A really special 1957 R&B / rock ’n’ roll concert poster headlined by stars like Fats Domino, Chuck Berry, LaVern Baker, The Moonglows, Bill Doggett, Charles Brown and plenty of others. This video is actually just PART ONE OF TWO DIFFERENT PARTS.
PLEASE TAKE NOTE: I very sheepishly admit that I called this a “1956” poster all throughout this video, but I meant to say 1957, of course – after all, it’s written right there on the poster. (oops – smile)
OK, first the facts: this Biggest Show of Stars For ’57 window card represents a concert in Tacoma, Washington dating to March 4, 1957.
You’ll notice that this concert placard is for the Spring version of the Biggest Show of Stars 1957 tour; in addition, there is a Fall ’57 edition of this concert billboard, too, which I flash briefly at the end of this video, and which I cover much more in-depth in an older video on this blog.
It can get confusing at times, but the Biggest Show of Stars caravan tours were presented by Super Enterprises, Super Attractions and Supersonic Attractions, depending on what era you’re in; the promoter’s name changed over the years.
For this version (Spring ’57), the all-black musician line-up had no less than SIX future members of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame… are you able to identify them?
Baltimore’s legendary Globe Posters company designed and printed this cardboard concert poster, using catchy Day-Glo colors of pink, blue and yellow. You’ll also find white, black and a second, darker shade of blue being used, for six colors in all. Wow!
If you covet this concert broadside for your collection, you don’t have to look for only the Tacoma, WA version… remember, this was a “tour blank” that was displayed in a ton of cities for over a two-month period throughout the United States.
So in addition to this Tacoma one, I’ve seen this Biggest Show of Stars For ’57 concert poster from Buffalo, New York on Feb. 19; Topeka, KS on February 24; Seattle, WA on March 7; Tucson, Arizona on March 17; Atlanta, Georgia on March 31; Charlotte, North Carolina on April 4; Charleston, West Virginia on Apr. 9; Hartford, CT on April 14; Kansas City, MO on April 21; Scranton, PA on April 27; Rochester, New York on April 30; and Youngstown, OH on May 1.
Only the sharpest eyes catch the typo near the top of this poster: Notice that it says, “The Biggest Show of Star for ’57,” leaving the “s” off “Stars” – but yet there’s clearly a little space for that missing letter. All the other posters and flyers that I’ve seen from this two-month tour correctly say “Stars.” SO… I guess it’s just one of the vagaries of vintage window card typeset and design!
The exact wording found on this poster, from top to bottom:
CPS (“College of Puget Sound”) Field House – Tacoma – Monday, March 4 at 8:00 P.M. – Tickets Now: Bon Marche
Super Attractions present The Biggest Show of Star [see note above] For ’57 In Person:
Fats Domino and his Orchestra; Bill Doggett, featuring “Crying” Tommy Brown; “Jim Dandy” as hit single for LaVern Baker; Clyde McPhatter, “Without Love”; The 5 Keys, mentioning their “Wisdom of a Fool”; The 5 Satins; “Roll Over Beethoven,” a big hit the previous year for Chuck Berry; The Schoolboys; Eddie Cooley and the Dimples, with “Priscilla”; Ann Cole; The Moonglows; and way down in the corner… Charles Brown; and then Paul Williams and his Big Orchestra. Printer: Globe Posters – Baltimore.
Like all 1950s and 1960s rare rock & roll concert posters I come across, this is enthusiastically discussed by me, collector Pete Howard (805-540-0020 / pete@postercentral.com). And remember, I will pay TOP dollar for a version of this poster from any city along the tour. Wouldn’t I love to have them all!
And if you’re enthralled with multi-act broadsides like this which were strictly advertising posters intended to sell tickets for concerts only, feast your eyes on a few more examples on this page located here on my Web site: http://www.postercentral.com/multi-act_1950s.htm
