"The Robbs" Bruce Robb first gained exposure in the music industry as a member of
the Robbs. The 1960s folk rock band was composed of brothers Dee Robb (lead vocals, guitar), Joe Robb (sax, vocals), Bruce Robb (Hammond B3, vocals) and "cousin" Craig "Robb" Krampf (drums, vocals). After some regional touring success, The Robbs were discovered by
Dick Clark while performing at his Teen World's Fair at the International Amphitheatre in Chicago. Clark invited the band to guest on his hit music television show,
Where The Action Is. Fan reaction to the Robb's first TV appearance resulted in the band extending their stay to become series regulars for the final year of the series in 1967. During that same year, the band became one of the three house bands (with
the Doors and
the Chambers Brothers) at The Whisky on Sunset. The daily TV exposure catapulted the band to a brief celebrity period with heavy coverage in the major teen magazines alongside major groups like
the Beatles,
the Monkees, and
the Kinks. Over the course of their performing years, the Robbs were recorded on Chess, Argo, RCA, Mercury, Atlantic and ABC/Dunhill record labels, and toured with major acts like
Jerry Lee Lewis,
the Byrds,
the Turtles,
Buffalo Springfield, and
the Beach Boys. The Robbs released a total of two full-length albums and a number of singles with mostly "bubbling under" appearances on the charts. The band never officially "broke up," but rather got distracted by the spontaneous success of their own studio during the production of their third album (never released).
The Robbs produce Summerfest In 1968, the new arts festival conceived by Milwaukee's then-mayor Henry W. Maier was in the final planning stages, with music noticeably absent. At the urging of business leaders who wanted to attract the youth, the Mayor's office was prompted to contact a Wisconsin native band for help. With a TV show and heavy touring schedule at the time, the Robbs were one of the most successful bands to come from the Milwaukee area. They agreed to headline and produce a music counterpart to the event. But, the Robbs insisted on expanding the city's vision from small concerts on plywood staging at the lakefront, to a giant circus big top with professional sound and lighting and a 3,000-seat capacity. Beginning July 20,
Summerfest's inaugural eight-day concert series stole the spotlight with sold-out daily matinee and evening performances. The Robbs, who were the backup band for other acts throughout the run, were joined onstage by:
Ronnie Dove,
Freddie Cannon,
the Esquires,
the New Colony Six, Eric and Errol,
the Lemon Pipers, the Next Five, the Destinations, the Messengers, the Picture and the Wet Wild and Away Dancers. Teenage pandemonium far surpassed the conservative city's expectations requiring additional security, but ultimately drawing the highest attendance of all the events of
Summerfest. The success of the music series attracted many major artists from
the Doors,
the Beach Boys, and
Bob Dylan, to
Sting,
Metallica, and
Prince. After years of planning for
Summerfest, the last minute music event launched what has grown to become "The World's Largest Music Festival" (certified by
Guinness World Records in 1999) attracting up to 1 million people today. == Companies ==