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Gaithersburg, Maryland (The Jackson 5 World Tour)
Date range confirmed in NWI Times (“The Jackson Five booking for nine shows during the week of May 5-11, 1975”)
Linda Gregory, "The Jackson 5 - A Family of Achievement", newspaper article
ROCKVILLE, MD -- Shady Grove Music Theatre marked its official grand opening of year-round entertainment Monday night with the appearance of the Motown superstars, The Jackson Five.
Among notables in the full house (that had been sold out for two weeks prior to the opening) were D.C. Bicentennial Commission chairman James Gibson, songstress Roberta Flack, Judge and Mrs. Irving Levine, and Esquire's Brian Barkley.
On stage the purveyors of song and dance, winners of virtually every honor and accolade available to recording artists, displayed a true talent behind their cuteness, and a tenacity and dedication beneath the fun they appeared to be having.
Sixteen-year-old Michael Jackson, who at the age of eleven became one of the most popular lead singers of any group, is an exceptional dancer, comic, singer, and showman, and long ago gained a reputation for his ability to control an audience.
Emergencies or stage malfunctions are no hassle for Michael. When his younger brother Randy, a dynamite combo drummer, made a rapid stage exit and, in the darkness, fell over a huge speaker and injured his leg. Michael causally offered a brief explanation to the audience and tossed it off with, "That's show biz!"
While not wanting to minimize the talents of other brothers, it is still “The Dancing Machine” Michael who wows the audience with his verve in both his soaring voice and his rapid "robot" dancing. Although happiest while performing, Michael is taking an academic approach to his career by studying music, its arranging and producing.
The 25-member entourage known as the Jackson Five & Their Las Vegas Revue includes nine Jackson family members who appear on stage, in addition to father Joe Jackson (manager) and uncle Larry who is in charge of road appearances. Mrs. Jackson, casually chewing gum and dressed in a beige pantsuit, was accompanied by several daughters-in-law for the opening night performance.
Appearing later at a post-performance reception, the Jacksons had relinquished their glittering outfits for the more casual comfort of jeans and leather jackets. At that time D.C. Bicentennial Commission James Gibson presented the group with a Family Achievement Award in recognition of their concern and devotion to the underprivileged, as well as their outstanding contribution to the music industry. He cited the Gary, Indiana family as being promoters of a sense of achievement who are involved as a family with their home town and in keeping major issues "out front."
Yesterday the Jackson Five visited the D.C. Children's Hospital.
The Jackson Five & Their Las Vegas Revue will be appearing at Shady Grove through May 11.
Michael Jackson, the White House and hairspray.
They sound like topics from a comedy monologue on any of the late night talk shows.
But actually, all three are what Star Plaza Theatre's Charlie Blum found himself face to face with for an entire week exactly 30 years ago from today.
Blum, president and talent buyer for Northwest Indiana's Star Plaza Theatre, was just beginning his career as a concert promoter and star wrangler in the mid '70s when he snagged the Jackson Five to headline at his concert venue, Shady Grove Music Theatre just outside of Washington, D.C.
...Blum stumbled upon a press release in his files that he wrote dated April 25, 1975, announcing The Jackson Five booking for nine shows during the week of May 5-11, 1975. Ticket prices ranged from $6.75 to $8.75. Yes, those prices are correct. Rock music once was affordable -- even with big-name acts.
"Talk about memories and big names," Blum said.
"Michael Jackson was already a media star in the headlines back in 1975 when I worked with him for this string of family concerts."
In crafting the press release to tout the show, Blum wrote: "The versatile five brothers -- Jackie, Tito, Marlon, Jermaine and 16-year-old lead singer Michael, have added their younger brother Randy to the group, as well as their sisters; La Toya and Janet."
Blum worked closely with father Joe Jackson for all the arrangements, including the mass merchandising of souvenirs sold at the show, which included case after case of Jackson Five hairspray, wristwatches and glossy programs promoting the "Jackson Five" Saturday morning animated series then airing on ABC.
But Blum said his biggest challenge came from appeasing Michael Jackson's request to visit the White House and President Gerald and Betty Ford during his week in Washington, D.C.
"I had made all these phone calls to make the arrangements and security clearance for Michael and his four brothers to get in at the White House," Blum recalled.
"So I ride over in the limo at 8 a.m. to pick them up at the hotel the day of the visit, and I find the entire family waiting out front to go see the president. I tried to tell Michael that we can't just take everyone without first having it approved in advance, but he insisted that everyone get to go, including the tutor who traveled with them."
Blum said he had to quickly make calls to arrange for more limousines to accommodate the number and use the limo phone to arrange for more security approval for the rest of the party.
"Remember, there weren't any cell phones back then and just trying to use a car phone in a limo was a challenge, because I had to go through an operator to make outgoing calls," Blum said.
During the ride to the White House, Blum managed to get everyone approved for the last-minute visit, and he even has a group photograph of himself with the entire Jackson clan under the trellis of the White House rose garden.
"I treasure that photograph, despite my bad moustache and outfit from the decade, because it's very rare," Blum said.
"The only time it's ever been seen in the media was when A&E asked to use it years ago for their Michael Jackson biography. It's a definite photo flashback."