SEPTEMBER 22, 1957 at The Howard Theater, Washington, DC, USA. The Nawlins Boys Take the Stage!!!

 THE FIRST DAY OF FALL IN WASHINGTON, D.C. AND THE HOWARD THEATER IS ROCKIN' WITH NEW ORLEANS R&B...

HEADLINER  LARRY WILLIAMS…

Opens up with his monster…

"Bony Moronie"

Promotes a ballad that should have been a classic (But wasn’t)…

“High School Dance"

AND GETS THE CROWD BACK WITH…

"Short Fat Fannie"

Screamin' Jay Hawkins HAD A LOT OF STUFF HAPPENIN’ IN ’57, of course his monster hit was…

AND he was promoting his 1957 release…

AND:  What should have been a monster hit (But it wasn’t)…

"Darling, Please Forgive Me”

 

AND “FRENZY”…

AS WELL AS HIS 1957 RELEASE

“PERSON TO PERSON”

“SCREAMIN’ JAY” HAD TO BE THE HOTTEST ACT ON THE BILL!!!

NEXT UP:
 Clarence 'Frogman' Henry,

STILL getting’ action out of his 1956 hit:  

 "Ain't Got No Home”

Closing the show, a band just as hot as the openers,

HUEY SMITH & THE CLOWNS,

featuring Bobby Marchan…

Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu"

with Bobby Marchan on lead vocals…

(note: Bobby Marchan
 

(born Oscar James Gibson)
 (April 30, 1930 in Youngstown Ohio – 
December 5, 1999) was a well-respected 
American rhythm and blues bandleader, 
MC, singer-performer, recording artist, 
and female impersonator, who initially 
began performing in 
New Orleans nightclubs...)

THIS WAS WHAT HAPPENED

WHEN NEW ORLEANS CAME TO D.C.

ON SEPTEMBER 22, 1957!!!

THE USE OF ANY COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IS USED UNDER THE 
GUIDELINES OF "FAIR USE" IN TITLE 17 & 107 OF THE UNITED 
STATES CODE. SUCH MATERIAL REMAINS THE COPYRIGHT OF THE ORIGINAL 
HOLDER AND IS USED HERE FOR THE PURPOSES OF EDUCATION, COMPARISON, 
AND CRITICISM ONLY. NO INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT IS INTENDED   

September 18, 1959: The Motor City's Hank Ballard and The Midnighters begin a week of shows at The Howard Theater, Washington, DC, USA…

Originating in 1952, in  Detroit, MI, as The Royales  (Henry Booth, Charles Sutton, Lawson Smith and Sonny Woods)

 And enlisting the services of such Motor City luminaries as Jackie Wilson 

(Up until that time, 

"of The Dominoes")

  

 

 and Levi Stubbs,

throughout the years,

They became The Midnighters when Hank Ballard came on board, replacing Lawson Smith as the lead singer, in late 1953...

—The name change to Hank Ballard and The Midnighters came in ’54 when it became clear that songwriter, producer, performer 

Hank Ballard was in charge!

With Hank at the helm, The Midnighters saw TWO #1 hits in 1954:

“Work With Me Annie"

 

"Annie Had A Baby" 

Not to mention the other ”Annie Tunes” like:

 “Annie’s Aunt Fannie” 

Their 1954  “Sexy Ways” was also a HIT!!!

In 1959, at the time of Howard Theater show, they had a smash with a tune which would become popular again, almost thirty years later, when Stevie Ray Vaughan (R.I.P.) had a hit with it too!!!

“Look at Little Sister”

“Finger Poppin’ Time” would hit the chart in ’60, along with “Let’s Go, Let’s Go, Let’s Go,” and both were surely part of the act…

The most significant part of any late 1959 /early 1960 show for Hank Ballard was the fact that he’d written a tune and invented a dance to go with it (b/w “Teardrops on YourLetter”

—which became the hit!)…

 

The ORIGINAL 

“The Twist” by Hank Ballard and The Midnighters”…

WHAT A SHOW!!!

R.I.P. HANK!

THE USE OF ANY COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL IS USED UNDER THE GUIDELINES OF "FAIR USE" IN TITLE 17 & 107 OF THE UNITED STATES CODE. SUCH MATERIAL REMAINS THE COPYRIGHT OF THE ORIGINAL HOLDER AND IS USED HERE FOR THE PURPOSES OF EDUCATION, COMPARISON, AND CRITICISM ONLY. NO INFRINGEMENT OF COPYRIGHT IS INTENDED