on. WMSP is a radio station licensed to serve Montgomery, Alabama, United States. The station's transmitter is located in the town of Grady, Alabama. The station is owned by Cumulus Media and the broadcast license is held by Cumulus Licensing LLC. 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. Yet there was also a gentler side of the city that. With the help of Bill Moody and Cyril Brennan at WBAM, their music was played on the 100,000-watt radio station, helping the group built a following as an R&B band. Anybody remember that one? While Gator Bowl officials relented to a desegregated audience for the concert, two other venues Epstein had chosen were problematic. Mountain 1971," said Billy Bromberg. Originally licensed in 1953 as WBAM, the station broadcast contemporary and country music before turning to sports talk under the WMSP callsign in 1995. He was replaced by Johnny Townsend from Tuscaloosa, who was living with Duane and Gregg Allman in LA. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Both stations played Top 40 hits of the day, and the concerts were the Brennans' gifts to a loyal radio audience. snapchat chat bitmoji peeking. "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.". Both concerts were sold out. ", From Cobb: "Buckingham Nicks in Morgan Auditorium Tuscaloosa Alabama Fall 1973.". 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. Roy Orbis. The Quad show was FREE! Both stations played Top 40 hits of the day, and the concerts were the Brennans gifts to a loyal radio audience. 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. In Montgomery, music was the Big Bam show put on at Garrett Coliseum by WBAM, and there I saw Neil Diamond, the Buckinghams, Tommy James and the Shondells. I can sing as good or better now than I did then, said Grier. 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 did it my way.'". Gary Puckett & the Union Gap. Otherwise . "I think the story about Buckingham Nicks is pretty interesting. Montgomery resident Mike Vickery remembers getting a friends mother to drive him and others to the WBAM station to get tickets as soon as they went on sale so we could get them near the front on the floor. On one occasion, he accompanied some female friends to the Diplomat Inn where they spotted Lou Christie sitting by the pool, a secret one of them has never told her mother to this day.. ", From Will-I: "Bruce Springsteen in Auburn in 1975. The following year 13 acts played in WVOKs Shower of Stars show at Legion Field in Birmingham. And they accepted it, but we did get the total amount of the gate that came in. 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, He recalls the popular hangouts for older teens and the legendary "Big Bam Shows" of the period. I said, 'Well, this is Roy's show. The primary reason for the shows was to keep a personal relationship with the listeners, said Dan Brennan, 81, former general manager at WVOK. ", Jerry Tavin/Photo courtesy of Everett Collection, From mcarter3: "Uhh. Where's Jimi Hendrix's concert at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa in 1969? Thanks to Donnie Brennan for the Elvis photos. Go to the Archives 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. Their most popular singles were It Will Stand (also recorded by The Showmen) and Bug of Soul. The groups members drifted back to Alabama, with the exception of Townsend and Sanford who formed the Sanford-Townsend Band and recorded the hit Smoke from a Distant Fire.. Most of the clubs have gone to a single performer, or a duo or karaoke. I tasted my first grits there my very first grit (laughs). "There was a little office backstage, and I remember seeing my father and uncles back there with a security guard," Bartoletti says. Inicio Quines somos? . It was great! Packed house for a 1960s Big BAM Show at Garrett Coliseum. ", Several readers mentioned Lynyrd Skynyrd as a given, pointing to various concerts throughout the state. I always was impressed about how well the bands performed when they were live, even though the Coliseum acoustics werent so good.. ", 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." 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). The Rogues of Montgomery, AL cut one great rock single, "Put You Down" b/w a version of "Stormy Monday Blues". Readers of AL.com have plenty of ideas. From Billy Bromberg: "Led Zeppelin 1973, Coleman Coliseum." DMX. According to Ben Flanagan's story for AL.com, the band also played in Tuscaloosa at Memorial Coliseum, now Coleman Coliseum. In spirited retaliation, Paul Revere and the Raiders march in lock step across the stage behind performers Jan and Dean. One show in particular stands out. Id never seen anybody get an audience so excited, Dan Brennan remembered. Rare Earth. We were the opening act and it was the biggest crowd we had ever played before, nearly 30,000 people. Fees for the other acts were in the $300-$400 range, he says. "Ringo said, 'I'm not getting up there unless you build me a bannister around this thing.' The band's management initially asked for 85 percent of the ticket proceeds or $25,000, whichever was greater, Brennan says. Members: Mitch Alton (original member), Gregg Pappas, Ham Wilson, Bill Marshall , Dwight Williams, Rick Byrd, Orville Cain, Carl Tesh. Rich Thomas Weather. Big Bam Fall Spectacular has had 1 concert. Despite her young age -- she was 7 that year -- Bartoletti felt another emotion at the Gator Bowl: extreme pride. We'll have to ask him. Can you say Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?". pigella miraculous ladybug power. 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.). That was a lot of money. 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. "Rickwood Field, late 70's. Neither Tommy Shaw nor Beth Nielsen Chapman will be on hand due to their schedules. White guys playing soul music!, Most of the stuff we played was music you could easily dance to, said Dupree. Their big prize was three VOX . WBAM signed on in 1953 as AM 740. "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. By 1972 the heyday of the big shows had passed. It was everything. . And the Brennans knew how to put on a show.. One of the best concerts ever for Blues in Birmingham. By the summer of 1975 hed joined singer and keyboardist Eddie Wohlford and drummer Tommy Beavers to become part of Harvest, the precursor to the group Harmony at the Kove that spawned two major talents who made it big nationally: Tommy Shaw and Beth Nielsen Chapman. Notable TV and Radio personality Jimmy Carter (from Montgomery, Alabama) has assembled a few videos featuring some photos, jingles, and air checks of WBAM in its heyday. They responded, swiftly and passionately, to a recent post listing 31 of the greatest shows at venues throughout the state. ", "I don't know if it has been mentioned yet, but for the Alabama Theater I would definitely include Warren Zevon's show in, what?.1986 or '87?, said earman1. recent post listing 31 of the greatest shows, according to this story by Madison Underwood, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. 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 . Hisconcertseries rocked their worlds and shaped their music tastes, in tandem with WVOK. When I got on stage the drum kit seat was way too high. He never collectedconcertposters, handbills orother pieces of memorabilia. He would tear up the piano, Moody said, We couldnt find anyone to provide a piano, but he would put on a show. Only concert I have ever been to where they had tee shirts for the guitarist in the band along with the band's shirts. Its effortless., Even after all these years, agreed Jones. Beth Nielsen joined the group after Shaw left. ", "Rolling Stones in Auburn '69," said James Robert Chambless. "It was rewarding, because people seemed to respond to some of the things I was doing. Patsy Cline. Search the Largest Online Newspaper Archive. Things changed a little bit after that. Some of the items will go on exhibit starting Thursday at the Alabama. We played a lot of soul music, the Beatles, the Stones, he said. Originally licensed in 1953 as WBAM, the station broadcast contemporary and country music before turning But Lewis went over his allotted time. 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. 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. The football stadiumposed a few extra challenges, Brennan says, from seating assignments to sound quality to weather preparation. 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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. "Ringo had a riser above the stage, and of course this is all outdoors, and the winds were blowing up to 70 miles an hour," Brennan says. 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. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. "Cyril's idea was, 'Tell them to sing, just a little bit, and make sure that we get the right one.' Tickets cost $3 apiece. Reactions to these picks -- made by entertainment reporters Matt Wake, Lawrence Specker and Mary Colurso -- ranged from praise to anger, support to dismay. At least 25 people tried to jump the stage during the concert and were knocked backward into the crowd by gigantic stage bouncers! Lou Christie was huge in Montgomery. Later acts included the Beach Boys, the Animals, the Dave Clark Five, Paul Revere and the Raiders, Tommy James and the Shondells and the perennial Montgomery favorite, Lou Christie. Classics such as Midnight Hour, (Wilson Pickett), Knock on Wood (Eddie Floyd), and Mr. Cosmic Slop was classic, turned that mother out. Which concerts will go down in history at Alabama music venues? 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. The Righteous Brothers. REENADED . Read reviews from world's largest community for readers. ", All three Brennan brothers were ambitious businessmen who worked as a team. Hes been a school principal and now sells wholesale art, although business has been suffering due to the economy. Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy Uploaded 11 years ago Music 4; Photos 0; Interview . We stayed at the same hotel as them. You are free to use the above map for educational and similar purposes; if you publish it online or in print . 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. Neil Diamond. 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. The WMSP studios are located on the 3rd floor of . "Eight Days a Week -- The Touring Years. They had easy backstage access, as well, and would confidently sashay throughout the venue. A license for the station was issued in 1952. Gobs of people have asked us when were going to do another reunion. Clayton, Hayward and Gradney. Brennan also remembers that Starr requested reinforcements to the stage area near his drum kit, because strong gusts lingered after the hurricane. ); 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). Two years later WBAM went country and the station was later sold. A story by Ben Flanagan of AL.com, looking back at concerts at the coliseum, also mentions Joplin. 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. Their annual Big Bam shows, and Show of Stars were traveling medicine shows and featured Lou Christie, Roy Orbison, The Animals. 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. The Rogues recorded the 45 in February of 1966, for MBM Records, a Birmingham, Alabama label that goes back to the early '60s. ", From bhamboost: "Parliament Funkadelic Mothership Connection 1976. I said, 'Well, you've got a choice here. In 1964 the Brennans Jacksonville, Florida station, WAPE, hosted the Beatles in concert at the Gator Bowl (see sidebar below). April 8, 1967: State Coliseum, Montgomery, AL with Electric Prunes, Buckinghams, Lou Christie, Brian Hyland and The Jokers, Tommy James and The Shondells, Royal Guardsmen, The Blues Magoos, The Casinos and others "WBAM presents Big Bam All-Star Spring Show" April 14, 1967: University of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA with Freudian Slip Brennan, now 86, introduced the Beatles at the Gator Bowlin Jacksonville, Fla., when the Fab Four played there on Sept. 11, 1964. And didn't ever explain to the people what had happened. ", From StolibGeezer: "Zevon played the Alabama twice. The Rockin' Rebellions won top honors - beating out 67 other bands from throughout Alabama. WBAM Big Bam Shows Remembered 3,983 views Aug 25, 2013 A real commercial from the 60's with announcer Bill J Moody .Exciting times as a teen.growing up in Montgomery. ", From Shapeshiftinhmojo: "Jimi Hendrix played Alabama twice in both Tuscaloosa and Auburn in 1968 or 69. And so he gave them -- the only show in the whole country that did this -- we gave them a flat $50,000, which was pretty good in those days. The wildest thing other than the Troggs rocking out to "Wild Thing" and whipping around long dirty hanks of British hair was Lou Christie. And the Shower of Stars concerts still linger in localmemory. I've seen so many good shows in Birmingham over the years! I just went to the Coliseum for the music. Whitwam remembers little of that show, but subsequent performances are crystal clear. Were a dance band.. They enjoy reminiscing about the stars, the shows and the fans who made it possible. No one came down to buy scalped tickets at the price everyone thought they were going to have to pay.. hehehehe .", From Mark Keppler: "Eagles 1977 Hotel California Tour Civic Center. In the 1960's WVOK, in Birmingham Alabama, would have the top bands play at one huge concert. Solid show during a year held in very high regard by a large number of Deadheads. 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. We had enough left over that, for a lot of our promotions after that, people would get free raincoats.". go to da moon copy and paste. Published by at February 16, 2022. The concert series started around 1960 with such stars as Fabian and Brenda Lee. The station is locally owned and operated by Bluewater Broadcasting Company, LLC Still, for radio listeners who tuned into WVOK back in the day, Brennan will always be Dan the Music Man. 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. "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?' Hal Hodgens of WVOK is second from left. 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. 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. At the time, Sonny was interested Cher's friend, not her. In one fell swoop, he was in hot demand. So it was a deliberate attempt to identify with people, and to recognize that they were requesting these songs. ", 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." ", From cj75: "Grateful Dead, 5/17/77 in Tuscaloosa. "We gave everybody who came a free rain parka. ", From rtrmark: "Alice Cooper. Saw them at the University of Alabama home coming in 1978 as well. "I'm so. 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. "Times have changed so," said a wistful Peek, the Shower of Stars devotee. Toni loved doing the show, but Daryl, who never enjoyed being on camera, did not. 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 .
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