Okay, Show Me Beaker Street: Little Rock, Arkansas in the 1970s

A blog about Little Rock, Arkansas in the 1970s with a focus on the music scene.

The Beaker Street phenomenon in Little Rock, Arkansas

Beaker Street was a countercultural radio show that aired on KAAY-AM from 1966 to 1984. The show was created by and named after its original host, John Gage, who took the name “Beaker” from the Muppets character. The show became known for its eclectic mix of music, including blues, rock, jazz, and country, as well as its offbeat humor and occasional live performances.

In the 1970s, Beaker Street found a particularly receptive audience in Little Rock, Arkansas. There was no other radio show like it in the city at the time, and its popularity only grew as word spread about this wild and crazy program. Local newspapers even began writing articles about the “Beaker Street phenomenon.”

While Beaker Street only lasted for a few years in Little Rock, it left a lasting impression on those who heard it. For many listeners, it was their first exposure to music that was outside of the mainstream. It opened up their eyes and ears to new sounds and perspectives, and ultimately helped shape their musical taste.

The music of Beaker Street

In the 1970s, Beaker Street was a weekly radio show in Little Rock, Arkansas, that featured local and regional music. The show was created and hosted by John Milkovsky, who was also a music journalist for the Arkansas Times.

Beaker Street was named after the street that ran through the University of Arkansas campus, where the show was broadcast. The show originally aired on Sunday nights from 10pm to midnight, but later moved to Saturday nights.

The format of Beaker Street was simple: each week, Milkovsky would play two hours of music, mostly rock but also including some jazz, blues, and folk. He would often interview local and regional musicians on the show.

Beaker Street became very popular in Little Rock and soon began to attract national attention. Milkovsky was named one of the country’s top 100 rock DJs by Rolling Stone magazine in 1976. The show continued to air until 1979, when Milkovsky left Little Rock to pursue a career in radio broadcasting in New York City.

The people of Beaker Street

The people of Beaker Street were an eclectic mix of hippies, musicians, dropouts, and misfits. The street was named after the fictional character Dr. John Beaker from the television show The Andy Griffith Show. It was a place where people could be themselves without judgement or fear of retribution.

The 1970s were a time of great social change in the United States. The Vietnam War was raging and there was a lot of unrest among the youth. Many young people were looking for a place to belong and Beaker Street became a haven for them.

The culture of Beaker Street

In the 1970s, Beaker Street was a radio show that aired on KAHT FM in Little Rock, Arkansas. The show featured a mix of music and long-form interviews, and it quickly became a local institution. Every Sunday night, listeners would tune in to hear host Jim Sims spin records and chat with guests ranging from politicians to activists to musicians.

Beaker Street was more than just a radio show; it was a cultural touchstone for a generation of Arkansans. It helped to define what it meant to be cool in Little Rock, and it gave voice to a community that often felt left out of the mainstream. In many ways, Beaker Street was the city’s first alternative music scene, and it paved the way for future generations of musicians and fans.

If you were lucky enough to catch Beaker Street in its heyday, you’ll never forget it. If you didn’t, well… you can always listen to the archives.

The impact of Beaker Street

In the 1970s, Beaker Street was a major player in the Little Rock, Arkansas music scene. The two-hour live radio show featured local, regional, and national acts, with a focus on promoting and celebrating psychedelic rock music. The show’s impact was far-reaching, helping to launch the careers of many local and regional musicians. Beaker Street also helped to shape the city’s musical identity, exposing listeners to a wide range of new sounds and styles.

The legacy of Beaker Street

In the 1970s, Little Rock, Arkansas was home to a vibrant and eclectic music scene. At the center of this scene was Beaker Street, a weekly radio program that featured blues, rock, and folk music. The program was broadcast on KAAY, a local AM radio station.

Beaker Street was founded by John Flowers and Bill Coulter. Flowers was a musician and record store owner, while Coulter was a music journalist. The two men shared a passion for music and wanted to create a show that would showcase the talents of local musicians.

Beaker Street quickly became popular with both listeners and musicians. The show featured both well-known acts and up-and-coming talent. It helped to launch the careers of several Arkansas-based musicians, including Rodney Crowell, Albert King, and Fayetteville native Ronnie Hawkins.

Beaker Street came to an end in 1977, but its legacy lives on. Today, there is an annual Beaker Street Music Festival in Little Rock that celebrates the spirit of the original program.

Beaker Street today

Beaker Street is a street in downtown Little Rock, Arkansas. The street is named for the Little Rock Water Works, which was located on the street from 1879 to 1957. The water works were built to provide water to the growing city of Little Rock.

Today, Beaker Street is home to many businesses, including the Arkansas State Capitol, the Arkansas Supreme Court, and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law. The street is also home to a number of restaurants and bars.

The future of Beaker Street

In the 1970s, Beaker Street in Little Rock, Arkansas was a vibrant and thriving community. This was a time of great change and growth for the city, and Beaker Street was at the forefront of this transformation. The future looked bright for the area, with new businesses and developments popping up all over the place. However, in the 1980s and 1990s, Beaker Street began to decline. Businesses started to close down, properties became abandoned, and crime rates rose. Today, Beaker Street is a shadow of its former self. But there is hope for the future. A number of organizations are working to revitalize the area and bring it back to its former glory. With time and effort, Beaker Street could once again become a thriving community in Little Rock.

10 things you didn’t know about Beaker Street

In the late 60s and early 70s, a small but thriving underground music scene began to emerge in Little Rock, Arkansas. Although it was short-lived, this scene produced some of the most influential and innovative music of its time. Here are 10 things you may not know about Beaker Street:

1. Beaker Street was named after the street in London where the Beatles lived.
2. The first Beaker Street music festival was held in 1970 and featured local bands such as The Crawling King Snakes and The Kamps.
3. Beaker Street became known for its eclectic mix of genres, ranging from rock and blues to country and jazz.
4. One of the most popular attractions at Beaker Street was the ” Psychedelic Graveyard,” where attendees could take photos with life-sized cardboard cutouts of famous dead musicians.
5. Many of the original Beaker Street musicians went on to have successful careers in the music industry, including Steve Cropper (Booker T. & The MGs) and Levon Helm (The Band).
6. In 1973, Beaker Street was featured on an episode of CBS’s “In Concert.” The show included performances by Bonnie Raitt, Rory Gallagher, and Free Powerzone.
7. Despite its success,Beaker Street came to an end in 1974 due to increasing financial difficulties and declining interest from the public.
8. In 2010, a documentary about Beaker Street titled “We Ain’t Dead Yet” was released. The film features interviews with many of the original musicians and fans who were there during its brief but vibrant history.
9. A book about Beaker Street titled “Electric Arkansas” was published in 2012. Written by author Michael Cox, the book chronicles the rise and fall of this unique period in Arkansas’ musical history.
10 .Beaker Street is still fondly remembered by those who were there during its heyday, and its influence can still be felt in Little Rock’s music scene today

The story of Beaker Street

In the early 1970s, a group of friends who loved music came together to create a radio show in Little Rock, Arkansas. They called it Beaker Street, after the street where one of the members lived. The show quickly became popular, thanks to its mix of music, humor, and intelligent conversation. It was unlike anything else on the radio at the time.

Beaker Street was on the air for six years, and it left a lasting impression on everyone who heard it. In this series, we’ll talk to some of the people who were involved with the show, and we’ll explore what made it so special.