The first performance ever before kept in the Coliseum, months following venue’s February 1964 opening, featured new Five Badoo-datering Freshmen in addition to Five Preps. (Which had been, however, the Greek Week inform you.) The fresh new Four Seasons performed the first Homecoming concert there within the October ’64 (my good friend Mindy Moore Bacon recalls supposed, though she was just inside junior high), and you can Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong delivered their All stars there to possess a no cost tell you inside March 1965, observed three weeks later on by the Johnny Mathis together with More youthful People in the us.

Karen showed up and you can spoke to a few of one’s kept crowd and you may told me they’d been on the run and you can was in fact sick

Due to problems concerning the sound on before reveals, new university brought in Atlanta-created Baker Sounds (which had over The Beatles’ 1965 show on Atlanta Arena) to try to boost the voice to have Armstrong, however,, believe it or not, truth be told there wasn’t much they might perform regarding cavernous stadium.

I inquired men I decided to go to school having – although some exactly who was born in Athens otherwise visited UGA – to talk about a common performance memories throughout the reveal. Here are a few ones memories:

My classmate Tom Hodgson told you brand new Coliseum concert he searched send towards most was Jerry Butler singing his moves out of “The brand new Ice People Cometh,” and “Only the Solid Survive.” Tom said the guy recalls “Jerry, wearing a light fit with good quartet away from breathtaking women singing equilibrium at the rear of. Really don’t think about who my personal day are, however, she wanted I became because the cool since the Jerry Butler, and that i needless to say desired she was due to the fact very hot due to the fact people vocalists.”

As well, Sam Heys mentioned that “my favorite and more than lasting recollections was the fresh new Jerry Butler Homecoming show on Oct. 24, 1969, while the my blind day, Tap Finley, remains beside me more an one half-century later on.”

Betz Tillitski enjoys vivid memory of this 1973 inform you because of the Allman Brothers, stating the inside of the stadium resembled a massive bong. “I got sitting and lights dimmed and you can, boy, is We stunned to see these types of strange flickers away from light all the along the set. Such as for instance cigarettes although flame existed better prolonged. I did not know I happened to be enjoying joints being lit up. Never been near a joint ahead of. Everyone was passageway everyone to. I was thinking I found myself at the Woodstock. I remember in hopes my personal mothers failed to smell it on my clothes as i had family.”

However,, she said, “by far the most enjoyable performance We attended there is from the spring away from 1974, and that i spotted the brand new Coasters, The brand new Platters while the Tams. Endured on the floor ahead of the stage dance the newest whole day. Ended up to your good man’s arms watching the incredible inform you.”

After that you to definitely uncommon however, sweet smelling try every where

Not that the reveals at the Coliseum was indeed an excellent profits. Dan Pelletier remembers the night Karen and Richard Carpenter “have been stinking up the joint therefore the audience booed, so Richard wandered off of the stage in the a great huff. I recall considering, ‘Ok, so might be your browsing refund the money you were paid back for a speeds you aren’t giving?’ No refund received.”

My later buddy Rusty Gunn, whom got some of the images accompanying it piece, said many years right back you to 1st inform you during the the Coliseum was as he are a good junior in twelfth grade, and he and some relatives took schedules observe Absolutely nothing Stevie Ask yourself therefore the Temptations. (Helen Castronis recalls Question nonetheless are energized because the “Little Stevie” at that time, and that it seemed like “the guy starred all means on the phase.”)