Events: 1956
The Goodfellows Club held a New Year’s Dawn dance at 2 am on January 1, 1956, at Eaton’s Ranch, featuring C.V. Williams and the House Rockers with Dickie Mayes and Maurice Tally.
The Four Freshmen performed on January 7, 1956, at the Prom Ballroom.
Phil Silvers and Patti Page were the entertainers at the Auto Show at the Minneapolis Auditorium, January 8-14, 1956.
In January 1956, the St. Louis Park student combo the Blue Flames entertained at the “Jump Ball” sponsored by Amica Tri. Members were:
- John Duck – clarinet
- Alan Gelhar – cornet
- Chuck Heinecke – tenor sax
- John Lindahl – drums
- Jim Elsness – piano
Danny Overbea and His Orchestra appeared at the Ebony Social Club on January 20, 1956.
The Modern Jazz Quartet, Chris Connors, and Herbie Mann appeared at the Lyceum Theater on January 29, 1956, promoted by Dick and Don Maw.
A Gala Shrine Frolic with Preston Love and His Orchestra (“The Happy Boy With the Horn”), appeared at the Marigold Ballroom on January 30, 1956.
The Hank Hazlett Trio was featured at the Key Club on January 30, 1956.
Sonny “Long Gone” Thompson and his Orchestra appeared at the Ebony Social Club on February 16, 1956.
Pre-Teen dances were held at the St. Louis Park Community Center on Lake Street every Friday. A February 19, 1956, issue of the Minneapolis Sunday Tribune pictured Marge Primus and Kenneth Baker, both 10, trying out a new step.
Hot rods were spotted in the St. Louis Park High parking lot in 1956 – Jay Sargent got 12 people in his 1936 Ford.
The Flame Cafe on Nicollet Ave. went all-country in February 1956.
The Minneapolis Star, which hated rock ‘n’ roll, quoted Dr. Francis J. Braceland of the “Institute of Living” in Hartford, Connecticut as saying that it was a “cannibalistic and tribalistic” form of music. Now that wasn’t racist, was it?
Del’s Orchid Club featured Joe Williams and Hank Hazlett.
The Builders Show took place at the Minneapolis Auditorium on March 10-18, 1956. Entertainment was provided by the folks of the WLS Barn Dance, including Homer and Jethro.
Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson, orchestra leader and saxophone player, began a stint at the Key Club starting March 19, 1956. “This fabulous orchestra will set a policy of ‘better’ entertainment at the Key Club. Music as you like it plus exotic dancing.” With the new policy came a 50 cent admission fee on the weekends.
Rock ‘n’ roll had taken over the culture in early 1956. An Oldsmobile ad says “Make a Date with the Newest Rocket 8! Come in an Rocket ‘Round the Block! (or ’round the town if you like!). Meanwhile, a Dayton’s ad starts, “Here’s the style, Crocodile! Snappy Rock ‘n’ Roll sport shirt. You’ll be in fashion’s swing (or any other tempo!) with a new Rock ‘n’ Roll shirt… Striped denim hats with wire brims that twist into any shape… Ivy League chino pants with the new trim look, strap in back [back buckle].”
Here’s the Star again, reporting a disturbance in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, where kids actually danced in the aisles at a show where records and a movie were played. Police were able to restore order, thankfully, and make those darn kids sit down. This was on the front page, August 6, 1956.
Peggy Lee did two shows daily at the Industry on Parade Show at the Minneapolis Auditorium on April 11-15, 1956.
Chuck Berry and his orchestra appeared at Norway Hall on April 13, 1956, promoted by D.P. Black.
Starting April 16, 1956, Jimmy Witherspoon, blues singer; Betty DeQuincy, dancing entertainer fresh from Detroit; and Stomp Gordon and His Combo began entertaining at the Key Club. Starting April 16, 1956, Jimmy Witherspoon, blues singer; Betty DeQuincy, dancing entertainer fresh from Detroit; and Stomp Gordon and His Combo began entertaining at the Key Club.
Count Basie also appeared on May 13, 1956, at the Minneapolis Armory, a Dick and Don Maw production. Basie’s 17 piece band featured Joe “Every Day” Williams, Downbeat’s #1 Blues vocalist. Also appearing was “Zephyr Records‘ exciting new modern jazz group” the Bob David Quartet.
The Key Club featured Duke Groaner and His Combo plus Audrie DeYoung, exotic dancer, on May 14, 1956.
Yogi Yorgesson, nee Harry Stewart, was killed in a car crash in May 1956. He made records such as “I Yust Go Nuts at Christmas” in a Minnesota-Swedish dialect, but according to Will Jones in 1950, it didn’t go over too well here in Minnesota, where he was not from and spent very little time. One of his songs was “My Little Old Shack in Minneapolis, Minnesota,” a parody of “My Little Grass Shack In Kealakekue, Hawaii.” And in case you’re wondering, it was Stan Boreson, not Yogi, who did “Walking in my Winter Underwear,” so brilliantly interpreted by Casey Jones.
On May 24, 1956, Woody Herman and the Third Herd played for the Marigold Ballroom’s 40th Anniversary, the first name band to play there since Paul Whiteman 26 years ago.
A picnic at Libby’s Pavilion (Bass Lake) was advertised in the Spokesman for May 27, 1956. Music was provided by the Rock and Roll All Stars, featuring Maurice Talley, vocalist.
At the Key Club in May-June 1956, we see Bob Wilson and His Combo plus Black Velvet, interpretive and exotic dancer.
Louis Armstrong and His All Stars appeared at the St. Paul Auditorium on June 5, 1956, a Dick and Don Maw production.
On June 18, 1956, the Minneapolis Tribune published a photo of Carlotta Carly and John Wade “Dancing the Bop” at a dance at the Phyllis Wheatley House to the music of (S. Stanley) Berry and His Barons. Very cool.
At the Key Club you could see Tiny Davis and Her Hell Divers, June 25, 1956.
Little Richard and His Orchestra appeared for a dance at the Junior Pioneer Hall in St. Paul on June 26, 1956.
A note from July 1956 says that Dick and Don Maw and their Orchestra with WTCN “will turn Park Plaza Hotel Ballroom into a teenage club” complete with teenage chorus girls and Geordie Hormel as the featured artist. Not sure where that was or if it really happened.
Jerry Reed, “new country-western star of Capitol records, will be guest artist at the Flame Cafe this week (July 17 – 20, 1956). A singer and entertainer, he is also a composer, and writer of his two latest hits, “Mister Whiz” and “When I Found You.”
Camille Howard, song stylist and pianist; Larry Rice and Combo; and comedian Mickey Martin, emcee were performing at the Key Club on July 23, 1956.
Performing at the Key Club in August 1956 were Billy Brooks and Piney Brown, song stylists and Jimmy Binley Combo.
Hank Thompson appeared at the Marigold Ballroom on August 13, 1956.
At the Flame Cafe September 12-15, 1956, was Kenny Roberts, a yodeler whose favorite trick was leaping into the air while playing guitar and harmonica at the same time, giving him the nickname “The Jumping Cowboy.”
On September 26, 1956, the 100 Twin Drive In presented “One-Way Ticket to Hell,” which had something to do with “Teen-Age Madness” and “Understanding Today’s Children.” The ad is pretty bare-bones but the description on IMDB is pretty spicy.
In an interview in the Minneapolis Tribune, Fats Domino says that it’s not the music that causes teenagers to riot, but beer.
The White House in Golden Valley instituted a new policy of engaging name acts such as Hadda Brooks, and insisted that patrons listen to the entertainment and curtail the fights, according to Will Jones of the Trib.
The Bamboo Room hosted Connie Newman and His Famous Trio on October 5, 1956.
Entertainers at the Key Club on October 5, 1956, were Larry Wrice and His Chicago All Stars; Florence Devereaux, song stylist; and Tequila, exotic dancer.
The Dave Brubeck Quartet with Paul Desmond performed at the Lyceum Theater on October 21, 1956, promoted by Dick and Don Maw.
At the Heights Theater, the first 500 adults or juniors received 8×10 Fan Photos of Elvis. The movie wasn’t even an Elvis film, but the jungle adventure “Run for the Sun.” Meanwhile, there were 32,000 pre-orders of Elvis’ next release, and nobody even knew what it was.
WDGY Disk Jockey Herb Oscar Anderson was interviewed in the St. Louis Park Echo on October 24, 1956. “Andy””s familiar greeting was “Hi ya gang, it’s a lovely day today.” Anderson worked at KSTP before coming to WDGY. He said that WDGY’s Top 40 lists were more in tune with actual popularity, since they were based not just on record sales but juke box plays and requests from various establishments including hotels and night clubs. His favorite pop singers were Elvis, Eddie Fisher, and Fats Domino. He, his wife Terry, and son Johnny were new residents in the Park.
In October and November, 1956, you could see Miss Wiggles, sensational exotic dancer, aka, “The Upside Down Girl,” at the Key Club.
The Alvin Burlesk Theater was getting into the rock ‘n’ roll business in ’56, if in name only. An ad dated November 7 touted two big shows on one stage with a cast of 40. One was the Black and White Revue, with “Miss Japan” Tura Satana, later known for her role in Russ Meyer’s 1965 film “Faster Pussycat! Kill Kill!” The other show was billed as the “Rock ‘n’ Roll Show of ’56,” featuring the 5 Shepards (Recording Stars), Jack Turner (Mr. Mimic), Geo. Williams (Feature Comic), Tinny Kennedy (The Sepia Elvis Presley), Tommy Badger (And His Comets), Exotic Nadza and “6 Delovies – 6.” I’d a given anything to see this show!
Teenage movies came pouring from the theaters. On November 8, “Teenage Rebel” came out at the State Theater, starring Ginger Rogers and Michael Rennie. They weren’t the teenagers – they were Betty Lou Keim and Warren Berlinger. “Hear! The Top Hit Song! ‘Cool it Baby!'”
The Bamboo Room featured Twin Cities jazz veteran Hank Hazlett “and his famous trio” starting November 8, 1956, followed by Oscar Frazier and his Combo.
On November 15, 1956, the Lyric Theater presented a “Twin Bop Rock ‘n’ Sock Show!” First feature was “Shake, Rattle and Rock!”, a story of Rock ‘n’ Roll vs. The “Squares” and featuring music by Fats Domino, Joe Turner, Choker Campbell and his band, Tommy Charles, and Annita Ray. Fats’s newest Imperial recording was given away to the first 100 Junior and Adult Patrons. The second feature was “Runaway Daughters,” where you could SEE: “Teenage Girls on a Speed-Crazy Thrill Hunt! Why Parents are to Blame for Delinquent Daughters! The Teenagers Side of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Question!”
Elvis’s first movie, “Love Me Tender,” opened on November 21, 1956, at the RKO Orpheum. “He’s a fightin’ man! He’s a singin’ man! He’s a lovin’ man!” Will Jones of the Trib reported that policemen were on hand in case of trouble but there was none to be had, at least during the early show. A male heckler was met with “Shut up!” by the girls, who sobbed as Elvis’s character was shot in the end.
Rudy Hunter and the Fabulous Tones (from Hollywood), were at the Key Club on November 29, 1956.
One of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll movies of all time is “The Girl Can’t Help It,” which came to the Wabasha Paramount at the end of December 1956. The film starred Tom Ewell and Jayne Mansfield, but featured performances by Julie London, Ray Anthony, Fats Domino, the Platters, Little Richard, Gene Vincent, the Treniers, Eddie Fontaine, the Chuckles, Abbey Lincoln, Johnny Olenn, Nino Temple, and oh, by the way in the corner of the ad, Eddie Cochran. “Rock yourself into your happiest time.” On the other end of the spectrum was the juvenile delinquency flick “One Way Ticket to Hell.” Very dire indeed. Not to mention “Hot Rod Girl” and “Girls in Prison.”
The Four Coins appeared at the Radisson Flame Room on December 6, 1956.
The Dozier Boys, Fresh from Chicago, graced the stage at the Key Club on December 15, 1956. Chubby Newsom, vocalist from Detroit, joined them on December 21, 1956.