‘Shindig!,’ TV’s first prime-time rock music show, premiered on ABC on Sept. 16, 1964. The brainchild of British TV producer Jack Good, the energetic half-hour’s instant success spawned a raft of imitators — including ‘Hullabaloo,’ ‘Shivaree’ and ‘Hollywood A Go-Go.’
Along the way, ‘Shindig!’ and host Jimmy O’Neill, an L.A. disc jockey, showcased the cream of ‘60s rock, from the Beatles, Rolling Stones and Beach Boys to the Animals, Kinks and the Byrds. Soul and R&B stars Aretha Franklin, Ike & Tina Turner, the Supremes and the Temptations joined early rock legends like Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard, as well.
Teen idol Bobby Sherman got his start on ‘Shindig!,’ one of a core group of singers and dancers that appeared each week. Musical tracks were performed by the show’s house band, the Shin-diggers, later known as the Shindogs. Future stars Leon Russell, Glen Campbell and Billy Preston passed through the Shindogs’ ranks.
Good, a fan of hard-edged rock, squabbled with ABC throughout the show’s run and left in mid-1965. The final episode of ‘Shindig!’ aired Jan. 8, 1966, the victim of poor ratings.
