On the road at present (another short break.... but somebody has to take em) so checking up on soul facts is more diffficult than usual at present -- as is finding decent internet access -- but I'll post a few things anyway.

Miami back in the 60's was a very strange place. Loads of great shows starring soul acts BUT two very different scenes.

There was the 'white audience' shows at venues such as South Beach hotels & posh clubs where Motown & top soul acts were regular entertainers whilst the acts themselves had to find different places to both sleep, eat & watch shows (they were allowed on the hotel show room stages but couldn't have a room or meal in the self same establishment).

Then there were the places where the black audiences went; the Continental Club being just about the top of these venues.

The likes of Sam & Dave, the Professionals, Roy Hamilton, Bettye LaVette, The Laddins (aka Steinways) were regular performers in the black venues whilst the best selling Motown acts were ever present performers in the South Beach hotels.

...... But some 'strange' acts crossed over to the white venues.

An outfit that landed regular gigs on the 'white' side of the divide were the Jesse Ferguson Gospel Jazz Singers. From their name their reportoire can't have been too familiar to the audiences they were playing for. Even stranger, the group decided a change in name might land them a higher profile & recording contract. So the Gospel Jazz Singers became Jesse Lee Ferguson & the Outer Limits (& they did land that record deal).

A guy who got regular bookings on both sides of town was Chuck Jackson, he got loads of bookings in the black clubs on the strength of his Wand R&B hits. When his revue played the white hotels in the later years of the 60's, it was billed as 'the Motown Sound that's a leader on every chart'.

An 'out of town' female to play 'white' gigs was Margie Hendrix -- well known to Ray Charles fans but hardly a household name (in her own right) in the pop charts or white households. The Original Drifters were still securing 'white' gigs in 1968 but I guess more as an oldies act who performed their early 60's pop chart hits.

Another 'lesser known' act to get quite a few 'white' bookings was Teddy Washington & the Soul Searchers. I don't think this outfit had a connection to DC's Soul Searchers (but I could be wrong).

Pity you can't catch such acts in the area these days.

Edited June 4, 201212 yr by Roburt

An actress, Playboy mag photo shoot subject ....

... Ohh, and Motown recording artist ......

The 'Million Dollar' Palms in Hallandale (a little seaside town just north of Miami) was a major stop on the Chitlin Circuit ....

.... the likes of Same Cooke, James Brown, Solomon Burke, Jerry Butler & the Impressions all played the venue ....

... as did Jackie Wilson ..... one time being way back in August 1958 ........

(Post 59 featured another Palms appearance for Jackie; that one being in December 58).

Edited July 27, 201212 yr by Roburt

Some info on the Palms in Hallandale .........

https://blogs.miamine...sic_history.php

MORE RELATED INFO ..... The achievements of Gainesville based singer Little Jake Mitchell were celebrated a couple of years ago when "Little Jake Mitchell Day" was proclaimed locally. Jake was also honored during 2010's Gator Growl and homecoming parade. He had performed with his group; Little Jake and the Blenders, at the Uni of Florida's 1960 Gator Growl and he played a major role in getting the event integrated.

Mitchell has been charming audiences since he could climb on-stage. From age 5, Little Jake routinely won the Holsum Bread company's talent contests in Tampa (he had grown up in the projects there). In 1957, he traveled to Chicago to record the single "Darling, Darling Baby" for Chess, who were looking for another Little Willie John. B.B. King, whom Mitchell calls his "godfather," took him on the road, and he also recalls playing South Florida venues such as the Night Beat at the Sir John Hotel in Overtown and the PALMS of Hallandale. Mitchell relocated to Detroit in 1965, recorded some sizzling soul singles " including the infectious "Not a Chance in a Million" " started his own Golden Hit imprint and operated a couple of nightclubs. When business slowed in the '70s, he took a job as an executive chef at the University of Bridgeport, though he continued to perform.

Edited July 27, 201212 yr by Roburt

A long standing Miami club was trying to re-establish itself in 1964 .....

Don't really think it managed the task, as it was known too well as a sawdust & beer type of place.

It wasn't all one way traffic, with northern artists heading south to catch some sun in Miami ....

... Miami artists also traveled north to do live shows. Here one poles up in Baltimore .....

But the same guy could also land 'white' gigs down at Miami Beach ....

Motown came to town in 1965 ..........

A few good acts on this August 1973 bill .....

Posted an ad for a Gloria Lynn show up on the New York thread ....

.....so lets now feature a show she undertook in Miami ...

... she followed Barbara Lewis & Tommy Hunt into the venue ....

.. where for $20 a week you could rent an apartment & have live soul shows 'on tap'.

Back up at the Tom Jones now for a local-ish group.....

... who have a few popular 45's with the MS crowd .......

A (minor) Motown act makes it all the way to Miami ........

...... is there such a thing as a Minor Motown act, don't think so ...

What the rest of the Motown family think of the above ad ..........

I wonder how many guys traveled to this gig on their Lambrettas ??

WMBM DJ Butterball in the studio ...........

 

Where'd that Mockingbird go ??

 

A top gospel group played some Miami gigs in 1959....

 

One of Chicago's finest came south ....

.... not all the way to Miami, but not too far away ....

September 67 -- I was 18 years old that week .....

..... could have done with that car !!

Edited August 4, 201212 yr by Roburt

Don't quite know how having 2 sets of 'Rocketeers' bands (one 11 strong, the second 7 strong -- a see ad above) going at the same time would have worked. If it was just the Rocketeers that were advertised for a show, how would you know which outfit would turn up ?

Guess one of them soon changed their name to avoid the confusion caused.

Anyway, whatever happened back in 67, this show (from a few weeks later) featured one of the above outfits ....

The Caribbean comes to Ft. Lauderdale .....

A top group, down all the way from Chicago ...

Detroit comes to Miami ....

The 'Wicked One' living up to his name by playing a Swinger's bar in1972 ........

Benny Latimore + the local Freddie Scott secured some gigs on Miami Beach themselves ...

......... a Wreck Bar show (at Castaways Hotel) in April 1972 .........

Latimore would secure his 1st big National hit about 15 months later, so I'd guess he soon gave up accepting shows such as these.

Edited August 9, 201212 yr by Roburt

Two good acts down at a Miami Beach club in 72 ....

...... Latimore was featured there a lot in 72.

Edited August 11, 201212 yr by Roburt

The James Brown package was down in Miami (again) in May 72.

Wonder who the 'Soul Twins' were that featured on the bill ?

A big stadium show down in Miami ........

!973 & Herb Reed was still getting Miami Beach bookings ....

The Marco Polo had a lot going on back in 73 .......

.. and not just in the Swinger Dating Bar ....

Another 'guy of interest' played shows at the Swinger Dating Bar in 1973 .........

Tom Jones .... New York City ....

Even the likes of Mongo Santamaria made it down to Miami ...

Sugar Pie .... but no Honey Bunch .......

More females from outa'town ........

Ain't Gonna Dance No More with ......

Down from Chicago ........

An ad that links Miami & New York now ..........

By all accounts, Rum Bottoms was an innovator in the disco field ....

..... and it was owned & run by the guys in the group Calhoon ....

acts like the Miracles, Ecstasy, Passion & Pain, the Trammps, Gloria Gaynor, Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes appeared at the place .....

It was hot for almost two years but went bust in late 76, when it was bought and reopened as the Limelight.

A young kid (from LA ?) whose 45's have seen some action on the NS scene .........

Paul Kelly (& the Original Cousins) at the Continental in 1965 ..........

Great to see the first two acts on Lloyd and Reid, respectively, playing together in that ad. Keep them coming.

The late great Doris Troy down in Miami .....

Born in Florida, but brought up (& based) in Canada .....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGLY-e8AXdo

'Things Got Better' in Miami back in 1969 ............

These guys were swinging down in Miami ...

Stax hit Miami in May 69 .............

... followed by another booking for local act Jessie (Lee) Ferguson & the OL's ...

The Esquires wanted folks to 'Get On Up' to the Night Beat at the Sir John Hotel in December 67 ....

Tony Borders .... direct from Hollywood ..........

..... so not from Quinvy Studios, Muscle Shoals, Alabama at all ....

Gene Stridel relocated to Miami late 60's. Have you found any ads from his local shows?

Gene Stridel relocated to Miami late 60's. Have you found any ads from his local shows?

Gene Stridel started out in the R&B group the Striders as far back as the mid to late 40's. The group were recording from an early date, both in their own right ("Pleasin You" -- Capitol -- Nov 1948) and as backing singers on other artists hits (Savannah Churchill's "Walking By the River" -- RCA 45 -- Nov 52).

In March 1950, both Savannah Churchill & the Striders were playing gigs in the UK (at the Colony & Astor in London). In March 51, they were back in the UK this time playing the Palladium in London. Things seemed to have tailed off for the group by the end of the 50's (no doubt the likes of Robb can shed some light on that).

By 1962, Gene had gone solo and was cutting for Verve. By Feb 64, John Hammond had signed him to Columbia and was trying to reinvent Gene as a jazzy supper club singer (hence the 'This Is Gene Stridel' album). Gene soon moved on to record for the likes of Atlantic in the late 60's (after the label bought the master of "The Zebra" from independent producer Irving Spice).

Live performance wise, Gene seemed to base himself to the north of New York from 1962 to 1964 (in Hartford). Due to his local popularity, some of his 45's charted on local Hartford pop radio station WDRC during that period (his "One More Mountain" made the stn's Top 40 in April 64). By 1965, he had relocated to LA and was playing gigs out there plus in Vegas. In 1966, he teamed up with Playboy and went around the US playing in many Playboy Clubs. He played the Playboy Club in Baltimore in 1968. He was on the 'Edie Adams' TV show in Seattle in May 69 (though I doubt video has survived of that as I believe it wasn't networked at that time).

He seems to have relocated once again at the end of the 60's (or at the beginning of the 70's) to Miami .... probably after securing an engagement at a Miami Beach Hotel club. He soon hooked up with local record people and was signed to a deal with Mercede by 1971.

No doubt he played gigs at both 'white' Miami Beach venues and 'black' clubs in the city .... trouble is he doesn't seem to have gotten many 'show revues' in local Florida newspapers back then. No doubt there are ads for a couple of his live appearances in those same newspapers, but they don't show up when 'searching' their content. So, for club ads, its very much a case of 'pot luck' if I come across one or not. Till now, I haven't been lucky in that respect.

Edited November 29, 201212 yr by Roburt

Not Miami related at all ............. but part of a Hartford radio stn WDRC chart from April 1964 .........

... Gene Stridel's current 45 was at No.37 (lifted from his Columbia LP) ..............

He shared the chart with funky acts such as the Swinging Blue Jeans & the Bachelors.

It seems Gene passed away in 1973, so his time in Florida was cut short (see last post).

Info on his group, the Striders ...........

https://www.uncamarvy...s/striders.html

Edited November 29, 201212 yr by Roburt