Steve Miller, on the old "Main Stage" at Summerfest in 1973.

March 3, 2014

Today's blog is a look back to Summerfest in July of 1973. These were the days when Summerfest still had the old "Main Stage". It was basically a big tent on a little hill that had grass in front of the stage! It was actually quite nice and some performers even walked down onto the grass performing.

In finding today's photos, which are slides, I discovered an error I made! Hard to believe, but yes I have dates screwed up. These photos are from 1973. My Blog #59 titled Steve Miller and Leslie West 1971 should read 1977! I will straighten those dates out soon.

So, enjoy some photos of Steve Miller in 1973, playing some good music!

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

February 24, 2014

Today is blog #101, with many more to come. Writing the blogs make me scan my old film negatives into digital files for preservation.  This is good.

When I did my last blog about Black Oak Arkansas, all of the images were in color. I knew that I had some great shots of them in black and white.  Sure enough, here they are with Jim Dandy playing his washboard! Not many people play a washboard these days. Jim Dandy played his washboard a lot and seemed to really enjoy it.

These photos are from the show that Black Oak Arkansas did at the Riverside Theater on October 30, 1973. The band Siegal-Schwall was also on the bill that night.

Enjoy a few more photos of Jim Dandy with his big hair and washboard!

On another subject, Sonia Khatchadourian, does the "Blues Drive" radio show, every Friday afternoon from 3 to 6pm on WMSE radio, 91.7fm. Frank Habib, joined me on Sonia's radio show, telling rock'n'roll stories of the 1970's. Frank ran the Catacombs Coffee House in Milwaukee in the early 1970's and worked with me at the Bugle-American newspaper. The show is archived on the internet at wmse.org, so check out my radio show last Friday 2-14-14. If you go to the program schedule you will find it in the archives. Sonia has asked me to come back to tell more rock'n'roll photographer stories and spin some more records. Can't wait!  I will let you know when when we get the date finalized.

Have a great week.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

Ed"Uncle Jack" Cassidy drumming for the band Spirit!

February 17, 2014

Wow! Blog #100 is here already!

Thank you to everyone who has read my blogs in the past two years. I have had contact with people from Spain, the Netherlands, England, Germany, Italy, Belgium and more! The power of the internet is quite amazing. It's so awesome that I can reach out to people all over the world from my office here in Wisconsin.

I also have to give a HUGE thank you to Jeffry Weicher and Jeffry Weicher Productions who has done an amazing job with the website and taking the time to teach me how to do all of this! I also have to thank my wife Claudia who edits all of my text. Believe me, it needs it! They both have a lot of patience with me!

This past week has been fun. My photographs are part of a book that Larry Widen sent to the publisher this week about rock'n'roll in Milwaukee. It will will be released in August. I am also working with someone who is doing a book on Tiny Tim! We're still in the early stages of that one. When more information comes out on both I will let everyone know.

This past Friday I did a radio show with Sonia on WMSE, 91.7FM! She wanted to talk to a rock'n'roll photographer about the music scene in Milwaukee. Through the years I have photographed so many musicians and she wanted to hear stories to go with the many pictures and songs. A good friend who I used to work with, Frank Habib, also joined us. Frank worked with me at the Bugle-American newspaper and he ran the Catacombs Coffee House. We had a lot of fun and talked about some good old times. If you did not catch our show it is archived on WMSE's website. I have to do that and listen to it sometime soon. We were invited back to do another show and look forward to it.

The featured band in today's blog is Spirit. I photographed them in Sheboygan, Wisconsin in 1973, when they did a tour with Robin Trower and Bachman Turner Overdrive. I remember that Spirit was the best act of the show.

Ed "Uncle Jack" Cassidy the drummer, was amazing to watch. I remember him like it was yesterday. Check out his big drum set.

I think this lineup is Ed Cassidy on drums, Randy California on guitar and vocals, Mark Andes on bass and Jay Ferguson. So, I need your help please. Who exactly is this in this band?

Enjoy some old photos and if you can help me with who is who here I would appreciate it. I always like hearing from you.

Have a great week and I'll get ready for the next hundred blogs.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

Jim Dandy and Black Oak Arkansas at the Riverside Theater in Milwaukee on October 30, 1973.

February 10, 2014

After doing my blog last week on Ruby Starr, I had to dig up the film from Black Oak Arkansas.

Jim Dandy, was a mentor and partner I think you could say, to Ruby Starr. They performed together a lot and did some recordings too.

These photos of Jim Dandy were done on October 30, 1973 at the Riverside Theater here in Milwaukee. Ruby Starr was not on the bill that night according to my files.  The band Siegal Schwall was on the bill with Black Oak Arkansas! That seems like an odd combination to me.

That same night, I photographed Uncle Vinty and Phlo & Eddie at a Halloween Orgy show at Humpin Hanna's! Two shows in one night was something I did a lot in the old days!

Jim Dandy has a lot of hair in these photos and became famous for it and for playing the washboard during the shows!

Enjoy a look back to a high energy show! They are also currently touring again so check them out if you can.

Have a great week and stay warm.

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

Ruby Starr at Humpin Hanna's in Milwaukee in 1975.

February 3, 2014

Hi everybody! It's still winter and it's still snowing!

This coming Friday, my new DJ friend Sonia, will have Al Kooper on her radio show on WMSE, 91.7 sometime between 3 and 6pm. Check them out for some good music and fun!

This had me thinking of when I photographed Al Kooper at Humpin Hanna's in 1972. Those photos are here on my site and Al is in a previous blog, #5 and #85 in my archives.

At the 1972 show that Al played, Ruby Starr was the opening act. She was born in Ohio but adopted Milwaukee as her home town in the 1970's.

Born with the name Constance Henrietta Mierzwick, she became Ruby Starr after working with "Jim Dandy" of Black Oak Arkansas. She became the opening act for Black Oak Arkansas for years and had several bands. Grey Star, Lucy Grey and Henrietta Kahn are the bands she had that I know of other than performing as Ruby Starr.

Ruby, played all around the Wisconsin club circuit before heading to Vegas to play clubs there. I believe she had 3 or 4 albums and was taken from us too early at the age of 45 in 1995 from lung cancer.

Miss her and her energy filled shows.

Enjoy these photographs of her from 1975 at Humpin Hanna's. One photo is a fun double exposure on purpose! Do you like it??

Thanks,

Rich Zimmermann

The Rolling Stones at Milwaukke County Stadium on June 18, 1975.