Events Calendar
In This Section
Most Read Stories
Man robbed at Tallmadge Avenue eatery
Another winter punch heading toward Ohio
Four teens restrain man, take items from his Akron home
Complaints against officer keep coming
Police: Ohio girl dies after fall into snow bank
Region makes way for latest batch of snow; cancellations rise
Cuyahoga Falls residents come home to find burning couch on balcony
Blogs:
First Bell - On Education:
No City of Akron basketball tonight
Pets:
Pet telethon re-airs
The Heldenfiles:
Chipmunks "Squeakquel" on DVD/BD March 30
Akron Zips:
Late surge gives Zips ugly road win
Tribe Matters:
Blogmail response on Hafner
Cleveland Browns:
Stallworth's contract terminated
Balanced Ledger:
QB in Browns future: another mock draft
Kent State Sports:
KSU Notes – February 9
Cleveland Cavaliers:
NBA Power Rankings from Around the Internet
Buckeye Blogging:
Buckeyes grab 18 players on signing day
Varsity Letters:
Garfield at Buchtel basketball
All Da King's Men:
Palin At The Tea Party Convention
Blog of Mass Destruction:
Republican Pre-Conditions
Akron Law Café:
Law, Love and Chocolate
Car Chase:
Collector Car Hobby Loses One of the Best—Jim Roll
Let's Talk Real Estate:
Decisions Decisions: Credit Cards or Your Mortgage?
Ohio Travels with Betty:
Loucile is looking for a Lake Erie getaway in June for three kids, ages 1, 3, and 5.
Sound Check:
Talk of the Town – Top entertainment picks for the weekend
HRLite House:
OFCCP Report
Akron Gamer:
Makers of 'Castle Crashers' unveil 'BattleBlock Theater'
See Jane Style:
Do IT this week: Layering
Memorable season recalled at Blossom Music Center
By Mark J. Price
Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Monday, Jun 29, 2009
Northeast Ohio residents found sanctuary in the rolling hills of Northampton Township. Blossom Music Center supplied a perfect soundtrack for the summer of 1969.
The Cleveland Musical Arts Association, which built the summer home of the Cleveland Orchestra, opened the $6.6 million complex the previous July with an abbreviated season. It booked an ambitious schedule of 50 events in 1969.
The concert season featured a little bit of everything — from classical (Itzhak Perlman, Van Cliburn) . . . to folk (Joan Baez, Peter, Paul and Mary) . . . to comedy (Bill Cosby, Dan Rowan, Dick Martin) . . . to jazz (Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald) . . . to country (Chet Atkins, Roy Clark) to R&B (Dionne Warwick, B.B. King) . . . to you name it (Liberace, the Singing Angels).
Tickets ranged from $2 general admission to $5 reserved.
Music fans were drawn to the 4,600-seat pavilion and its gently sloping lawn surrounded by 500 acres of beautiful countryside. Steels Corners Road was just a two-lane blacktop in those days.
''The pavilion was perfect for enjoying the beautiful music in a natural setting with a picnic area surrounding,'' recalled retired Hudson Postmaster Ronald R. Rose, 82, who lives in Florida with his wife, June, 81.
They applied to work at Blossom because they adored the world-class orchestra and its music director, George Szell.
''Oh, it was out of this world,'' Rose said. ''George Szell was tops. That's why we volunteered — because of the orchestra.''
Blossom recruited University of Akron music majors and band members to serve as ushers because of their appreciation for the arts. Rose supervised a platoon of young ushers, who wore gold blazers and dress clothes.
''We had to provide our own dark skirt and white blouse, and the guys had to wear dark pants and a white shirt,'' recalled former usher Carol S. Zeh, 59, of New Franklin, who joined the staff as a UA student.
There was a great camaraderie among ushers. They tossed Frisbees around on the lawn before patrons arrived and attended parties after patrons left.
''It was like a little family,'' she said. ''It was a lot of fun.''
Besides showing patrons to seats, Blossom ushers acted as security and ran errands.
''I can remember some of the rock stars that were out there,'' Zeh said. ''Literally, the ushers were asked to form human chains, arm to arm, across the front of the stage so people couldn't climb up.''
Ron Syroid, 63, of Akron, has recollections as a former director of ushering at Blossom. He, too, joined as a UA student.
''It was an astounding time,'' he said. ''So many different kinds of things were going on.''
Syroid laughed as he recounted the night he broke the silence in the pavilion as Maestro Szell raised his baton to conduct.
''I have hay fever and I sneezed and it just carried through that band shell wonderfully,'' he said. ''And George Szell looked at me and he bowed, 'May I continue?' ''
Then there was the night that rock band Vanilla Fudge showed up five hours late. The group flew by private plane July 8 from Montreal to North Hampton, Ohio, near Dayton, instead of Northampton Township.
Realizing the error, the band flew back. More than 3,000 fans were still present when the Fudge arrived at 12:30 a.m. The concert lasted two hours.
A year before her death, rock legend Janis Joplin delivered an energetic performance Aug. 29 to a Blossom audience of about 8,000. She shimmied and swayed as she belted out bluesy tunes.
''Every time I come onstage, I see all these middle-class kids sitting still, their legs crossed, hardly breathing,'' Joplin told the crowd. ''Then I begin to sing, and they come alive. They're standing and moving and deep-breathing living and smiling and yelling with joy. That's what I see. And I love it.''
Syroid recalled that Joplin had a rider in her contract for five fifths of Southern Comfort to be delivered in the Green Room. He and another usher delivered bottles in a tub filled with ice.
''So I got a chance to meet Janis Joplin,'' he said.
She invited him to an after-concert party where she played piano and sang to about 60 friends and musicians.
''She was just gracious about introducing me around to different people,'' he said.
One of Zeh's vivid memories is the storm that struck a Fourth of July concert by Broadway composer Meredith Willson, creator of The Music Man.
''Oh, my God in heaven, as long as I've lived, I've never seen a storm like that,'' she said.
Almost without warning, the sky turned black. Wind gusts bent trees, rain fell in sheets and lightning struck the ground.
''OK, everybody inside the pavilion,'' Willson announced.
The power went out, but the orchestra kept playing, keeping the huddled audience entertained. When the storm subsided, Blossom set off fireworks.
Rose became a part of the King Family's show July 11 when the ushers arranged for the family act to sing Happy Birthday to him. They presented a big cake with a replica of Blossom.
''What a surprise,'' he said.
His birthday was Aug. 1.
Comedians Rowan and Martin, hosts of NBC-TV's Laugh-In, brought the ''Sock It to Me Gang'' for two shows July 14-15, featuring Ruth Buzzi, Goldie Hawn and others.
Rowan: ''You got a lot of nerve going to a nudist camp.''
Martin: ''Not me. I play the guitar.''
Rowan: ''Well, what do you do at a nudist camp?''
Martin: ''Oh, we stare a lot.''
Cosby performed a standup act Aug. 30 before 13,000 fans. The crowd laughed over his wry observations, including a bit about attending a Catholic Mass in Latin.
''I asked my wife what the priest was saying and she didn't know,'' Cosby said. ''What if he was saying 'The world is coming to an end; go get an asbestos suit?' They ain't gonna sneak that by you in a Protestant service. If you need an asbestos suit, they'll tell you right off.''
Unquestionably, the biggest event of the year was the Aug. 26 show by Blood, Sweat & Tears.
Automobiles clogged the roads for hours. Opening act John Denver had to stall because the headliners abandoned their bus near the Ohio Turnpike and walked five miles to Blossom.
A record-shattering crowd of 24,364 was announced, but there were thousands more there.
''People were coming up over the fences,'' Syroid said. ''It looked like a charge of Gettysburg.''
Rose's wife, June, was working at the gates when a young man tried to sneak in.
''She grabbed him and sent him back out,'' Rose said. ''She then realized what she had just done, as he was about 6-foot-5.''
The knolls behind the pavilion were filled with people who couldn't see the stage. They were content to listen.
''There was really nothing you could do about it,'' Zeh said.
The season concluded Sept. 1 with a concert by Baez, who had performed two weeks earlier at Woodstock.
''If we are going to get out of the 20th century alive, we are going to have to have a revolution,'' she told 11,000 fans.
The summer was ending. Soon the 1960s would end, too.
''It was an absolute wonderful year,'' Zeh said.
Syroid agreed: ''It was a tremendous experience. It was just really enjoyable.''
Mark J. Price is a Beacon Journal copy editor. He can be reached at 330-996-3850 or send e-mail to mjprice@thebeaconjournal.com.
Get the full article here.
Comments
Click here to post your comments
wadsworth, oh
Posted 07:16 AM, 06/29/2009
and now the nieghbors 8itch because it is toooooo loud.
Posted 08:16 AM, 06/29/2009
Too bad it is too expensive for regular people to go there now days. I was there a few times in the early 70's myself as a teen. Last time I was there was to see the Beach Boys and that was 1996, had free tickets and sat on the grass and had a blast enjoying the music. Nice memories, thanks for sharing.
Stow, OH
Posted 08:16 AM, 06/29/2009
Gee, I wonder if they had the cops hiding in the trees with binoculars back then ?
Jefferson, Oh
Posted 09:46 AM, 06/29/2009
We also saw the Beach Boys in 1996. It was a good concert. Later in the year, we ran across Mike Love and his little son in Hawaii at the lobby of the Hawaii Hilton Inn. I asked him to pose for a photograph with my teen-aged daughters and he did. He said he loved doing the concerts in Blossum and the Cleveland area fans were the greatest.
Tallmadge, OH
Posted 10:13 AM, 06/29/2009
I have such fond memories of Blossom. I worked as an usher there for close to 10 seasons and saw and heard many, many acts. The first concert I ever worked (and possibly the most memorable) at was Pink Floyd. Mr Rose was just the greatest, kindest boss ever. It sure was fun to read all the stories in this article today!
Canton, OH
Posted 10:29 AM, 06/29/2009
I love Blossom, too. .I have been there many times for shows over the years. .In fact, I was just there last week for Toby Keith/Trace Adkins. . My ONE COMPLAINT : You would think by now that they could have a better way of egressing vehicles. . I always sit in traffic after a show. . .C'Mon. . .
akron, oh
Posted 10:55 AM, 06/29/2009
great article!
Stow, OH
Posted 11:31 AM, 06/29/2009
It's is intersting to note that a poor college student working a variety of part time jobs, I could readily afford for go to Blossom in 1968 and 1969. Now as a person who worked for 35 years, earned a pension, and works part time on top of that, I can no longer responsibly afford to go.
Akron, Oh
Posted 11:37 AM, 06/29/2009
good memories-wish I could afford some now
Westerville, OH
Posted 12:37 PM, 06/29/2009
Wow, the memories. It's been 25 or more years since I've been to a concert at Blossom but during the 70's I was a regular. Back then you could bring in coolers and back-packs and it was no big deal. The crowds were legendary, and of course back in the late 60's and into the mid-70's, Northeast Ohio was the mecca of concert-goers and bands alike - who wanted to be discovered. WMMS had a national reputation as the best Rock station. Fun times.
My first concert was to see the band Chicago. It was a beautiful late August night as I recall, and Blossom seemed like it was in another state if not another country?
Akron, Oh
Posted 01:38 PM, 06/29/2009
Like John I too attended many shows during the '70s & '80s...Steve Miller and the first Laser Light show, Chicago, Crosby,Stills,Nash & Young...and ashamed to say it even Barry Manilow (chicks digged it)...and those were the days you could carry/sneak anything inside....haven't been there since...
akron, oh
Posted 02:29 PM, 06/29/2009
Still a great place to go with friends to enjoy a concert. We have seen many a hard rock show and had a fantastic time, from 1986 all the way to now. While the quality of the $11.00 Bud Light doesn't seem any better than what's cold in my trunk......there have been Ticketmaster folks selling lawn seats to upcoming shows for just $10.00! We are going to rock the lawn at Motley Crue for $60.00 instead of $385.00 and that is really cool! Going to see Creed, Skynyrd or even another show for a ten spot is a great deal today. If you can take advantage of that promo, jump on it because Blossom is a good venue to have a great time.
Posted 07:38 PM, 06/29/2009
Boy it is wierd to drive by the field that used to be The Richfield Coliseum.
Akron, Oh
Posted 11:58 PM, 06/29/2009
A different time, a different era....they had their problems as well but the sub culture was something else, kinda groovy Man! I would give anything to be able to go back there and see that BST show!
Cuyahoga Falls, OH
Posted 12:03 PM, 06/30/2009
Blood, Sweat and Tears - still one of the best shows I ever had to wait for. Remember wondering if they would ever get there and then remembering how it took so.o.o long to get out of the parking lot and how I was going to explain my way past the curfew situation to my mom. Thank God the ABJ had an article about what a mess it was so that my mom knew that's why I got home at 3:45AM! Wish the prices of tickets would revert back to 1969 prices - that would be awesome!
