Annual Shower of Stars

[Guest MBarrett]

I came across this poster by chance. I thought it might have been a one-off event at the Apollo but seems that it was part of a tour.

It says at the the top that it was the 7th Annual Shower of Stars.

Does anyone know anything about numbers 1-6, can't seem to see anything on the web.

Thanks

 

[Roburt]

I'd guess that this was just one of many big touring revue shows that played the Apollo in the 60's. 

Most tours did all the chit-lin circuit theatres (Detroit, Chicago, Baltimore, Philly, DC + others) and after 2/3 months or so on the road would finish off with a week at the Apollo. The Motortown Reviews always did this as did James Brown's Revues & other top act led packages also.

 I think that the Apollo management must have picked out one of these packages each year (?) to form this 'special show'. Was it an anniversary event of some kind (each Feb) or what, I can't at this time tell you. I don't think it had any massive major importance above all the other 'packages of stars' that played the Apollo. It was probably just a great marketing ploy BUT then I could be totally wrong altogether.   

This show seems to have been staged in 1967, so maybe they had one each year starting back in 1961.

Edited May 13, 2016 by Roburt

[Roburt]

Another bunch of 'everyday' shows @ the Apollo ....

[Roburt]

An example of the type of package that toured the US east coast theatres every week up to the late 60's ....

.... these were all staged at the Royal in Baltimore, but they would move on to play in DC, Philly & end up at the Apollo ....

.... the bottom left package has Barbara Mason trying to squeeze her name onto the handbill .... 

Edited May 13, 2016 by Roburt

[Roburt]

This (see below) was obviously almost the same package playing in Baltimore the night after the Apollo show .....

The Royal Theatre in Baltimore had abandoned putting on live shows in mid July 1966 and was by now (early 67) just showing films. It was to shut in the near future & the building would be torn down not too long after that. The other chitlin circuit theatres followed the Royal in quick succession with only a couple (including the Apollo) surviving into the 70's. HOWEVER, some of the old buildings remained standing & in more recent years they have been returned to their old glory.

Big civic auditoriums (with much more capacity) had started putting on soul reviews around 1962/63 and could obviously afford to pay the acts more to appear. Coz of this, the days of the week long stays at a venue were ending by the mid to late 60's and shows started to play each venue for just 1 night.

Edited May 13, 2016 by Roburt

[Roburt]

October 1964 ........ WASHINGTON DC .....

....... a show staged @ the Howard Theatre & a TV show on a local channel that week ........

[Roburt]

Motown Review @ the Apollo ....... 

....AND ... the same package @ the Howard in DC (some changes in the line-up had occurred) ...

Edited May 14, 2016 by Roburt

[Roburt]

A great story about the Apollo ........

.... Tom Jones had just started having hits in the US & was booked on a Dick Clark package tour of the US. He was in New York looking around before the tour commenced & bumped into Dionne Warwick outside the Scepter Records building. She knew him from playing gigs & tv in the UK. They chatted & he asked where she was going ... I'm off to the Apollo ....  can I come with you, he pleaded. So she took him to the Apollo where Chuck Jackson was topping the bill that week ... he was introduced to Chuck & they got on well .... time for Chuck to hit the stage & after he starts his show, he calls Tom out on stage with him. Tom gets the chance & so sings a bit ... it was the 1st time Tom had been to the Apollo & he was out on stage singing & killing the audience ... by all counts he told folk afterwards that he'd never felt anything like that before in his career ... can't beat a chitlin circuit (Apollo) audience.

[Guest johnny hart]

Robert your great story about Thomas Woodward appearing with Chuck Jackson certainly would add credence to the story that Led Reed and Gordon Mills (Tom's manager) writers of" Unusual" First offered it to Chuck,who declined as did Sandie Shaw ,It then in1965  set Tom on the road to superstardom, if only? Amazing flyers,gracias for another Remarkable Roburt  ,Feature.  Lol Johnny.

[Roburt]

Still haven't managed to track down much (if anything) about these 'annual shower of stars' shows .... 

... the management @ the Apollo kept the place largely drug free BUT unfortunately, drug dealers would hang out in the alley off 126th St where the stage door was. So artists who needed an up to go on stage or a down to wind down quickly after their performance, could always get some stuff.

Under the stage was a large area where groups would rehearse. The 4 Tops would go down there to practise their steps when they had a stage-dance (that went with a new 45) to get right. Posted up a pic of them doing just this on an old related thread. 

A review show stages in DC @ the Howard Theatre ... no doubt this lot would have ended up playing the Apollo a few days / weeks later.

[Roburt]

Nothing in the book 'Showtime At The Apollo' about the 'Shower of Stars' shows BUT then Otis Redding only gets 4 sparse mentions in the whole book.

The guys who owned / ran the place since the mid 30's, had 1st owned the Lafayette Theatre. This was dubbed the 'cradle of stars' so perhaps that's why they came up with 'Shower of Stars' as a marketing ploy for shows @ the Apollo.