RockaBilly Bama Lama, Red, White & Boom!

There is a new event production company in the Scenic 98 Coastal community, and the largest 3-day RockaBilly Music Festival, Car Show, and Pin-Up Pageant in Alabama are set to take place June 30 through July 2 at the Robertsdale Coliseum, Arena, and Fairgrounds.

The group behind the event is CGE Productions, whose tagline is “Be Unforgettable.” The three partners in CGE Productions are Judith Galloway, Linda Garret, and Cameron Ellis. I sat down with Cameron to learn more about the event and the people behind the production company.

I found Cameron fascinating. I was immediately drawn to her depth of musical knowledge. She has a classic style and a deep appreciation of music and film history that belies her youth. “One of my favorite things is music history and its evolution,” she says. We discussed how Rockabilly has recently come to the forefront of the music scene. 

“One of the reasons we went with Rockabilly is the Southern sounds that come together, reflecting struggles and change socially, politically, and economically. It’s a blue-collar sound with its roots in the South. It was a way for people to cut loose and break free from the humdrum life, and it exposed the different social structures and brought them together.”

Cameron grew up all over the South and now calls Alabama home. She says she was introduced to some of the best music in the whole world. The pedigree of Rockabilly is interesting. “People don’t realize that Rockabilly is huge across Europe, in Germany, Great Britain, the Netherlands, and Canada.” 

She goes on, “We brought our Blues, Country, and the beginning of Rock and Roll to Europe in World War II and the Cold War with the likes of Muddy Waters, Elvis, and Jerry Lee Lewis, and it came back to us in the 1960s as The Beatles and the Rolling Stones.” 

Music is a unifying language, says Cameron, and I agree wholeheartedly. “Mick Jagger saw Keith Richards holding an album on a train and said, “That’s a really great album.” Richards agreed, and they introduced themselves, and the rest is history. Cameron herself has been unified with friends across the country and globe through her interests in music and the pursuit of seeing live events return to our stages.

We talked about music festivals and how they fall into one of two categories. “There are two sides. One is where they are true to their roots, like the Newport Jazz Festival. Then you have festivals that have modernized and expanded their reach and added new genres, like the New Orleans Jazz Festival. Alternative music festivals are popping up everywhere.”

I asked Cameron where the inspiration for the Rockabilly Bama Lama Red, White & Boom Festival came from. “All these sounds we know of today took their influence from Rockabilly,” she says. “You have a lot of Rockabilly on the East and West coast and in Europe, but you don’t see it where it started, in the Southern United States.” 

We wanted to create a celebration of our heritage dedicated to Rockabilly, everyman’s music.” The founders of CGE Productions, varying in age, have hung out and attended many music events together. They’ve been to Jazz Fest, many concerts at the Saenger Theaters in the South, and ventured to Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth to hear Willie Nelson. Their musical interests are wide and varied, keeping their sources for future entertainment fresh and diverse.

She says she is heavily influenced by her mother, who loved old classic films, and her love for horses. “She is an adventurous spirit and taught me you can be more than one thing.” 

As I said, Cameron is an old soul with a classic look and an inquisitive personality; her enthusiasm is infectious. We talked about how the bluegrass resurgence has exploded with artists like Billy Strings, one of the first major musicians to emerge and perform live shows after Covid.

So, what's in store for the big festival happening at the end of June in Robertsdale? “CGE Productions is focused on creating local events for local people and partnering with local businesses. The Rockabilly Bama Lama, Red, White & Boom Festival is coming together great, and we have a little bit of everything. Live music from over 27 bands from North America, South America, and Europe, lots of vendors with merchandise, arts and crafts, food, refreshments, and competitions to get everyone into the spirit.”

This is a rain-or-shine event held at the Robertsdale Coliseum Arena and Fairgrounds. “Shoppin’, Rockin’, and Boppin” is the idea. They will have food trucks and a food lounge with places to sit. Alcohol will be available through Bottles Up and Coco Deck. There is also a classic car show and a dance contest. 

The Pin-Up Pageant is a celebration of the Queen of Rockabilly, showcasing personality, beauty, and confidence. Contestants compete for three titles; Miss Red, White & Boom!, Miss Rockabilly Queen (who most fits the spirit of Rockabilly) and Miss Silver-Billy, for the 55 and older (wiser) contestants. You can sign up on their website up until the day of the Festival.

VIP packages in areas that include servers are available. Hours are Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10 AM until 9 PM each day. Sunday will kick off with “Rockin Gospel” by the Mississippi Music Makers. “Elvis and Tina Turner got their start in gospel,” says Cameron.

“We’ve spent a lot of time putting this together,” she says. “We work well together, and the artists are responding incredibly well and want to be a part of it. “ She goes on to say, “Live music brings a community together, supports the local economy, and the overall sense of well-being.”

Thanks, Cameron. We couldn’t agree more and look forward to a Rockabilly Good Time!