Russ Gibb
"Uncle" Russ Gibb (born 1931) is a former concert promoter, and media personality from Dearborn, Michigan, probably most famous for his role in the Paul is Dead phenomenon, a story he broke as a DJ on WKNR-FM.
After a visit to the Fillmore and a talk with promoter Bill Graham, he operated Detroit's Grande Ballroom and was a major player in the late sixties/early seventies Motor City music scene. He was instrumental in giving the MC5, Ted Nugent and Iggy Pop their start. The Grande Ballroom also was where the Who played their rock opera, Tommy, for the first time in the United States.
Gibb also owned or leased other live music venues around the Mid-West including the Eastown Ballroom, Michigan Theater (where the New York Dolls played), and the Birmingham Palladium. He expanded his music endeavors when he invested in Creem magazine.
In 1965-66 Gibb was hired by The Methodist Church to host Night Call - America's first national call-in talk show - on the Mutual Broadcasting Network. Around this time he also hosted Cross Country Checkup a Canadian national call in talk show from Montreal.
During the administration of Gerald Ford he worked under Senator John Warner on the United States Bicentennial Commission as the National Director of Youth and Education.
While in England he spent time with Eric Clapton (including late night sessions playing Monopoly) and during a stay at Mick Jagger's English estate, Stargroves, Gibb learned about cable television. He bought the Dearborn, Michigan, Wayne, Michigan and Grosse Pointe, Michigan cable licenses in the late seventies, the sale of which made him a millionaire a few years later.
Despite his financial well-being, Gibb returned to teaching and spent over twenty years teaching video and media production at Dearborn High School. The video program he started and ran for over 20 years has a state-of-the-art facility and has produced hundreds of award-winning video students, many of whom have gone on to careers in the media business. The program also spawned the long-running cable video show Back Porch Video.
References
- http://www.keener13.com/jocks/russ_gibb.htm
- http://www.keener13.com/history/keener_kills_paul.htm
- http://www.thegrandeballroom.com/index.html
- Andru J. Reeve. Turn Me On, Dead Man. (2004) ISBN 1-4184-8294-3
- David A. Carson. Grit, Noise, and Revolution: The Birth of Detroit Rock 'n' Roll. (2006) ISBN 0-472-03190-2
- Tom Wright. Roadwork: Rock and Roll Turned Inside Out (2007)ISBN 1423413008
- http://www.detroitartistsworkshop.org/Music/MC5Tribute/TributeToMC5.htm
- http://www.tedsheckler.com
