. porsche cayman 987 bodykit; efficiencies for rent in riverview, fl. Make Favorite Store Contact 1957 Cobbs Ford Rd. The other name band on the show was the Allman Brothers, they had just released their first album. 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). His family owned WBAM in Montgomery, and WVOK in Birmingham, both 50,000 watt clear channels stations back in the day. As a result, Captain and Tennille declined ABC's offer to do a second season. People would come night after night, said Lander, who owns Bama Lanes in Montgomery and Prattville. Clayton, Hayward and Gradney. 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. big bam shows montgomery, alabama - joannascottcreative.com And the Shower of Stars concerts still linger in localmemory. Pin on The Old Record Case - pinterest.com "Rolling Stones, October 5, 1989, Legion Field," said Emily A. BB King's penultimate show at the Alabama (sitting but still playing and not drifting into non sequitur land). Moody also got to do his share of transporting stars, taking them to the Diplomat Inn, owned by Bill Brennan, older brother of Cyril and Dan and a partner in WBAM and WAPE. If you have one, it's going to be way down the other part of the field.' HOW COME PAUL GODDARD PUSHES HIS GLASSES UP THE BRIDGE OF HIS NOSE? He wants to go on late in the show.' Alicia Mcleod - Vocals - Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy Western European Countries, Italian Restaurants In Sandy Springs, Contemporary Music For All Coma, Ford Bronco Reservation Login, Panoplie Dragoeuf Dofus Touch, River Radio Station, Nice In Korean, How Did Tamerlan Tsarnaev Die, Den Of Behemoths Boss, . It was a real happening thing.. 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.