Caravan of Stars

In 1959, radio and television personality and television producer Dick Clark organized and produced a concert tour of rock and roll and rhythm and blues artists, many of whom had appeared on his music performance and dance television program, American Bandstand. The show was billed as Dick Clark's Caravan of Stars. Its success prompted additional tours. The last of the concerts toured in 1966.

Origin and structure

Dick Clark observed that in the late 1950s, rock and roll had little acceptance as a form of live entertainment. Seeing an opportunity, he formed the Caravan of Stars, which, during its seven-year existence grew to gross nearly $5 million annually (more than $45 million in 2021 dollars).^[1]

The concert promoted up to seventeen acts, each performing two or three songs, all backed by the same band. In the beginning, admission was $1.50 ($13.50 in 2021).^[1] By 1965 the price had risen to $2.50 ($22.50 in 2021).

The summer tour went out from Memorial Day to Labor Day, sixty to ninety days on the road, nonstop.^[1] Tours were added throughout the other seasons.

Headliners

The show always spotlighted a major artist, who closed the show, like Bobby Vee or Paul Anka.^[1]

Other artists included Jewel Akens, Freddie Cannon, Brian Hyland, Little Eva, Lloyd Price, Linda Scott, and Johnny Tillotson,

Groups included The Coasters, The Crystals, The Drifters, The Premiers, The Skyliners, and The Supremes.

Reception

The August 30, 1959, concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Hollywood, California, reflected the early success of the Caravan. The performance set an all-time attendance record at the Bowl, with more than 5,000 being turned away. Variety reported that police set up loudspeakers six blocks away to tell people the show was sold out.

A week later, at the Michigan State Fair, the show set another attendance record, surpassing the previous attendance record by more than 15,000 concert goers over the previous record in the 110-year history of the fair.

Legacy

In 1978, in a commemorative piece on the 25th anniversary of the birth of rock and roll, Clark recalled the Caravan days, commenting that today's artists:

are cosmopolitan and sophisticated compared to the grandfathers of rock‘n’roll. The Old Dick Clark Caravan of Stars rock’n’roll bus tour with 17 acts played one and two shows nightly for 60 to 90 days in a row. The show ran four hours in a 2,000 or 3,000 seat gymnasium or abandoned vaudeville house. It's difficult to think of those as the ‘good ol’ days.’ Compare it to private jet airliner travel for a group and its entourage. They play 18,000 seat arenas and are joined by an army of roadies and trailer trucks with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment. Those old days on the road remind me of veterans reflecting on any war. The stories always sound glamorous and full of fun. It wasn’t all fun & games. It was tough work.^[2]

Rosters

Except where noted, the following lineups are taken from concert posters promoting the Caravan in various cities throughout the United States. The popularity of the shows led to the production of multiple units traveling the country.

August 1959

October 1959 (Canton, Ohio)

Spring 1961 ^[3]

Summer 1961

Fall 1961 (Milwaukee)

Fall 1963 ^[4]

Summer 1964

Fall 1964 (Conneaut Lake Park, Pennsylvania)

Fall 1964 (Worcester, Massachusetts)

April 1965 ^[5]

April 1965 ^[6]

May 1965 (Bluefield, West Virginia)

August 1965 (Conneaut Lake, Pennsylvania)

November 1965

August 1966

October 1966

References