This is an opinion column
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By David Sher
I grew up in Birmingham in the ’50s and ’60s.
It’s stunning how much Birmingham and the world has changed.
Everything is different.
Television: My family didn’t own a TV until I was six or seven years old. I can remember when my dad brought home a black and white TV.
My favorite network programs were Kukla, Fran, and Ollie; The Lone Ranger; and Howdy Doody.
My favorite local TV personalities were Cousin Cliff, Benny Carle, and Sergeant Jack (Neal Miller).
Birmingham had only two commercial television stations. Since there were three national television networks, we were unable to view many popular shows.
WBRC-TV/Channel 6 aired ABC programs and WAPI-TV/Channel 13 shared programs broadcast on CBS and NBC.
When I was a teenager we were not able to watch Dick Clark and his wildly popular American Bandstand. WVTM/Channel 13 produced its own afternoon dance program called “13’s Dance Party.”
Air Conditioning: We had no air conditioning in our home. In the evening my family sat on our front porch and actually talked to one another. There were no cell phones competing for our attention. On many hot summer evenings our family would get into our un-air-conditioned car, roll down the windows, and drive around the neighborhood to cool off.
Eventually my parents had an attic fan installed. I can remember lying in bed with the breeze generated by the fan flowing across my face.
My family childhood home on 21st Way South above Highland Avenue in Birmingham
Roadways: There were no interstates and no Red Mountain Expressway. My family’s home was on 21st Way above Highland Avenue. When I visit my old neighborhood now it’s unsettling to see that the houses across the street from our home were torn down to build the Red Mountain Expressway.
We often visited my dad’s sister’s family in Chattanooga. That trip on two-lane Highway 11 from Birmingham to Chattanooga took about five hours. Today we drive I-59 to Chattanooga in less than three hours. In those days we saw scores of ‘See Rock City’ and ‘Ruby Falls’ signs on billboards and barns all along the highway. We got lots of laughs from Burma Shave jingle signs along the way.
Radio and concerts: Even after television came along, radio was a big deal. There were only AM stations—no FM stations. My two favorite radio stations were WSGN (610) and WVOK, ‘The Mighty 690.’ In the evenings I listened to Sky Castle on WSGN with local disc jockeys like Duke Rumore, Ward McIntyre, Neal Miller and Tommy Charles.
WVOK was a powerhouse radio station because it broadcast with 50,000 watts. It seemed like you could hear it all over the state. My favorite DJ’s on WVOK were Dan Brennan and Joe Rumore.
WVOK’s ‘Shower of Stars’ brought big name music acts to Birmingham. A dozen or so musical acts would perform at a single show that cost about $1.50. I was able to see many of my favorite singing artists–Bobby Vee, Del Shannon, Gene Pitney, Jerry Lee Lewis, Charlie Pride, Patsy Cline, and Bobby Vinton—often at the same concert. And even better, the shows were held in the cool and comfort of the ‘air conditioned’ Birmingham Municipal Auditorium.
Christmas in downtown Birmingham: When I was a child, everyone went downtown at Christmas time to see the Christmas decorations and winter wonderlands in the windows at Loveman’s and Pizitz. There were so many people downtown that there were policemen at every corner to direct traffic.
The Iron Bowl: Outside of Christmas, I’m not sure there was a bigger day of the year than the Iron Bowl. Alabama played Auburn at Legion Field and Birmingham was literally the ‘Football Capital of the South.’ These games are now played alternately in Tuscaloosa and Auburn, but the game is still called the Iron Bowl.
Trains and Planes: During my childhood most people traveled by train or car. Not too many people traveled by plane. The Terminal Train Station downtown was a magnificent, one-of-a-kind building. Our family drove to the Terminal Station on many occasions to pick up relatives who came to visit from all over the South.
The Birmingham Barons and Rickwood Field: My dad took me every summer to see the Birmingham Barons play at Rickwood Field. The Barons competed with teams like the Atlanta Crackers, The Nashville Vols, the New Orleans Pelicans, and the Memphis Chicks. Rickwood Field, as you know from the recent ‘Field of Dreams’ MLB game, is the oldest professional baseball park in the U.S.
Walked to school: Yes, we walked to school. A group of us children, from 1st to 6th grades walked from 21st Way above Highland Avenue to South Highland Elementary School located adjacent to Five Points South. Our parents weren’t afraid their children would be harmed. In fact, I’m not sure we locked the doors of our home at night.
Telephones: There’s no way my grandchildren could relate to the telephones of our youth. The black (only color) phone had a chord connected to the wall and a rotary dial. Phone numbers had no area codes, but had two-letter exchanges like ALpine (25), FAirfax (32), STate (78), and TRemont (87). All my neighborhood friends had phone numbers like Tremont 9 and then 4 digits. So all I had to do was to remember 4 numbers after the TR9. I can still remember my home phone number: TR 9-5716.
Since we all have cell phones today, neither myself nor my grandchildren need to remember anyone’s number.
Well, that was quite a bit of memory to unpack in a brief period of time so I’ll depart with the famous quote from the Lone Ranger as he departed every television show…
“”A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hardy Hi-Yo Silver Away! (‘Silver’ was his horse)
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David Sher is the founder and publisher of ComebackTown. He’s past Chairman of the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce (BBA), Operation New Birmingham (REV Birmingham), and the City Action Partnership (CAP).
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