Light years before Star Search and America’s Got Talent … in a world far, far away ….

 

In 1981 a national music contest deemed to be the largest talent search ever done debuted as the Big Music America Corporation contest. The company collected 10,000 songs from radio stations in 41 major markets and selected 10 winners from each market. The 41 radio stations released compilation albums with the winners in their respective markets, sold albums for $3.98 and then held a competition for the winner of their market. Each local winner got $500 and a shot at 1 of 5 regional concerts, from which one winner would go on to a national final. Regional winners got $5,000 and the national show winner got $25,000 and $25,000 worth of RAMSA sound equipment. 

 

The first year program generated so much excitement that in 1982 advertiser Miller Brewing Company took over as the major sponsor, changed the company name to “The Miller Rock Network” featuring “The Miller Rock to Riches Contest” and hired a Houston TX marketing firm Starstream Communications Group to push the music and handle publicity. In 1982 the contest involved 60 major radio station markets and was so impressive that Atlantic Records also agreed to add a national single release with an album option as the grand prize to the winner of national finals.

 

In 1982 DC Star submitted, and then won, for releases on 101.5 FM WPDH in Poughkeepsie NY and 105 FM WAVA in their home market of Washington DC.

Miller High Life loved the band’s heavy version of “Welcome to Miller Time” and used it nationally to promote the brand. In return DC Star got endorsements from Gauss Cetec, Audio Technica, MXR, Hammer Guitars and $10,000 worth of gear.

 

By the end of 1982, with well over 20,000 submissions nationally, the Rock to Riches program had gotten bigger than Miller ever imagined. So in a “genius” marketing move, they extended (postponed) the contest deadline to 1983 and signed some of their popular artists to marketing contracts.

 

In 1983 Miller received 30,000 submissions from 73 major radio station markets. DC Star won the album contests once again on WPDH and WAVA’s second releases, along with a song on the first album from 102.3 WBAB in Long Island NY. By this time the national sales of Rock to Riches albums had exceeded 400,000 records. 

 

Starstream Communication then released the first national Miller Rock Network album featuring a track by DC Star and other hand picked finalists. DC Star’s second submission for an advertising jingle “Made the American Way” won them another $10,000 in endorsements and ran on rock radio stations nationally.

 

By 1983 a new radio station 103.5 WAPP was rocking the New York metropolitan area. Radio investment group Doubleday had purchased the station, renamed it The Apple, and on June 14th they went on the air with “Won’t Get Fooled Again” by The Who and broadcast all summer long commercial free. Needless to say, they kicked the ass of their monolith rock rivals and took over as kings of rock radio in NYC. I remember hanging out in Long Beach NY that year, listening to WAPP pumping out song after song, album after album, non-stop, all day and night.  

 

When WAPP decided to release a Miller Rock Network album DC Star jumped on the opportunity. Due to the success of their song “Is It You” on other releases when they submitted the song to WAPP, the station put right into their rotation.

 

As WAPP returned to commercial radio and the race for the rock and roll throne of NY radio intensified an unknown talent popped into view. The WAPP Rock to Riches album was being finalized when an artist who was producing jingles in their advertizing department submitted a song. The artist was John Bonjiovi. WAPP had a band featuring several DJ’s, particularly E.J. Crummy and Bruce Figler. They had formed “The Apple Jam Band” in order to submit a track for the Miller record. Aware of John Bonjiovi, and fans of what he was doing, they encouraged him to submit a song that John had played for them. The song was “Runaway”. So John recorded the song with some studio musicians, submitted a demo for the WAPP record, got into the top 10 for a slot on their vinyl release, and landed a huge invitation to the NYC regional concert at The Fountain Casino.

 

There were over 4,000 people at the Fountain Casino show that featured top southern rockers Southern Cross, Twisted Sister, DC Star, Bonjovi (then John Bonjiovi), Equinox, Manzarin, EJ Crummy and 5 other groups. DC Star had opened numerous shows with Twisted Sister but got to meet John Bonjiovi and his band members (some of whom they knew from other NY bands) that, at the time, didn’t include Ritchie Sambora. That was one awesome concert for the ages.

 

Ironically, John Bonjiovi’s uncle Tony Bonjiovi (Motown producer, owner of the Power Station Studio in NYC and manager of The Ramones, The B-52’s, and The Talking Heads) had designs on DC Star while John was still in high school. In fact Tony had flown to Baltimore several times in the late 70’s to see DC Star. DC Star’s 1977 single “Blue Sparks” (backed by “Keeper of the Keys”) was produced by Tony’s understudy Caltric Simone and Bonjiovi mastered the release.

 

When the buzz from the Fountain Casino concert had died down and the votes were tallied from the WAPP release, a winner was selected: John Bonjiovi, with DC Star as the runner-up. WAPP had acquired so much momentum in the NYC market, they partnered with Miller High Life to sponsor the “Final” 1983 Miller High Life National Finals show at the infamous Beacon Theatre in NYC with “Bonjovi” as the headliner.  

 

By this time the first prize had jumped to $35,000 along with $35,000 worth of RAMSA gear for the winner with another $10,000 in endorsements and a single record release on Atlantic Records. But the “catch” was that any band that accepted a winning deal had to sign a publishing contract for one of their songs with Starstream Communications for a national vinyl release titled “Miller Music”.  

 

Before the announcement that Bonjiovi had won the WAPP album contest, John signed a major recording deal with Mercury Records. Mercury would not relinquish publishing rights for any of Bonjiovi’s songs, so John was disqualified. So as 2nd runner up, David Simmons signed a 1 year publishing agreement for their song “Wasted Time” from the WBAB record in Long Island NY and DC Star was crowned the winner of the NYC - WAPP album contest and nominated to go on representing New York at The Miller High Life National Finals show.

 

Everything had happened so quickly that DC Star had to scramble to accommodate appearing at the Beacon Theatre Finals show. Since they already had a show booked at The Mad Hatter in Long Island for the same night, Miller supplied an amp line and drums up for the NYC concert while DC Star’s road crew set up their lights and stage show in Stony Brook. It was expected to be a packed house after DC Star’s recent concert supporting “Quiet Riot” at Stoneybrook College.  

 

Starstream Communications orchestrated a balls-to-the-walls campaign for their 2-year Rock to Riches Finals show. It was both filmed for a special presentation on the USA network and the music from the event was to be released nationally on a “Miller Music” double “Live” record album. With aggressive promotion and the selection of Howard Hessman (Johnny Fever from the WKRP in Cincinnati TV show) as the show’s host, it was all poised to make national headlines.  

 

WAPP aggressively pursued Mercury Records to let “Bonjovi” be a headliner at the national show, Mercury declined and only allowed John to do one song as a special guest. So the show opened with EJ Crummy and the Apple Jam band, followed by John Bonjiovi doing “Runaway”, followed by Atlantis and DC Star, who went on second so they could leave for their other show.

 

The concert was surreal. DC Star broke their backs for 3 years to get established in the region. It was apparent that they succeeded as half of the audience at the Beacon came from the suburbs and were wearing classic white DC Star logo T-shirts. The show took off with the WAPP Apple Jam band playing a couple tunes, followed by John Bonjiovi rocking the audience with “Runaway”.

 

It was hard for the DC Star members to watch the first finalist Atlantis, because they had to be ready to attack their l5 minute “or less” delivery. DC Star had done many presentations for college program directors with the same format. When the performer is introduced a green light hidden from audience view goes on for 12.5 minutes, then a yellow light comes on for 2 minutes, followed by a red light for 30 seconds after which the electricity goes off.

 

When Atlantis hit their last note, DC Star took the stage and, to the delight of their cheering fans, delivered “Is It You” and “Makin’ Time” right on cue. As DC Star’s skeleton crew packed up the equipment, the 3rd group “Killer Whales” from South Carolina did their impressive 3-piece blues set. With our vans loaded and ready to roll out, I’ll never forget watching the next act, “The Sussman - Lawrence Band” take the stage. The group resembled a Duran-Duran tribute complete with their thin neckties and fitted suits. But by the end of their 2nd song the front-man had stripped down to his tie and polka-dotted underwear and was wailing on a gold saxophone. As the DC Star van sped toward the LI Expressway on the way to Stoneybrook, the band agreed that winning the competition was a long shot.

 

The group arrived at The Mad Hatter to a sold-out crowd that was already chanting “D.C.Star … D.C.Star … D.C.Star …”. The boys took the stage, opened their first show with “Sinner” by Judas Priest, and proceeded to blow away the audience. When the band took a break between shows, manager David Sherbow got a call from the staff at the Beacon Theatre. After the last band Artist played, the winner of the 1982 contest “The Stompers” did their most popular song. The audience was going crazy until the winner of the contest was announced, “The Killer Whales”. Although the Killer Whales were very good … the audience, flushed with DC Star fans, were displeased with the decision and revolted. The Boo’s from the crowd reached a fevered pitch and there were reports of people turning fire extingushers onto the crowd and slashing the seats. It was a disaster that resulted in both the TV Special and live album to be scrapped.

 

DC Star members understood unpredictable letdowns and accepted the decision handed down by the judges. But a week after the show Starstream notified DC Star that Miller High Life was disappointed with the outcome of the event and that the band would receive the first-prize award of $35,000. They also received $10,000 more in equipment endorsements and a contract extension to be a Miller Rock Network touring band through 1985.  

 

The band was honored to have gotten so far and accomplished so much just to reach the top of the 3-year contest:  How ironic it was that one of the most monumental accomplishments of DC Star was inadvertently ruined by their fans. John Bonjiovi got his start through the support of WAPP and after changing the band name to Bon-Jovi constructed one of the most successful careers in rock history.

DC Star open a dozen shows for Twisted Sister who was at the point of break up in 1983. But they signed a back door deal with Warner Brothers in the UK and their single “We’re Not Gonna Take It” exploded and the album went platinum.  

 

In the last wave of NY hair band signings DC Star, along with notable groups Streets, White Lion and Fiona Apple, secured record deals in 1985 with Atlantic and Mirage Atlantic records. DC Star’s self-produced album “Livin’ In A Rock And Roll Whirl” was re-titled “Rockin’ in the Classroom” by Atlantic and re-released after adding the band’s rendition of Brownsville Station’s “Smokin’ in the Boy’s Room”. Unfortunately the Atlantic release of “Smokin’ in the Boy’s Room” by Motley Crew (which were both released because an Atlantic executive owned the publishing for the song) overshadowed the DC Star record which then shipped directly into the cut-out bins west of the Mississippi.

 

Vocalist Kenny Taylor temporarily left DC Star in 1986 after he was injured in a automobile accident and was replaced by Shawn Crosby from DC hair band “Teacher’s Pet”. After four months Kenny returned but a year later decided to leave permanantly to get married and teach vocal lessons in New York. Vocalist John Frederick joined the band and although the group had recorded several great singles, including John's resinging of their ballad "Stop The World From Turning", they weren’t able to secure the deal for a second release with Atlantic Records and ceased full time operations in 1989.

 

After the Beacon show, WAPP’s ratings began to slide and in 1986 Doubleday sold the station to Emmis broadcasting. On August 15th the station played “It’s All Over Now” by The Rolling Stones, and after the sound of an explosion, The Apple changed to “Hot 103” and flipped to a CHR/Dance format. WAPP was gone and the faze out of pop metal began in earnest with radio stations all across America.  

 

The original members of DC Star reunited for numerous reunion concerts between 1988 and 2002. But after vocalist Kenny Taylor was diagnosed with Leukemia and Lymphoma in 2003 the group decided that without their iconic front man, continued appearances were pointless and threw in the towel.        

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