", Also on his list: "Eric Clapton, Billy Preston, and Jesse Colin Young and The Youngbloods, Legion Field, sometime in the 70's. We were waiting at the Holiday Inn, in the bar at the hotel having a beer. "There was a little one, and a big one, and we didn't know which was which," Brennan says. 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. "We'd camp out at the door, on the steps and wait. And if we hadn't had (Hurricane Dora), we would have made a lot of money. The show is a spin-off from MTV 's Jackass, in which Margera and most of the main cast appeared. 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. Solid show during a year held in very high regard by a large number of Deadheads. By nature, talent and inclination, Brennanwasentirely suited to the family business; thousands of fans knew his voice and remembered his name. Several others mentioned seeing the Rolling Stones in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. Johnny Cash. How many people have been able to say this at a concert, facing a roaring crowd? When Cher and Sonny first met in 1963, she was 16, while he was 27 and married (he and his first wife were separated). "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. Springsteen played the 'short end' of the the Beard-Eaves with the curtain up. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. 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. Rich Thomas Weather. I had to play the whole set standing up!. Emerson, Lake and Palmer in QUAD sound - Tuscaloosa circa 1973. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. We do everything from Jerry Jeff Walker to the Grateful Dead to Van Morrison, says Pappas. "Elviswas an opening act," Brennan says. 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). "Bill" Brennan, one of the owners of The Big Bam, Montgomery's renowned 50,000-watt radio station. 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.. ", From Will-I: "Bruce Springsteen in Auburn in 1975. We get young people, folks our age, and older folks, he said proudly. ", From Jeremy Don McCollough: "Guns N' Roses played the Birmingham race course, it was a muddy mess. 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. There are still a lot of local bands out there, said Sonny Grier, lead singer with the Rockin Gibraltars. A recent Skype video call to his U.K. home found Whitwam fondly remembering the Hermits Big BAM Show performances. Tickets were priced at$1.50-$5.50 per show, Brennan says, and artists' fees usually ran about $300-$7,500 per act. The station is locally owned and operated by Bluewater Broadcasting Company, LLC Edgar Winter Group with the Frankenstein tour," said Rick Allen. We put on a heck of a show, said Grier. Any of the Yes shows in Birmingham! ", From Ken Cole: "I was at Jerry Lee Lewis in Boutwell in the mid '60s when I was a kid. When I got on stage the drum kit seat was way too high. 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. The Carpenters. ", 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." His current band, The Soul Crackas, does many of the same soul hits the Rockin Gibraltar performed. "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. "One of the the things we had to do, in order to provide bathroom facilities for all of the artists, we had a bunch of RVs, recreation vehicles, and they were all over the field out there," Brennan says. I told someone to lower the seat, and when I sat down, it went all the way to the bottom, he said, chuckling. In 2020, the median property value in Montgomery, AL was $121,100, and the homeownership rate was 54.1%. The Big BAM Shows. It was everything. WMSP is a radio station licensed to serve Montgomery, Alabama, United States. "The Stranger album had just come out and was only beginning to get some air play. 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. Welcome to my Nightmare in Huntsville Von Braun 1975 and KISS in 1976 at Von Braun. We made $100, remembers Grier. Cosmic Slop was classic, turned that mother out. Despite her young age -- she was 7 that year -- Bartoletti felt another emotion at the Gator Bowl: extreme pride. ", From Eric Pendergrass: "Grateful Dead BJCC April 4,5 1995.". (In 1965, Legion Field could seat more than 68,000 people.) Flintstone House. Jimbo Jones (L) and Tommy Beavers look forward to the reunion of Harmony. The Who played there. 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 . Little Richard and Jerry Lee Lewis were on the bill, said Whitwam of their first performance at Garrett Coliseum. Studio Phone Number: (334) 244-9898. Business Office/Studios 4101-A Wall Street Montgomery, AL 36106. WMSP (740 AM, Sports Radio 740) is a radio station licensed to serve Montgomery, Alabama, USA. 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. But from the . He and his wife live north of Prattville in a 1930s shack, have three grown children and are expecting their first grandchild. Respi Mee Sup Sabahiiat. I can sing as good or better now than I did then, said Grier. The Buckinghams. For an 18-year-old to take home a pillowsack full of dollars, that was quite a heady time.. Bob Brennen gave me these. J. Frank Wilson, and The Webs. Other notable former personalities included Bill J. Moody, Paul Simpkins, Mark Robbins, Gene Hocutt and Joe Cook. 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. Once solo and once with a band. With no sound checks between acts, group would run on stage and begin playing almost immediately. Best Review Site for Digital Cameras. Mosley tribes Lyndel . He showed up about five minutes before his show was to go on. Two years later WBAM went country and the station was later sold. Louise Brennan, Cyril's wife, at the Beatles' press conference in Jacksonville. ", Buy newspaper front pages, posters and more. In the 1960's WVOK, in Birmingham Alabama, would have the top bands play at one huge concert. No mention does anyone else remember that?". The station is owned by Cumulus Media and the broadcast license is held by Cumulus Licensing LLC. 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 was just before his popularity exploded. Men. 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. The band also played Birmingham in May 1977, according to this story by Madison Underwood. Reactions to these picks -- made by entertainment reporters Matt Wake, Lawrence Specker and Mary Colurso -- ranged from praise to anger, support to dismay. Iron Butterfly. 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). Pitiful (Otis Redding) sound so much better with real horns.. ", Several readers mentioned Lynyrd Skynyrd as a given, pointing to various concerts throughout the state. We only heard them. The Fab Four wouldnt play to segregated audiences, and at that time this was the case in Alabama. Roy Orbison. He must have played an hour and 20 minutes or more. "We started in 1947, and if you think about it, you didn't have very much television in those days," Brennan says in a recent interview. The last Big BAM show was headlined by B.J. I never chased the stars around to hotels or anything. I kept going to at least one show a year through about 1968, he said. In one fell swoop, he was in hot demand. Were a dance band.. "Eight Days a Week -- The Touring Years. ", "I'm also inclined to mention 1982 at Boutwell when the Blizzard of Ozz played; Randy Rhoades' third to last appearance before his tragic death," said GmanGent. 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! 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. It was electric. He wanted us to sign a management contract with him, but we were still under contract with Marshall and . Gate Band There was this woman who was playing the bongos who literally passed out playing. Formed: 1966, Tallassee. 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. Elton John played three different years and drew over 40,000 total. Neil Diamond. ), "I remember we used to have people come out to our station on the Bessemer Superhighway," Brennan says, "and they would tell us that our transmitter -- we had a 50-kilowatt transmitter, and it was pretty close to their homes -- and they said, 'Well, I'm picking you up on my coffeepot.'". So we had another beer. nellson nutraceutical revenue; arlington catholic basketball roster; jack cawood and suzy hunt; lawn vacuum for acorns rental. Clayton, Hayward and Gradney. 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). 1984 at the BJCC. Shop Patio & Garden, including exclusive patio furniture from brands like Broyhill. Back then, thats what music was about, remembers Bobby Dupree, 63, drummer with The Rockin Gibraltars, a popular Montgomery-based group in the 60s. Dan Brennan recalls the reaction from performers. Bottom (l-r), Ronnie Monroe, Bobby Dupree and Rusty Crumpton. 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. It was the summer after my senior year, said Grier, who was joined by Keith Brewer on bass, Bobby Dupree on drums, Rusty Crumpton on guitar, Ronnie Monroe on trumpet and Ed Sanford on keyboards. Skynnard (not really a fan) opening for Wet Willie - 1972-73(?). 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. 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. 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. Inicio Quines somos? Shop Now ", From dassani: "I was there Could not have been better! FUNK-ON. 'I did it my way.'". The Rolling Stones. Clipping found in Alabama Journal in Montgomery, Alabama on Mar 24, 1966. on. Blue arcs of electricity knocked him unconscious and the show ended 15 minutes early. "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. Instead, the concert was held at the Gator Bowl under the auspices of the Brennans Jacksonville station WAPE, the Big APE. They moved to LA, minus Grier whod gotten married and had a new baby and didnt want to move. Chuck Berry was an intro-act, great show he put on. Yet. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. ", From Steve Wayne: "Guns N' Roses at the Birmingham Race Course. The largest universities in Montgomery, AL are Auburn University at Montgomery (975 degrees awarded in 2020), Faulkner University (844 degrees), and Alabama State University (712 degrees). Categories . One big favorite, however, appears to be a '70s date at Legion Field. The Brennan familysold itsstake in AM radio a few years later,and hemoved on to WRKK-FM, an album-rock station known as K-99. "We all felt very privileged," Bartoletti says. The capsule was opened during a ceremony December 3, but a complete list of its contents were not released at the time. Beth Nielsen joined the group after Shaw left. "Radio played the song every twenty minutes. The station's transmitter is located in the town of Grady, Alabama. But he's sure the introduction was brief, wasting no time as Beatlemania raged. I didn't stay afterwards, but my friends who did said that he stood in the lobby as long as anyone was there greeting fans and talking about world hunger. Famous quotes containing the words historical and/or videos: Dislike Share. Her very own father was on stage, standing closeto four of the most famous musicians in the world. The Who. But it never happened. Kenny Rogers and the First Edition. The station is locally owned and operated by Bluewater Broadcasting Company, LLC. Garrett Coliseum, in contrast, could hold 10,000+ for a single performance in Montgomery. 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). Hello? The 8:30 p.m. show -- which happened in the windy aftermath of Hurricane Dora-- came courtesy of WAPE-AM, a radio station owned by the Brennan family. It wasnt concerts where you played and 500 people sat down and listened to you. Here, then, is a readers' choice list of 31 awesome concerts in Alabama, culled from email, Facebook and comments on the original post. Hendrix only played a limited number of concerts before he died and the one in Tuscaloosa blew the top off Memorial Coliseum. Rinoplastia; Blefaroplastia 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. (Photo courtesy of the Brennan family). Then another. All rights reserved (About Us). Oh, and some guy named David on slide. Add the extra costs associated with security guards and insurance, and hiring bands is not a profitable option for many club owners. 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. We were all so nervous we wore dark sunglasses so nobody could see how scared we were, said Dupree. "Tuscaloosa Memorial Coliseum 1972," said Randy Palmer. Instant Help Questions? Lindley. Ask anyone who was there. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Thanks to Donnie Brennan for the Elvis photos. 100 feet later someone offered us tickets at face value. You can either do that, or you will not have a place to change. The father of six and grandfather of two currently lives in Montgomery and plays with the Bama Breeze Band. If it's all right with him, it's all right with me. Sweet Young Uns 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. Hes been a school principal and now sells wholesale art, although business has been suffering due to the economy. 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 ", All three Brennan brothers were ambitious businessmen who worked as a team. Sonny Grier is another longtime Montgomery band member who still plays music. "Hendrix, Joplin, the Who, Elvis, Dylan all played in Tuscaloosa," said Jeremy Don McCollough. The Captain and Tennille Show became a network hit and featured guest stars such as John Travolta, Don Knotts, The Pointer Sisters, and Red Foxx. As Brennan recalls it, the Beach Boys were paid $7,500 for their performance, and the Rolling Stones received $5,000. "Billsaid, 'Well, if anybody makes any money out of it, it's going to be me.' 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. She came back a few minutes later and absolutely blasted a massive bongo solo. He never asked forautographs. 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. The Righteous Brothers. The band has undergone several incarnations. Montgomery, Alabama, United States: Apr 15, 2016 keith sweat / Juvenile / Morris Day & The Time / Cherelle: . Toni loved doing the show, but Daryl, who never enjoyed being on camera, did not. They changed their name to Heart before eventually folding. For more, visit Rich's YouTube Channel . 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. (L-R) Bob Corley, David Headley, Cary Green, Jeffery Johnson, Bob Pike, John Key. By 1972 the heyday of the big shows had passed. . Only concert I have ever been to where they had tee shirts for the guitarist in the band along with the band's shirts. They enjoy reminiscing about the stars, the shows and the fans who made it possible. 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. Music you could dance to 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. The Big BAM was WBAM, the 50,000-watt AM radio station owned by the Brennan family, whose other Alabama station was Birmingham's WVOK. Yet there was also a gentler side of the city that. Alabama Shakespeare Festival 192 Theaters By Questovia Attended the production of Macbeth in this stunning theater and enjoyed every moment of it. It was elbow to elbow in there, remembered drummer Tommy Beavers. In 1964 the Brennans booked the Beatles for a concert in either Legion Field in Birmingham, or Garrett Coliseum or Crampton Bowl in Montgomery. From Billy Bromberg: "Led Zeppelin 1973, Coleman Coliseum." The most popular group, both Brennan brothers agree, was Hermans Hermits (see sidebar below). ", 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. ", Jerry Tavin/Photo courtesy of Everett Collection, From mcarter3: "Uhh. Where's Jimi Hendrix's concert at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa in 1969? They have reformed several times with different members, playing for Lee High School reunions. I'll never forget it. In Brennan's view, that's a satisfying legacy. Viva La Bam is an American reality television series that stars Bam Margera and his friends and family. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. "Best concert I caught in this state was at Memorial Coliseum in Tuscaloosa in 1978 Lowell George and Little Feat. "You didn't have to know anything about guitar to realize that he was one of the best ever to take the stage. The bands that performed were: The Beach Boys / lou christie / Ian Whitcomb / The Happenings / the hollies / peter and gordon. Otherwise . The Huntsville Times file photo/Michael Proffitt. If you have one, it's going to be way down the other part of the field.' Peter (Asher) and Gordon (Waller), Big BAM Show. "It was rewarding, because people seemed to respond to some of the things I was doing. [2] Originally licensed in 1953 as WBAM, the station broadcast contemporary and country music before turning to sports talk under the WMSP callsign in 1995. Dan Brennan had the honor of introducing the Beatles. "I didn't stay up there too long," Brennan says, laughing. 0. blues show montgomery, al 2021. The Big BAM was WBAM, the 50,000-watt AM radio station owned by the Brennan family, whose other Alabama station was Birminghams WVOK. Ticket prices were $2 for shows in the early 1960s, gradually increasing to a top price of $5.50, a pittance by todays standards. According to Ben Flanagan's story for AL.com, the band also played in Tuscaloosa at Memorial Coliseum, now Coleman Coliseum. We enjoyed all the years we spent in radio, said Dan Brennan, who now owns a video production company in Birmingham. We would skip class and work setting up the stages for free admission and backstage passes. Both stations played Top 40 hits of the day, and the concerts were the Brennans gifts to a loyal radio audience. ', "We went over there and asked Roy, and he said, 'No, we're not going to do that. DMX. to see more entries, Posted on June 1, 2011 by bob in Features. Readers shared fond memories of June Jam, the annual music festival that ran 1982-1997. 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. She remembers her father's words with startling clarity, along with the thrill she experiencedwhile sitting in the front row. At this point, Mick Jagger and his pals were poised to release"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction," their first international smash. 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 Louvin Brothers. Originally licensed in 1953 as WBAM, the station broadcast contemporary and country music before turning to sports talk under the WMSP callsign in 1995. And didn't ever explain to the people what had happened. Chuck Berry was awesome and the Stones in their early days were unbelievable.". ", From TTownTony: "You cannot even imagine the concerts played in Tuscaloosa before the BJCC was built. "We're big on memories," Brennan says. "That was before he became very big. I don't know, I guess people got to trust us. Dan Brennan, center, backstage at the Shower of Stars with with Paul Revere & the Raiders. The Rockin' Gibraltars, Montgomery, 1960s. Date:Sun, 5 Jun 2005 09:12:45 -0400 I'll tell you a story about that WBAM show in Montgomery. We didnt play where people sat around and drank. He was a very special guy. The Beatles in Alabama? Thomas, joined by John Kay (solo after leaving Steppenwolf), the Grass Roots and others. The concert series started around 1960 with such stars as Fabian and Brenda Lee. George Harrison is behind Dan on the left, John Lennon on the right. WBAM signed on in 1953 as AM 740. TheRolling Stones were closing the gap quickly, though, with a tougher, bluesier songbook that included "The Last Time," "Play With Fire" and "Time Is On My Side." 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. The detailed map shows the US state of Alabama with boundaries, the location of the state capital Montgomery, major cities and populated places, rivers and lakes, interstate highways, principal highways, railroads and major airports. The Beach Boys. That one was epic alright, unlike any other! 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. He said, 'We're going to put both of them on.' From what we can tell, she appeared there in 1970, but the story mentions Dec. 3, 1970, as the date of her show. 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, The Brennan kids were popular during the concert years, as you might expect, and Bartoletti says she, her four siblings and her cousins were fixtures at the WVOK shows, seated in the front row. The audience was huge, sold out, 10,000 or more. 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. Big Bam Fall Spectacular has had 1 concert. The Grass Roots. The eruption from the crowd was louder than expected but the lights were so blinding, we could not see the audience. The venue? By March 15, 2021 No Comments. From:"Rodney Justo" To:"robert register" Subject:Re: HEY EL NIXO! Show Duplicate for Mar 22, 2013: Mar 08, 2013 Justin Moore: Garrett Coliseum: 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. "People were going crazy, and you couldn't hear anything because the girls were screaming so loud," Bartoletti says. But the moment was indelible for one of his daughters, Debbie Brennan Bartoletti. Fees for the other acts were in the $300-$400 range, he says. We didn't make any money.". Procedimientos. ", 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. Brennan also remembers that Starr requested reinforcements to the stage area near his drum kit, because strong gusts lingered after the hurricane. But in the minds of Alabama listeners, WVOK and WBAM ruled supreme, and the stations were closely linked by their concert series. 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. ", From cj75: "Grateful Dead, 5/17/77 in Tuscaloosa. We played all the way through college, says Long. 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. Yes, the Beatles' performance was "a really big show," as Ed Sullivan wouldhave said.