Post by wildre on Apr 28, 2006 11:01:54 GMT -5
From Todays AC Press
Gold at the end of the Rainbow Wildwood museum offers stroll down memory lane
By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, (609) 463-6716
Published: Friday, April 28, 2006
Updated: Friday, April 28, 2006
WILDWOOD — When Pauline Levy walked in with two bags full of papers, Wildwood museum manager Bob Bright Jr. says his eyes popped.
Inside were remnants of the town's storied musical past.
Wildwood was once a hot spot for musical acts of all kinds. They came to Wildwood to perform some of the biggest songs of the 1950s and 1960s.
Back then, Levy's parents, the late Harry and Zelda Levy, operated the Rainbow Club at Spicer and Pacific avenues. It was there that the famous Chubby Checker first performed “The Twist.”
And that's why the Levys' collection of memorabilia from the Rainbow Club, sometimes called the Rainbow Room, now holds a place of honor in the museum's growing collection.
Inside a large three-ring binder, performance fliers, head shots and contracts for the solo acts and bands that came here catalog a time before iPods, MTV and compact discs.
There are fliers noting the one-night only performance of Wilson Pickett and his 10-piece band on July 25, 1967. Another calls out to music lovers to spend Memorial Day weekend in Wildwood listening to the sounds of Chubby Checker.
Then there are the contracts, spelling out the terms for performers such as The Detergents. They played here for five days in July 1965 for a flat fee of $800.
Johnny Thunder performed for $500 for a week's worth of shows in June 1964, and he returned for another week in June 1967 for $1,000.
The popular Wayne Cochran and The C.C. Riders came to Wildwood in July 1968 and were paid in cash at the union scale.
A Western Union telegram confirms the appearance of Tony Orlando and his four musicians for Memorial Day 1963 at a rate of $1,300.
There are other acts. The Dovells, Ruby and the Romantics, The Chiffons, The Skyliners and Timmy Brown to name a few.
And how important are these groups and their ties to Wildwood?
“I think this weekend answers that,” Bright said. He was referring to the city's weekend salute to the 1960s, which includes live performances from groups including The Rip Chords, visits from Mickey Dolenz of The Monkees and more.
Of the 170 binders on everything from Boardwalk rides to demolitions, Bright said the two museum binders dedicated to the island's 1950s and 1960s entertainers are its most popular.
“People spend hours with them, and they came back the next day to keep looking,” Bright said. “They bring back more memories for them than anything else. So many people used to come here for the music.”
To e-mail Trudi Gilfillian at The Press:
TGilfillian@pressofac.com
www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/capemay/story/6220479p-6161781c.html
Gold at the end of the Rainbow Wildwood museum offers stroll down memory lane
By TRUDI GILFILLIAN Staff Writer, (609) 463-6716
Published: Friday, April 28, 2006
Updated: Friday, April 28, 2006
WILDWOOD — When Pauline Levy walked in with two bags full of papers, Wildwood museum manager Bob Bright Jr. says his eyes popped.
Inside were remnants of the town's storied musical past.
Wildwood was once a hot spot for musical acts of all kinds. They came to Wildwood to perform some of the biggest songs of the 1950s and 1960s.
Back then, Levy's parents, the late Harry and Zelda Levy, operated the Rainbow Club at Spicer and Pacific avenues. It was there that the famous Chubby Checker first performed “The Twist.”
And that's why the Levys' collection of memorabilia from the Rainbow Club, sometimes called the Rainbow Room, now holds a place of honor in the museum's growing collection.
Inside a large three-ring binder, performance fliers, head shots and contracts for the solo acts and bands that came here catalog a time before iPods, MTV and compact discs.
There are fliers noting the one-night only performance of Wilson Pickett and his 10-piece band on July 25, 1967. Another calls out to music lovers to spend Memorial Day weekend in Wildwood listening to the sounds of Chubby Checker.
Then there are the contracts, spelling out the terms for performers such as The Detergents. They played here for five days in July 1965 for a flat fee of $800.
Johnny Thunder performed for $500 for a week's worth of shows in June 1964, and he returned for another week in June 1967 for $1,000.
The popular Wayne Cochran and The C.C. Riders came to Wildwood in July 1968 and were paid in cash at the union scale.
A Western Union telegram confirms the appearance of Tony Orlando and his four musicians for Memorial Day 1963 at a rate of $1,300.
There are other acts. The Dovells, Ruby and the Romantics, The Chiffons, The Skyliners and Timmy Brown to name a few.
And how important are these groups and their ties to Wildwood?
“I think this weekend answers that,” Bright said. He was referring to the city's weekend salute to the 1960s, which includes live performances from groups including The Rip Chords, visits from Mickey Dolenz of The Monkees and more.
Of the 170 binders on everything from Boardwalk rides to demolitions, Bright said the two museum binders dedicated to the island's 1950s and 1960s entertainers are its most popular.
“People spend hours with them, and they came back the next day to keep looking,” Bright said. “They bring back more memories for them than anything else. So many people used to come here for the music.”
To e-mail Trudi Gilfillian at The Press:
TGilfillian@pressofac.com
www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/local/capemay/story/6220479p-6161781c.html
