CD & Record Show on track to be a Great one!!!

Forty days and counting!! The ARCA CD & Record Show is almost here and promises to be the best one in many years. It’s almost a sellout with the dealers, with only a couple of spots left; we should be full in a week or two. We have most of our regular, popular dealers returning with many new or former dealers returning after a short absence. Our dealers come from all over the United States. There should be a great wall-to-wall mixture of 45s, LPs, CDs, music videos, as well as other music memorabilia to choose from. All genres of music will be well represented. Also, if you have a music collection to sell or simply a few records or CDs you’re trying to get rid of, you may be able to do so at the show. While there are no guarantees, the chances are very good that you can sell your music to one or more of our fantastic dealers.

As already stated, we have a great lineup of special guests and Honorary Members coming, beginning with author Tim Hollis on Friday and continuing with a rockin’ Birmingham band, “Revolver,” a former Birmingham radio ‘Good Guy’ DJ, ‘Rockin’ Dave Roddy from WSGN, and ARCA’s great friend and current DJ with 102.5, The Bull, Dollar Bill Lawson on Saturday. All will be meeting show goers, signing autographs, posing for pictures and telling stories about their musical lives. They are all very much looking forward to coming and being a part of this great event.

Don’t forget, admission is only $3 and is good all day; in other words, you may leave the show and return later the same day. There is also plenty of free at-the-door parking and children under 12 get in free. If you’re coming in from out of town, there are many restaurants and hotels in the immediate area (literally within eyesight of the complex) and we are just off of Interstate 59 in Bessemer, AL .

Please spread the word and remember those dates, Friday, April 30th from 4-9 (early birds 2-4 - $10 admission) and Saturday, May 1st from 9-5. Location is the Bessemer Civic Center just off exit #108 on I59. See you there!!!

Book signing at CD & Record Show by local author, Tim Hollis

Birmingham author, Tim Hollis, will have a book signing at the ARCA CD & Record Show on Friday evening, April 30th from 6-8pm. What’s a book signing got to do with a record show? Two of Tim’s over 20 books are music related. The first, “Mouse Tracks: The Story of Walt Disney Records," deals with all the details of the forgotten music of the Disney films and shows and the artists who performed them.

The second book is “Birmingham Broadcasting” which covers the radio and television market in Birmingham. About 1/3 of it talks about the various radio stations and personalities, including ARCA Honorary Members Bill Bolen, Dave Roddy and Dan Brennan, as well as DJs like Joe Rumore and Neal Miller. There are many great photos and a lot of great information packed into this book.

Tim started writing as a young boy and never stopped. His first book, completed in 1990 was a biography about one of the most beloved people ever to live in Birmingham, 'Cousin Cliff' Holman, who passed away last year. Since then, Tim has written over 20 books, all dealing with real subject matter of interest to people in Birmingham and Alabama.

Tim also helps maintain the website http://www.birminghamrewound.com/, which has a lot of great information about the city with a lot of archival photos, ads and stories.

As well as writing, Tim collects all types of things, mostly classic toys.

Come meet Tim on Friday evening and pick up a copy of one or both of the books. He will be glad to sign them and also tell you how you may get copies of his other great books.

Dollar Bill Lawson added to CD & Record Show guest list

One of the funniest men in Birmingham radio is coming to the ARCA CD & Record Show this year. Bill Lawson, affectionately known as Dollar Bill is a native Birminghamian and has been a staple on the radio since 1971.

Over the next few years, Bill worked at stations in various parts of Alabama before landing at WERC in Birmingham in 1979. During the 70s, WERC and WSGN were the two most listened to Rock & Roll stations in Birmingham and Bill was in the middle of it as WERC's evening DJ.

However, by the end of the decade, FM had all but taken over the airwaves. One of the biggest stations was WERC’s sister station WKXX, Kicks 106. AM’s weak, mono signal couldn’t compete with the stereo power of FM. In 1980, WERC changed its format to Adult Contemporary. Bill talked the Program Director into allowing him to host an oldies show beginning at 10pm every night. He used his own records and those of friends. WERC switched to Talk in 1982 and Bill hosted a call-in talk show. He stayed with it until a great opportunity opened up for him in 1985. Country station, WZZK had the top morning team in Birmingham, Patti & the Doc. However, the team was shaken when Doc passed away suddenly. Bill took over the vacant slot and the show became Patti & Dollar Bill. Ratings went even higher and the pair ruled the market for close to twenty years. However, in 2002, WZZK forced Patti to “retire.” She, at first, had said she would stay out of radio, but when Bill was also forced to leave, they teamed up again, but had to wait out a 6 month ‘no-compete’ clause. They moved to WDXB, the Bull 102.5. The Bull had been a smaller regional station, but moved its tower to Birmingham to increase its signal strength and thus the market. With the powerhouse team of Patti and Dollar Bill, the station gave WZZK a run for its money. Unfortunately, in 2008, Patti was forced to leave the Bull, a replacement was hired and the team of Dollar Bill & Madison was born. The station is as strong as ever thanks to the staying power and humor of Bill Lawson.

By the way, some of Bill’s funniest stories involve his days of flying in WERC’s traffic helicopter. When you see him at the show, ask him to tell some.