HISTORY OF SYRACUSE MUSIC "OFFICIAL SITE" - CHAPTER 127 - "ROCKIN THE REDHOUSE" BENEFIT AT LANDMARK THEATER - April 25, 2014

Friday evening April 25, 2014 we spent at Syracuse's Landmark Theater enjoying the 2004 "Rockin The Redhouse" (Benefit for the Redhouse Art Center). Its host 93Q's Ted Long & Amy Robbins.  Band Lineup included the following- Six Rack (Anheuser-Busch), The Actuators (Young & Franklin), Anonymous Sources (Syracuse Media Group), The Side Shifters (Raymond Corp), The Chillerz (Carrier Corp), Old School (Manlius Pebble Hit), Defense Mechanism (Lockheed Martin), Take The Stairs (Redhouse Rock Campers) and  last years winner and event judges were "The Dinosaurs" (CXtec) that included Ashley Cox, Mike Featherstone, Shawn Sullivan & Josh Taylor.

2014 Best Band Award- went to- The Chillerz from Carrier (Amy Hebert, David Dufresne, Ralph Vito, John Kowalewski, Woosuk Chong & David Marr). Congrats to all bands..the "Big Winner" was The Redhouse and the Syracuse Music Scene.

Event sponsors- Julie's, Guitar Center, 93 Q Radio, Asti & Syracuse New Times.

HISTORY OF SYRACUSE MUSIC "OFFICIAL SITE" - CHAPTER 126 - JIM O'BRIEN "34 YEAR SYRACUSE RADIO LEGEND"

James L. O' Brien or "OB" as he was known was born on March 26, 1943.  He graduated from St Anthony of Padua High School in Syracuse in 1961. Jim without question was one of the great guys ever involved in the CNY music scene. Jim was first heard on WNDR Radio AM-1260 as the "Boy Owl" back in 1961, but through the years was also known as "King of the DJ's" and "Dean of the Dawn". With a year off to serve in the U.S. Coast Guard (1965) Jim returned staying at WNDR AM 1260 along with its sister station WNTQ FM for career totaling 34 years until his departure from WNTQ FM in October 1995. During his radio career "OB' played Rock & Roll, Golden Oldies and later country music formats.

Jim O'Brien's air shift times though the years included All-Nights, 2-6 PM (1963) and later  7- 11 PM and some morning while also holding the title of WNDR's music director. The popular Syracuse band Sam & The Twisters recording the Jim O'Brien theme song to the music track of "Wild Weekend"..It went something like- It's the Jim O'Brien show, 1260 radio on your dial...etc.

WNDR highlights- Jim boarded a bus filled with WNDR listeners and headed to Shea Stadium to see The Beatles perform back on August 15, 1965. And how about OB & "Dandy Dan"  Leonard sleeping a week in the front window of Walt's Record Shop on So. Salina Street to raise money to help the M.D.A. There are many-many more..

He was inducted into the "Syracuse Area Music Awards" (SAMMYs) Hall of Fame in 1997. Jim became ill in 2003 and a huge benefit was held in this honor on November 15 at the Onondaga Valley American Legion Post. Bands playing this great benefit included Gary Dunes & The Del-tunes, Carman Licitra & The Vikings with Dave Novak, The Fab Five (Novak, Gary Frenay & Arty Lenin), The Cobblerockers (Jan Fetterly, Al Wolf, Tim Cleary), Dan Elliott & The Monterays (Dan Elliott, Dave Moziak, George Day, Jack Abert, John Wisnewski, others ) and Ted & Amy from WNTQ..

Sadly our friend Jim O' Brien a true Syracuse music & radio legend and a great guy passed away on Saturday April 30, 2005 at age 62. Jim is buried in Syracuse's Onondaga Valley Cemetery.

PS- Jim was also a great help in our quest to obtain information when we started the "History of Syracuse Music" album series and  book projects. "OB" was also an avid golfer (Liverpool C.C and Bellevue Country Club) and a true NY Yankee baseball fan...His favorite music artists included Neil Diamond & Emilou Harris.

HISTORY OF SYRACUSE MUSIC "OFFICIAL SITE" CHAPTER 125 - MORE FAMOUS PEOPLE WHO PERFORMED OR SPOKE IN CNY (1979)

Jan 2, 1979            Sparrow (Rick Cua)                               Poorhouse North

Jan 5-6                   Alligators                                                Stage East

Jan 7, 1979             805 (Dave Porter)                                 Grape & Grog

Jan 12, 1979           Out of the Blue (Skip Murphy)              South Gate Inn

Jan 19, 1979           George Thorogood                              Stage East

Jan 25, 1979           Sandy Bigtree Band                             Mohawk C.C.

Jan 25, 1979           Moss Back Mule Band                         OCC

Jan 26, 1979           The Outlaws                                         Landmark Theater

Jan 26, 1979            Romantics                                           Firebarn Tavern
                                Flashcubes

Jan 27, 1979            Paul Anka                                            Landmark Theater

Feb 3, 1979             Southside Johnny                                 Landmark Theater

Feb 9, 1979             Kentucky Moon                                 LeMoyne College

Feb 15, 1979           Johnny Winter                                     Uncle Sam's
                                Alec Star

Feb 22, 1979           805                                                     Uncle Sam's

Feb 23, 1979           Good Rats                                          Stage East
                                The Rage

Feb 27, 1979           C.R.A.C.                                           Space Odyssey

Feb 27, 1979           The Kinks                                          LeMoyne College

Mar 1, 1979             Styx                                                   War Memorial
                                 Angel

Mar 9, 1979            Wolfman Jack                                     Drumlins
                                Easter Seals Disco

Mar 15, 1979          Alec Star                                             OCC

Mar 16-17               Alligators                                             Stage East

Mar 27, 1979           The Police                                          Uncle sams
                                 Flashcubes

Apr 2, 1979              Rush                                                  Rush

Apr 6, 1979              Kid Slick                                           Poorhouse North

Apr 16, 1979            Dead Ducks                                       Firebarn Tavern
                                 Pop Tarts

May 2, 1979             Harry James Band                             Castaways

May 17, 1979           Beach Boys                                       War Memorial

May 23, 1979            Kinks                                               Landmark Theater

May 24, 1979            Joe Jackson                                     Uncle Sam's

May 29, 1979            Eric Clapton                                     War Memorial
                                  Muddy Waters

June 8, 1979              John Mooney                                    Jabberwocky

June 14, 1979            Link Wray & Spiders                        Landmark Theater

June 17, 1979            New York Flyers                              Poorhouse North

June 30, 1979            Bad Company                                  War Memorial

July 4, 1979              Ramones                                          Uncle Sams
                                 Flashcubes

July 6, 1979              Doug Henning- Magic Show             Landmark Theater

July 13, 1979            Marshall Tucker Band                       War Memorial
                                 Orleans

July 15, 1979             Ferlin Husky                                    NYS Fair Grand
                                  Tommy Cash
                                  Moss Back Mule Band

July 20, 1979             Melba Moore                                  Landmark Theater
                                  Lou Rawls

Aug 17, 1979             George Carlin                                   Landmark Theater

Aug 25, 1979             KC & Sunshine Band                       NYS Fair

Aug 26, 1979             Steve Martin                                     NYS Fair

Aug 27, 1979             Kenny Rogers                                   NYS Fair

Aug 28, 1979             Bob Hope                                         NYS Fair

Aug 29, 1979             Charlie Daniels Band                         NYS Fair
                                   Tanya Tucker

Aug 31, 1979              The Rods (Rock Feinstein)                Slide Inn

Sept 12, 1979             Ethal Merman                                    Civic Center

Sept 17, 1979             Edgar Winter                                      Stage East

Sept 21, 1979            The Rods                                           Poorhouse North

Oct 21, 1979              Penn & Teller                                    Landmark Thaeter

Oct 25, 1979              Bonny Raitt                                       Landmark Theater

Oct 26, 1979              The Jackson World Tour                   War Memorial
                                   (Michael Jackson)

Nov 1, 1979               Pat Benetar                                       Stage East
                                   David Werner, Mark Doyle

Nov 8, 1979               David Brumberg                               Stage East
                                   Out of the Blue

Nov 9, 1979                Tall Dogs (Earl Ford)                       Firebarn Tav

Nov 9, 1979                The Rods                                        Country Tavern

Nov 15, 1979              Parliament / Funkadelic                      Landmark Theater
'                                   (George Clinton)

Nov 16, 1979              Todd Rundgren & Utopia                 Landmark Theater

Nov 18, 1979              Steve Morris & Dixie Dreggs            Jabberowocky

Nov 24, 1979              Cab Calloway                                   Landmark Theater

Nov 27, 1979             Meatloaf                                            Landmark Theater

Nov 30, 1979              George Thorogood                            Landmark Theater

Dec 2, 1979                Gordon MacRae                               War Memorial
                                    Syr Symphony Orchestra

'Dec 15, 1979              Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow           Landmark Theater
                                     Ronnie Montross

Dec 27, 1979              The Works                                     Poorhouse North

Dec 31, 1979               Pat Benetar                                    USA Sams
                                    Flashcubes.


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