Biggest Show of Stars of 1959 Spring Edition

The year starts off well as Irvin Feld reports that advance sales of this edition were at a level not seen since 1957.  The economic downturn was history and ticket sales were strong.  Feld put together a solid lineup of talent. Bobby Hendricks made his solo debut after leaving the Drifters on this tour.

 

Talent: Clyde McPhatter, Frankie Lymon, Lavern Baker, Lloyd Price, The Coasters, The Crests, Little Anthony & Imperials, Bo Diddley, The Chantrels, Wade Flemons, Bobby Hendricks, Clay Tyson

 

March 28, 1959 New York City, NY

 

March 29, 1959 The Mosque, Richmond, VA

 

March 30, 1959 Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC

 

March 31, 1959 Norfolk, VA

 

April 1, 1959 Memorial, Coliseum, Winston-Salem, NC

One show at 9:00 p.m.

 

April 2, 1959 Municipal Auditorium, Greenville, NC

 

The package sets a new record with 6,019 in attendance for a $15,270 take.

 

April 3, 1959 State Fair Arena, Raleigh, NC

 

April 4, 1959 Augusta, GA

 

April 4, 1959 Columbia Auditorium, Columbia, SC

 

April 5, 1959 Birmingham, AL

 

April 7, 1959 Sulpher Dell, Nashville, TN

One show at 8:00 p.m.

 

April 10, 1959 Auditorium, Little Rock, AR

 

April 13, 1959 Sportatorium, Dallas, TX

 

April 15, 1959 Municipal Auditorium, San Antonio, TX

 

April 16, 1959 Municipal Coliseum, Lubbock, TX

One show at 8:30 p.m.   4,000 teens attend the show.  The reviewer for the Lubbock Morning Avalanche complained that while the teens were relatively polite, the sound system "turned the program into one of the loudest and most incoherent show of its type yet seen in the Coliseum."

April 17, 1959  Municipal Auditorium, Oklahoma City, OK

One show at 8:30 p.m.

 

April 19, 1959 Kiel Opera House, St. Louis, MO

 

One show at 7:30 p.m.

 

April 20, 1959 Indiana Theater, Indianapolis, IN

Two shows at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.

 

April 21, 1959 Gardens, Cincinnati, OH

 

One show at 8:00 p.m.

 

April 22, 1959 Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh, PA

 

Two shows at 7:30 and 10:30 p.m.

April 23, 1959 Memorial Auditorium, Canton, OH

One show at 8:30 p.m.

 

April 25, 1959 Sports Arena, Toledo, OH

One show at 8:00 p.m.

Biggest Show of Stars 1958 - Spring Edition

After another successful year, Irvin Feld finds the field crowded this year.  DJ Alan Freed put together a package called the Big Beat Show to run head to head against this tour.  Universal Attractions, who booked a large stable of black acts, put together the Rhythm and Blues Cavalcade of '58 to tour.  And Dick Clark announced plans for a package tour for later in the year.  A battle for prime venues in key cities and talent took place in an atmosphere of an economic downturn.   Then on May 6 in Boston a riot broke out during Alan Freed's Big Beat Show leading to the cancellation of the remainder of that package.  The R&B Cavalcade had also ground to a halt with only the Biggest Show of Stars completing its itinerary. 

 

 

Talent: Sam Cooke, Paul Anka, The Everly Brothers, Clyde McPhatter, Frankie Avalon, Lavern Baker, Jackie Wilson, The Royal Teens, George Hamilton IV, The Silhouettes, The Crescendos, Storey Sisters, The Monotones, The Playmates, Huey Smith & the Clowns, Jimmy Dell, Bobby Marchan

 

April 5, 1958 Norfolk, VA

 

The Spring tour opens in Norfolk after several days of rehearsals in New York City. 

 

April 6, 1958 The Mosque, Richmond, VA

 

Two Easter Sunday shows at 7 and 10 p.m.

 

April 11, 1958  Sports Arena, Hershey, PA

 

April 12, 1958 Philadelphia, PA

 

A disappointing crowd of less than 1,000 show up tonight.

 

April 13, 1958 Arena, New Haven, CT

 

April 14, 1958 Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh, PA

 

April 17, 1958 War Memorial Auditorium, Rochester, NY

 

April 18, 1958 Auditorium, Ottawa, Canada

 

A modest crowd of 1,500 attend tonight's show highlighting Paul Anka's return to his hometown.  Five youths in leather jackets were thrown out of the show for throwing things onto the stage.

 

April 19, 1958 Sports Arena, Hershey, PA

 

April 22, 1958 Memorial Auditorium, Buffalo, NY

 

April 23, 1958 Warner Theatre, Erie, PA

 

Two shows scheduled at 7 and 9 p.m.

 

April 24, 1958 Sports Arena, Toledo, OH

 

April 26, 1958 Freedom Hall, Louisville, KY

 

May 1, 1958  Indiana Theatre, Indianapolis, IN

 

May 2, 1958 Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, MO

 

May 3, 1958 Civic Opera House, Chicago, IL

 

May 4, 1958 Auditorium, St. Paul, MN

 

A matinee performance of the package.

 

May 4, 1958 Auditorium, Minneapolis, MN

 

An evening show.

 

May 5, 1958 Civic Auditorium, Lewiston, ME

 

May 8, 1958 Arena, Saskatoon, Canada

 

May 12, 1958 Orpheum Theater, Seattle, WA

 

The show is booked for three performances at 4:00 and 7:00 and 9:30 p.m.

 

May 14, 1958 Paramount Theatre, Portland, OR

 

May 17, 1958 Memorial Coliseum, Corpus Christi, TX

 

May 18, 1958 Municipal Auditorium, San Antonio, TX

 

May 20, 1958 Municipal Auditorium, Oklahoma City, OK

 

May 24, 1958 Music Hall, Civic Auditorium, Omaha, NE

 

Two shows booked at 7 and 9 p.m.

 

May 29, 1958 Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC

 

 

1959 Caravan of Stars - Update II

UPDATE - Here is a combined update for the Fall 1959 Caravan.  still looking for a few dates to make it complete.

With such overwhelming success, Clark engaged GAC to book a tour headlined by Paul Anka and also starring Lloyd Price, Annette Funicello, Duane Eddy, Jimmy Clanton, Laverne Baker, Coasters, Drifters, Skyliners, Bobby Rydell, and Phil Phillips. Arthur Dover was hired as the MC for shows where Clark did not appear. Irving Feld was the tour's promoter.

 No sooner did GAC book a full tour from September 18 through November 8 with the Caravan's debut in Baltimore than problems arose.  The Boston Garden, site of the Caravan's second show was being used for a hockey game earlier in the afternoon and GAC decided that they didn't want to go through with the show under those circumstances.  Instead, Tim Gale of GAC booked a replacement show in Scranton, PA.  Boston was a lucrative stop for any rock 'n roll show in the 1950s so the loss was not looked upon as a good omen.

9/18/1959 Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, MD

Single show at 8 p.m.

9/19/1959 Boston Garden, Boston, MA

This show is cancelled when it is impossible to switch stages after a hockey game.

 

9/19/1959 Scranton, PA

9/20/1959  Forum, Montreal, Canada

9/21/1959  Maple Leaf Garden, Toronto, Canada

9/22/1959 War Memorial Auditorium, Rochester, NY

9/23/1959 Westchester County Center, White Plains, NY

Despite the demand for additional tickets, only one show is performed.

9/24/1959 Sports Arena, Hershey, PA

A single show at 8:30 p.m.

9/25/1959 Syria Mosque, Pittsburgh, PA

Two shows at 7:30 and 10:30 p.m.

9/27/59  The Mosque, Richmond, VA

Two shows at 7 and 10 p.m.

 

9/28/1959 Reynolds Coliseum, Raleigh, NC

9/29/1959 Memorial Auditorium, Greenville, SC

9/30/1959 Coliseum, Charlotte, NC

10/1/1959 Township Auditorium,  Columbia, SC

Two shows at 7:30 and 10 p.m.

10/2/1959 Municipal Auditorium, Charleston, WVA

Two performances

10/3/59 State Fairgrounds, Louisville, KY

 

10/4/1959  Nashville, TN

10/5/1959 Gardens, Cincinnati, OH  

10/6/1959 Memorial Auditorium, Canton, OH

10/7/1958 Lorain, OH

 

10/7/1959

Arena, Lorain, OH


10/8/1959 Veteran’s Building, Columbus, OH

Two shows performed at this venue.

10/9/1959 Sports Arena, Toledo, OH 

10/9/1959 Toledo, OH

10/10/1959  Civic Auditorium, Grand Rapids, MI 

10/11/1959  Elkhart, IL

10/13/1959 Fort Wayne, IN

10/14/1959 Hobart Arena, Troy, OH 

10/15/1959 Indiana Theater, Indianapolis, IN

Two shows at 7:15 and 9:45 p.m.

10/16/1959 St. Louis, MO




10/16/1959

Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, MO

 

Two performances at 8 and 11 p.m.

 

10/17/1959   Municipal Auditorium, Kansas City, MO

The Caravan gains its first negative notoriety when midway through the show, fights break out amongst the 12,000 plus audience and police moved in to break up the melee.  In all, 49 men were arrested ranging in age from 17 to 50 for disturbing the peace and public drunkeness.  Although Dick Clark was not at the show, his association with the show drew lots of press and he held a news conference in New York to defend the Caravan.  He denied that the performers were responsible for what happened and said, "What happened was certainly unfortunate, but it only reflects the attitude of a few of the thousands of people there."

10/18/1959  Forum, Wichita, KS

10/20/1959  Memorial Auditorium, Dallas, TX 

10/21/1959  Sam Houston Coliseum, Houston, TX 

10/22/1959  Municipal Auditorium, San Antonio, TX



10/27/1959  Omaha, NE

The cast hosted an on-stage birthday celebration for Annette Funicello.  Although San Antonio had an additional 25 officers on hand, there was no trouble.

10/24/1959 Municipal Auditorium, Oklahoma City, OK

Two performances

10/25/1959 Auditorium, Wichita, KS

10/27/1959 Auditorium Arena, Omaha, NE

10/28/1959  Auditorium, Minneapolis, MN

Police Chief Milton Winslow cancelled this show in the aftermath of the KC arrests.  Minneapolis had encountered four violent rock 'n roll shows in the past year.  "I am certain violence will occur again," he told the Associated Press.

10/29/59  Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium, Des Moines, IA 

10/31/59 Arena, Milwaukee, WI

I now have confirmation that the Caravan ended in Milwaukee despite earlier press notices that the tour ran until November 8.  If you have any additions or corrections, please let me know.