big bam shows montgomery, alabama

1984 at the BJCC. Shop Now 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. at 3126 Jasmine Road, was built in the early 1960s by William J. When Peter Noone left Hermans Hermits in 1971, Hermits drummer Barry Whitwam keep going, and today continues to lead his own Hermans Hermits band (as does Noone performing as Hermans Hermits starring Peter Noone). The other was Municipal Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, where a show had been set for September 15 th. The Who. We enjoyed all the years we spent in radio, said Dan Brennan, who now owns a video production company in Birmingham. It will be the first time theyve have been together since a reunion benefit at a local club in 2007. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. I tasted my first grits there my very first grit (laughs). Oh, and some guy named David on slide. A close second would be Yes at the Concert Hall in 2013. Thats not to say Montgomery area favorite bands cant be seen any more. The bands that performed were: The Beach Boys / lou christie / Ian Whitcomb / The Happenings / the hollies / peter and gordon. 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. It feels good. The only multiple-act show in the country similar to what the Brennans offered were those produced by Dick Clark. He was replaced by Johnny Townsend from Tuscaloosa, who was living with Duane and Gregg Allman in LA. One big favorite, however, appears to be a '70s date at Legion Field. It was elbow to elbow in there, remembered drummer Tommy Beavers. For fans, half the fun was trying for a glimpse of the stars at their hotel or coming to and from the coliseum. A recent Skype video call to his U.K. home found Whitwam fondly remembering the Hermits Big BAM Show performances. People came from several states to see these shows. "We never had a flop," Brennan says, "but we had some shows that were a little bit bigger than others. The Quad show was FREE! The entire show was magic, beginning with The Stranger and of course included many of the unknown Joel early songs. 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. As a result, Captain and Tennille declined ABC's offer to do a second season. So we had another beer. One of the best concerts ever for Blues in Birmingham. 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. After helping escort her safely away from an unruly crowd, she rewarded him with a big kiss. recent post listing 31 of the greatest shows, according to this story by Madison Underwood, Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. (Photo courtesy of the Brennan family). "We'd camp out at the door, on the steps and wait. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. They had easy backstage access, as well, and would confidently sashay throughout the venue. The Big BAM was WBAM, the 50,000-watt AM radio station owned by the Brennan family, whose other Alabama station was Birminghams WVOK. 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.). The last Big BAM show was headlined by B.J. 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 Huntsville Times file photo/Michael Proffitt. "Cyril's idea was, 'Tell them to sing, just a little bit, and make sure that we get the right one.' December 24, 1958: Jerry Lee Lewis ; December 12, 1959: Fabian, The Fleetwoods, The Browns, Floyd Robinson and Bobby Lee Trammell Only concert I have ever been to where they had tee shirts for the guitarist in the band along with the band's shirts. 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. We do everything from Jerry Jeff Walker to the Grateful Dead to Van Morrison, says Pappas. Brennan, now 86, introduced the Beatles at the Gator Bowlin Jacksonville, Fla., when the Fab Four played there on Sept. 11, 1964. Can you say Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?". In 1964 the Brennans booked the Beatles for a concert in either Legion Field in Birmingham, or Garrett Coliseum or Crampton Bowl in Montgomery. Yes, the Beatles' performance was "a really big show," as Ed Sullivan wouldhave said. 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 No mention does anyone else remember that?". Can you believe it? They didn't come to hear me; they came to hear the Rolling Stones.'". Clipping found in Alabama Journal in Montgomery, Alabama on Mar 24, 1966. Springsteen played the 'short end' of the the Beard-Eaves with the curtain up. In Brennan's view, that's a satisfying legacy. Its better than not being remembered at all.. Rich Thomas Weather. 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. We made $100, remembers Grier. Whitwam, now in his 47th year playing music, is pleased with the makeup of their current audiences. 3. 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? Rare Earth. 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). Solid show during a year held in very high regard by a large number of Deadheads. The Hollies. We'd get hamburgers and bring them back, with someone always holding our place. 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. Whitwam remembers little of that show, but subsequent performances are crystal clear. The . From Billy Bromberg: "Led Zeppelin 1973, Coleman Coliseum." A license for the station was issued in 1952. 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. Go to the Archives The band's management initially asked for 85 percent of the ticket proceeds or $25,000, whichever was greater, Brennan says. It was great! ", From TTownTony: "You cannot even imagine the concerts played in Tuscaloosa before the BJCC was built. Dan Brennan recalls the reaction from performers. I had to play the whole set standing up!. nellson nutraceutical revenue; arlington catholic basketball roster; jack cawood and suzy hunt; lawn vacuum for acorns rental. Saw them at the University of Alabama home coming in 1978 as well. 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. Classics such as Midnight Hour, (Wilson Pickett), Knock on Wood (Eddie Floyd), and Mr. ", 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. She came back a few minutes later and absolutely blasted a massive bongo solo. He said, 'We're going to put both of them on.' Shop Patio & Garden, including exclusive patio furniture from brands like Broyhill. Of all the concerts I've been to in my lifetime, this one was the most memorable. 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 told someone to lower the seat, and when I sat down, it went all the way to the bottom, he said, chuckling. Id never seen anybody get an audience so excited, Dan Brennan remembered. Skyping with a Hermit He pulls this at every one of our shows. shimano ep8 630wh battery range As Brennan recalls it, the Beach Boys were paid $7,500 for their performance, and the Rolling Stones received $5,000. All rights reserved (About Us). We were all so nervous we wore dark sunglasses so nobody could see how scared we were, said Dupree. He showed up about five minutes before his show was to go on. Big BAM shows, Montgomery 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. 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. The Rockin' Rebellions won top honors - beating out 67 other bands from throughout Alabama. His wild antics while playing the piano, including jumping on the keyboard, whipped the audience into a frenzy, making his act the most exciting at the time, Cyril Brennan added. They played at YMCAs, American Legion halls, private parties, and dances all over south Alabama, Panama City, Savannah, and Greenville, Miss. Read reviews from world's largest community for readers. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. More on the Grateful Dead's 1995 shows in Birmingham, from AL.com's "Lost Stories" series. 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. Published by at February 16, 2022. ", "Leo Kottke, Foster Auditorium, UA campus, about 1974," said 57939names. Edgar Winter Group with the Frankenstein tour," said Rick Allen. The Byrds. 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. It was a real happening thing.. Packed house for a 1960s Big BAM Show at Garrett Coliseum. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Garrett Coliseum, in contrast, could hold 10,000+ for a single performance in Montgomery. Montgomery, Alabama, United States: Apr 15, 2016 keith sweat / Juvenile / Morris Day & The Time / Cherelle: . ", From StolibGeezer: "Zevon played the Alabama twice. He kicked it off with (what else?) The most entertaining act? 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. "Big Church Night Out" / Newsboys / Sidewalk Prophets / 7eventh Time Down / Blanca / Derek Minor / Brock Gill / Jeremy Willet . 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. said donnna. From 1963 to 73 the Big BAM shows and their counterpart in Birmingham, the Shower of Stars shows, presented four concerts a year. That was one of my first big gigs - the Big BAM shows! He never collectedconcertposters, handbills orother pieces of memorabilia. "Bill" Brennan, Billy Benns (Jr.) and Mrs. Luella B. Aldridge. The Big Bam shows in Montgomery were on my list," said Jack Boles. I said, 'Cyril, what do you think we ought to do?' 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 it was a deliberate attempt to identify with people, and to recognize that they were requesting these songs. "Little Feat at Boutwell mid 70s. I'm sure they were totally confused.". The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. K Jamie Carter Childhood Toys Childhood Memories Camille Redouble Sheila E "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. Originally licensed in 1953 as WBAM, the station broadcast contemporary and country music before turning to sports talk under the WMSP callsign in 1995.

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