Motor City Radio Flashbacks

JUKEBOX GOLD * 1965

BRENDA LEE BOW TO TEENS AT THE ROOSTERTAIL . . . MARCH 27, 1965

A MCRFB news brief:

Brenda Wows Teeners In Detroit

DETROIT — The famous Roostertail night club here broke a precedent last Sunday, March 14, by scheduling an early evening performance to allow youngsters to catch Brenda Lee’s act there. The special show, which began at 6:30 p.m., was oversold and reservation had to be turned down even though the show was only advertised four days in advance.

The young Decca artist apologized to the adults in the audience who accompanied their youngsters, for pegging the special show exclusively to the teenagers. Her showmanship and candor at the Detroit night club event was rewarded with heavy applause throughout the show and was capped with a standing ovation from both adults and teens in concluding the surprise early-evening event at the club’s famous Upperdeck ballroom. END.

Brenda Lee, “Little Miss Dynamite,” with a rare charted single, “Rusty Bells,” from 1965.

(Information and news source: Billboard; March 27, 1965).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZFBfldjz_Q

’50s: BILL HALEY COMETS DANCE HALL HOT . . . DECEMBER 11, 1954

From the MCRFB news archives: 1954

HALEY COMETS RACK BIG GROSSES THROUGHOUT YEAR

NEW YORK — Record popularity enjoyed by Bill Haley and His Comets on Decca disks has boomed the sextet into the top money-making bracket, according to Jolly Joyce, head of the Jolly Joyce Theatrical Agency here, which holds the booking exclusively for the musical unit.

Before locating for December at Andy’s Log Cabin in Gloucester, New Jersey, the Joyce agency had the Haley Comets take in a full week of one-nighters. And with combination of percentages and guarantees, they netted well over $5,000 for the past week.

Much of the take came from a record one-nighter at the Valencia Theater in Baltimore, promoted by Buddy Deane, disk jockey on WITH and Jim Ferguson, Haley’s personal manager.

Giving two solo concerts Saturday night, November 27, at a $1.25 top, tax included, the 1,600 seat house was overflowing for the two evening shows. Promoters reported 3,300 tickets sold to make it a sell-out three days in advance, with more than 1,000 turned away at the box-office. The gate was over $4,000 and the Haley Comets came away with a net of $2,040 for the evenings’ work. END.

(Information and news source: Billboard; December 11, 1954).