More on a Rock and Roll Poster
We recently shared this poster currently on display at Bless Your Heart Folk Art, 157 E. Main Street, with questions of its journey to storage in the former Odd Fellows Lodge upstairs.
Barnesville News reader Larry Fugate said “Big Bill Thalman could be Bill Thalman of the 1960s or early 70s who was an on-air personality of WOMP in Bellaire. I never knew Bill to be a rock and roller. He had a morning show 9 to 10 on WOMP and took prayer requests”.
Barnesville native Malcom Spence went a step further locating an article in the March 30, 1959, Times-Leader (copied below) that provided more information and context.
Now, the question is if this show was performed on stage at a movie theater in Martins Ferry, was it also a one-night feature at the Barnesville State Theater? It’s certainly possible. There were live events at the West Main Street movie emporium. A week-by-week check of the archives of the former Barnesville Enterprise might provide the answer.
The Times-Leader March 30, 1959
Popular Music Highlights Special Show at Fenray
A special show designed for “the young and the young at heart” will be presented Wednesday night at the Fenray Theater in Martins Ferry.
Featured on the sage will be Ricky Henry and the Rhythm Rockers, the group that scored a big hit at the recent American Legion Drum & Bugle Corps Minstrel, plus Bill Thalman, the Whispers, the Jets, the Prince Brothers and Pat Garrision and the Val-vays. Jim O. Smith, Wheeling disc jockey, will be master of ceremonies.
The “Showcase of Stars” stage show will put the accent on music with a beat. Such popular songs as “It’s Late”, “Never Be Anyone Else but You”, “Sixteen Candles”, “Edna Lee” and other will be featured by the various acts of the program.
The stage show gets underway at 8:30 following a screening of “Senior Prom” with Jill Corey, Louis Prima and Keely Smityh, Mitch Miller, Bob Crosby and a number of other stars.
The movie will be shown again after the stage show.
The admission to the special show was 50 cents.
Here’s a link to our original Enterprise Album article on the poster.
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