This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/7/2024
Rare chance to obtain a historic piece of 1970s Rock N Roll history. This item is worthy of the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame. Offered is a 1973-77 circa Historic Early Legendary Journey Autographed 47" x 65" Original Hand Drawn Onsite Concert Stadium Banner. Hand drawn Journey tour banner signed by band members Steve Perry, Nel Schon, Aynsley Dunbar and Gregg Rolle. Steve Perry joined the band in 1977.
The original members of Journey came together in San Francisco in 1973 under the auspices of former Santana manager Herbie Herbert. Originally called the Golden Gate Rhythm Section and intended to serve as a backup group for established Bay Area artists, the band included Santana alumni Neal Schon on lead guitar and Gregg Rolle on keyboards and lead vocals. Bassist Ross Valory and rhythm guitarist George Tickner, both of Frumious Bandersnatch, rounded out the group. Prairie Prince of The Tubes served as drummer. After one performance in Hawaii, the band quickly abandoned the "backup group" concept and developed a distinctive jazz fusion style. After an unsuccessful radio contest to name the group, roadie John Villanueva suggested the name "Journey".
The band's first public appearance came at the Winterland Ballroom on New Year's Eve 1973 to an audience of 10,000. On the following day, the band flew to Hawaii to perform at the Diamond Head Crater to an audience over 100,000 strong. Prairie Prince rejoined The Tubes shortly thereafter; on February 1, 1974, after auditioning up to 28 drummers, the band hired British drummer Aynsley Dunbar, who had recently worked with David Bowie and had been a member of the second iteration of Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention. The new line-up made its debut on February 5, 1974, at the Great American Music Hall in front of Columbia Records executives, and secured a recording contract with the label. The band went on to perform at venues around the Bay Area.
This banner is thought to have been used during the band’s San Francisco area early concerts, and possibly at the Cow Palace.
Some staining to banner. Banner mirrors the design of the first album, and it is possible the banner art was used for the album, or vice versa. An unsigned promotional copy of Journey's Next record album is also included.
(Super rare and historically important early piece of Rock N Roll history.
(87L0055)
(JSA Auction Letter)