The "Juke In The Back" focuses on the " soul that came before rock n' roll," the records that inspired Elvis, Buddy Holly, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and countless others.
This week, the "Juke In The Back" presents a unique program designed to put the listener in a front row seat for a live rhythm review performance. So often, we wonder what a live program would have been like before the dawn of Rock n' Roll? Well, thanks to the preservation of this 2 week program in Los Angeles from late September and early October of 1951, we can catch a glimpse.
Promoter Bill Lester intended to hold weekly midnight concerts at the Olympic Auditorium in downtown LA, but after 2 weeks, the late-night shows were scrapped, due to the fact that they were losing money. Lester hired LA disc jockey, Hunter Hancock, who was a trailblazer in playing R&B on the radio to emcee the shows.
Some of the biggest names in West Coast R&B performed; Big Jay McNeely, Floyd Dixon, Maxwell Davis and Peppermint Harris. What's spectacular is the lesser-known talent; Madelyn Perkins, Ernie Andrews, Smilin' Smokey Lynn and the Gospel group, the Golden Keys.
Radio station KMPC agreed to air the first half hour of these 2 hour concerts, which should have led to greater promotion of the event, but alas, after 2 weeks it was done.
We are so fortunate that Bill Lester recorded portions of these shows, so that 75 years later, we can still experience the excitement and joy of the music.
Sit back as Matt The Cat takes you to the Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles for the Midnight Matinee, an exciting jaunt into the world of the live R&B review show.
Join Matt the Cat for "Juke in the Back", Thursday morning at 4 AM Eastern, with an encore presentation, Sunday afternoon at 3 PM Eastern, after "The All 80s Show" with Gary G and before "The Song Remembers When" with Melissa Ricobono, on Mushroom FM, the home of the fun guys, making four decades of magic mushroom memories!
And check out the complete Mushroom FM schedule at https://mushroomfm.com/schedule.
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