22x28” four-color cardboard poster for event presented by Greek fraternity of “Ursinus College” has text at bottom “Jan. 7, 1955 (8 PM Till Midnight) L.A.M. (Sons of Italy) Hall” in Norristown, PA with admission “Donation $3.00 Per Couple.” Right side has nice 8x10” glossy promotional photo with text at bottom including “Bill Haley And His Comets Decca Recording Artists Personal Direction James H. Ferguson” with Chester, Pa. address and “Exclusive Booking Direction Jolly Joyce Agency New York City And Philadelphia.” Lower left has photographer credit James J. Kriegsmann NY.” Haley and his band members are all wearing suits and smiling. Though not noted on photo, band members are Billy Williamson, Johnny Grande, Joey Ambrose, Marshall Lytle and Dick Richards. Poster has some dust soiling and scattered moisture marks here and there. Upper left corner is missing 2x4.75” piece, upper right corner has 2.75x5.25” tear repaired on reverse with clear tape, bottom corner tips are missing a few small bits of paper. Professional restoration would help appearance, but as is, poster will mat and frame to a Good appearance. Photo is VF. Bill Haley (1925-1981) began singing with the “Down Homers” in the 1940s (see signed photo #2943) and also had his own band known as “The Four Aces Of Western Swing.” He was musical director for radio station WPWA in Chester, PA for six years and in the early 1950s he formed a band “Bill Haley’s Saddlemen.” In 1952 the band was re-named “Bill Haley With Haley’s Comets” and in 1953 he had a hit recording with “Crazy Man, Crazy” which was written by Haley and his bass player Marshall Lytle. He followed that with a worldwide hit “Shake, Rattle And Roll” which sold a million copies. He recorded “Rock Around The Clock” on April 12, 1954 but it didn’t become a hit until the release of the cult classic “Blackboard Jungle” which was released Mar. 19, 1955 to US theaters. This poster is for a concert held over 2 months earlier. Poster came to us directly from the original owner who obtained it at the same time he attended this very show. Only surviving example known to us. A truly classic and important piece of rock and roll history.

The following is a detailed account of the day this poster was obtained as voiced by the original owner/consignor of this truly historic concert poster:

“It was the birth of rock and roll and I was living it.”

Bill Haley and the Comets, a six-piece musical group on the cutting edge, with a revolutionary infectious sound, were just beginning their historic climb as the leaders of rock and roll.

Bob, my close boyhood friend, with whom I had spent many great summers on the Beach Patrol in Brigantine, New Jersey, was attending Ursinus College in Collegeville, PA (15 miles west of Philadelphia).

Bob and his fraternity had performed a coup when they were successful in securing Bill Haley and his Comets for a gig at his college fraternity, a feat that was unbelievable for a college fraternity to land,  a major group which would normally be held for a much larger venue.

Bob invited me and a friend to be his guest for the upcoming fraternity event. I readily accepted and planned our trip to the event.

As finances were tight and I was working my way through college, we hitchhiked from Western PA (about 300 miles) to Collegeville in Eastern PA.

That evening, we enjoyed the most lively event, with the newest of sounds- “rock and roll.” All too soon the evening was drawing to a close.

On the way out of the hall, I removed this poster from the hall to take with me as a memento for a thoroughly enjoyable, fun-filled trip/gig.

I transported the poster all the way back, having hitched rider in different modes of transportation- autos, vans and trucks.

Upon arriving back at my college, I hung the poster on my wall and have kept it through many moves since.