Promoter
Irving Feld puts another compelling package out in the spring of 1957 headlined by Fats
Domino. This gathering of talent focuses
on black performers in an attempt to avoid the problems encountered in 1956. It didn't always work as the racial tensions remained in the south. In addition, Fats Domino goes AWOL for some shows when it approaches his home in New Orleans and has to be forced back on the tour. Booked for 45-dates, the tour is so
successful that repeat dates are booked in several cities.
Talent:
Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, Lavern Baker, Bill Doggett, Clyde McPhatter, Five
Keys, Ann Cole, Moonglows, Five Satins, Charlie Brown, Eddie Cooley &
Dimples, Schoolboys, Paul Williams Orchestra
February
15, 1957 Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh, PA
Two
sell-out shows pull in a gross of $22,700.
February
16, 1957 Olympia, Detroit, MI
February
18, 1957 Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada
February
19, 1957 Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, NY
February
21, 1957 Indiana Theater, Indianapolis, IN
February
22, 1957 Freedom Hall, Louisville, KY
February
23, 1957 Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, MO
Both
houses were sold out and the demand for tickets was so high that another show
is booked in April.
February
24, 1957 Municipal Auditorium, Topeka, KS
February
25, 1957 Civic Auditorium Arena, Omaha, NE
February
27, 1957 Fairgrounds Coliseum, Salt Lake City, UT
March
3, 1957 Coliseum, Spokane, WA
One
show at 7:30 p.m.
March
4, 1957 CPS Fieldhouse, Tacoma, WA
March
5, 1957 Memorial Auditorium, Portland, OR
March
7, 1957 Orpheum, Seattle, WA
March
8, 1957 Portland, OR
March
10, 1957 Auditorium, Oakland, CA
March
11, 1957 Civic Auditorium, San Jose, CA
March
13, 1957 Sports Arena, San Diego, CA
March
14, 1957 Municipal Auditorium, Long Beach, CA
March
17, 1957 Sports Center, Tucson, AZ
Fats
Domino is late for his performance and when he does finally show, he has
laryngitis and is unable to sing.
Domino's manager takes him to the hospital where doctors order him to
rest.
March
18, 1957 Coliseum, El Paso, TX
March
19, 1957 Armory, Albuquerque, NM
March
22, 1957 Heart of Texas Coliseum, Waco, TX
March
23, 1957 Memorial Coliseum, Corpus Christi, TX
March
24, 1957 Municipal Auditorium, San Antonio, TX
March
25, 1957 Gregory Auditorium, Austin, TX
This
appearance was cancelled.
March
25, 1957 Sportatorium, Dallas, TX
March
27, 1957 Little Rock, AR
Domino
leaves the tour and flies home, still sick.
He promises to return the next night.
March
28, 1957 Ellis Auditorium, Memphis, TN
Two
shows today - segregated audiences with whites in the afternoon and blacks in
the evening. 5,134 shows up at the first
show. Fats Domino fails to show,
claiming to still be sick. With the news
that Fats was not going to show, only 2,500 show up for the evening show.
March
29, 1957 Loyola Field House, Loyola University, Baton Rouge, LA
Fats
Domino shows up tonight, but still complains that he isn't feeling well. Howard Lewis, the promoter of the shows in
the South decides to scare Fats with a gun but it backfires when Domino
disappears again.
March
30, 1957 Mobile, AL
Fats
Domino is again absent and Allan Bloom takes a plane to New Orleans and stakes
out Domino's house. Bloom corrals him
going out and they head back to the airport.
Unfortunately, they miss their return flight and instead fly to Atlanta.
March
31, 1957 Atlanta, GA
April
4, 1957 Coliseum, Charlotte, NC
April
5, 1957 Memorial Coliseum, Winston-Salem, NC
April
7, 1957 The Mosque, Richmond, VA
Two
sell-out shows tonight leads to the promoter rebooking the package for May 5. As they head out to Washington DC, a car carrying
some of Fats Domino's band catches fire and is destroyed. Luckily, injuries were minor.
April
9, 1957 Municipal Auditorium, Charleston, WVA
April
10, 1957 Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh, PA
April
11, 1957 Onondaga County War Memorial Auditorium, Syracuse, NY
April
13, 1957 Boston Garden, Boston, MA
April
14, 1957 Bushnell Auditorium, Hartford, CT
April
15, 1957 Mosque Theatre, Newark, NJ
April
16, 1957 Arena, New Haven, CT
April
18, 1957 Auditorium, Ottawa, Canada
April
19, 1957 Indiana Theatre, Indianapolis, IN
The
package returns for a second date in Indianapolis.
April
20, 1957 Kiel Opera House, St. Louis, MO
A
return to St. Louis as two shows are booked for 8:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m.
April
22, 1957 Roberts Stadium, Evansville, IN
April
24, 1957 Garden, Cincinnati, OH
April
27, 1957 CYC, Scranton, PA
April
28, 1957 Forum, Montreal, Canada
April
30, 1957 War Memorial Auditorium, Rochester, NY
May
5, 1957 Mosque, Richmond, VA
The
package returns to Richmond for another two shows tonight.
I wish there were more places like this, because it was simply too amazing for words. I came here with my boyfriend the other night, and it was absolutely fabulous. The use of wood throughout the venues in Los Angeles adds a very warm and inviting feel to venue.
ReplyDeleteI just got one of these programs...original owner dated it Friday, April 12, 1957...Providence Auditorium.
ReplyDeleteThere's a new date for your fine blog entry...a day before they hit Boston.
I have the poster for the March 4 show @ CPS Feildhouse in Tacoma. Would you like a copy.
ReplyDeleteCalgary, Alberta, Canada
ReplyDeleteMarch 1,1957
Stampede Corral
2 shows