Legendary Concert Promoter Russ Gibb Dies

Gibb is best known as the founder of the Grande Ballroom, which was the epicenter of Detroit’s counterculture music scene in the 60s.

Grande Ballroom Today 071917 - pb

Click the audio player above to listen to the full conversation. 

Detroiters are mourning the passing of Russ Gibb.

Gibb is best known as the founder of the Grande Ballroom, which was the epicenter of Detroit’s counterculture music scene in the 60s.

He’s also credited with starting the ‘Paul is Dead’ rumor that perpetuates the false death of the Beatles’ Paul McCartney in 1966.

Gibb was also a beloved teacher at Dearborn High School.

WDET’s Amanda LeClaire spoke with poet and author M.L. Liebler about how a uniquely visionary person like Russ Gibb could only have come from Detroit. 

Click on the audio player above to hear the conversation and listen to CultureShift weekdays at noon on 101.9 WDET Detroit’s NPR Station. 

 

Author

  • Amanda LeClaire is an award-winning journalist and managing editor and lead reporter of WDET's new environmental series, the Detroit Tree Canopy Project, as well as WDET's CuriosiD podcast. She was the host of WDET’s CultureShift and a founding producer of the station’s flagship news talk show *Detroit Today*. Amanda also served as a Morning Edition host at WDET and previously worked as a host, audio and video producer, and reporter for Arizona Public Media.