Ann Arbor Legend Michael "Cub" Koda (October 1, 1948 – June 30, 2000)

Michael "Cub" Koda

(October 1, 1948 – June 30, 2000)

Cub Koda worked as a solo artist releasing two singles, "I Got My Mojo Workin'" and "Ramblin' On My Mind", and working with a couple of bands, before forming Brownsville Station in 1969…

I met T. J. Cronley, the drummer for Brownsville Station, at Mr. Flood’s Party in 1969…

 I was 20 years old at the time, and, even though I was underage, I was checkin’ ID’s at the bar. I was also doin’ a DJ gig there when I wasn’t “at the door” (Ned Duke R.I.P. owner of Flood’s was a very cool dude)

TJ and I really hit it off and  he hipped me to his band (Brownsville Station)

 I started spinning their early demos at Floods…

Brownsville Station  began performing throughout the American Midwest, and released several singles before getting noticed. They released their first album in 1970, but it was the 1973 single, "Smokin' In The Boys Room", that remains their best-known song…

The song, “SMOKIN’ IN THE BOYS ROOM,” went to #3 on the music charts and eventually sold over two million copies. Although the song was the band's only hit, They continued to perform together until they disbanded in 1979...

BUT,  it was in 1978 when I really got hooked up with these guys—After doing lights for them (I knew NOTHING about doin’ lights!) at a gig at a theater in Jackson, Michigan…The tune they were promoting at the time was The Martian Boogie…

Well, although it was a GREAT tune, The Brownsville Station got very little national attention for it!

Cubby did his own thing for awhile after that, including this GREAT assault on the establishment…

Cubby, you went away WAY too soon,

 Rest In Peace My Brother…

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June 29, 1960 in Tropical Jon’s Evolution of Rock ‘n Roll: Jackie Wilson, supported by Dion And The Belmonts, Elmore James and The Vibrations, plays the sixth of seven nights at The Regal, Chicago, Illinois, USA

The Regal in the 60s

The Motor City’s Jackie Wilson

—MR. EXCITEMENT

was, without a doubt, still getting mileage out of his 1958 hit

LONELY TEARDROPS…

And supporting his latest effort
STOP DOGGIN’ ME AROUND…

 Jackie was supported by Dion And The Belmonts who were (unsuccessfully) trying to hang in there with covers like

IN THE STILL OF THE NIGHT…

Dion and the Belmonts were blown off the stage with acts like:

Elmore James with his latest single
TALK TO ME BABY……

AND even The Vibrations, usually an uptempo group, with their bluesy 1960 release
SO BLUE…

This was a SHOW

in Chicago's Regal Theater

in 1960!!!

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Jun 29 1961 In Tropical Jon's Evolution of Rock 'n Roll: Muddy Waters, Little Walter and The "5" Royales play the final night of a week at The Howard Theater, Washington, DC, USA

Howard Theater circa 1964

 

Muddy Waters: Fo’ Sho’ doin’ his 1960 Newport Jazz Festival hit Got My Mojo Workin’

Little Walter was without a doubt, still gracing the crowds with his 1958 classic Key To The Highway…

The "5" Royales:  Even though James Brown had “stolen” what should have been their MONSTER hit “Think”

it was still in their show…

And, they were sounding great with new jams like “I’m A Cool Teenager”

AND THAT WAS A CONCERT
AT WASHINGTON D.C.’s
HOWARD THEATER IN 1961!!!

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June 28, 2012: Actor Don Grady (Robbie Douglas, Original Mousketeer) has passed away at the age of 68…

Robbie Douglas

Don The Mousketeer

Don Grady, who was born Don Agrati, played drums, bass, piano, trumpet, and guitar. For a time he played with the Palace Guard, a folk-rock band. Later Grady joined Gary Zekley, a songwriter and producer, to establish a group called Yellow Balloon...

In 1967, with the actor on drums, Yellow Balloon scored its only hit single, which took its title from the group's name. The group disbanded with just one hit and one album under their belts, along with a stop on American Bandstand with Dick Clark. Grady went solo, billing himself under his real name...

a real switch from his time spent as the band's "mystery drummer," when he concealed his identity behind dark glasses and a wig...

During production of My Three Sons,

Grady both appeared with his own band The Greefs on the series, and was the drummer for The Yellow Balloon, whose self-titled song became a minor hit during 1967…

R.I.P. Don Grady

INQUISITOR OBIT:

 http://www.inquisitr.com/264902/my-three-sons-actor-don-grady-dies-at-68/#T1GijB4X8bMULJjp.99

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The James Gang, The Grande Ballroom and Joe Walsh: In The Evolution of ROCK 'n ROLL...

JAMES GANG HISTORY:

According to Wikipedia:

“The James Gang was a rock band formed in Cleveland, Ohio in 1966…The band was not a huge commercial success, except in the Northeast Ohio area, (although) the fame garnered by guitarist Joe Walsh has since made the group more notable…”

James Gang, Rationals and the MC5
at the Grande Ballroom 1968

Not really successful, that is, until they came to The Motor City!!!

In May of 1968 the group was booked to open for CREAM at THE GRANDE. A venue at which they were already well known…Ronnie Silverman, the James Gang guitarist bowed out at the last minute. The band, desperately in need of money went on as a trio…The three remaining members killed on the show and decided to remain a trio!

In March 1969 the band (now consisting of Jim Fox, Tom Kriss and Joe Walsh) released its debut LP, Yer' Album
—Exhibiting what they learned in
The Motor City…

In July 1970, the band released its second album James Gang Rides Again, which included the popular single "Funk #49 and they opened for The Who during a tour of the United Kingdom...

Thirds is the third studio album by James Gang, released in 1971, and is the last studio album led by Joe Walsh...

The album THIRDS reached Gold status in July 1972…

Then Joe became an Eagle…

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June 19th: Ruth Brown, The Rolling Stones, Carole King, Rod Stewart and Edgar Winter in THE EVOLUTION OF ROCK 'n ROLL...

On this date in 1949 Ruth Brown scores a #4 hit on Atlantic Records, a label on its way to becoming known as

“The House That Ruth Built”…

On June 19 in 1965, THE ROLLING STONES finally top the US Charts
—With a GREAT ONE!!!

Carole King hit #1 on the US Charts with I FEEL THE EARTH MOVE on June 19, 1971…Check her out doin’ it live!

And June 19, 1971 was just about a year to the day after Rod Stewart appeared on “Gasoline Alley” and released his self-produced masterpiece
EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY...

 The album topped the Billboard Album Chart and stayed there for a month! Check out the whole album here…

And it was June 19, 1973 when Edgar Winter’s monster instrumental FRAKENSTEIN was certified gold…

June 19th, not a bad date in

THE EVOLUTION OF ROCK ‘n ROLL…

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June 17, 1972: The Rolling Stones' LP Exile On Main Street hits #1

June 17, 1972: The Rolling Stones' LP Exile On Main Street hits...

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MONTEREY POP FESTIVAL 1967!!!

June 16, 1967:  The Monterey Pop Festival opens:

Introducing soon to be stars like

Janis Joplin,

 The Who…

And an act by the name of The Jimi Hendrix Experience:  

Everybody LOVES to see the clip where Jimi sets his guitar on fire…

BUT, there are more reasons for this show to be what catapulted Jimi into INTERNATIONAL prominence…

FOR INSTANCE…

MONTERREY 1967

—GEESH!!!

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