There is no doubt the period between November 19th 1964 and April 28th 1973 was the ‘Golden Era’.
This was the time when all the top pop stars of the day appeared at the Starlight Room. The Malkinson brothers, Ernest and Sydney, took a huge gamble in deciding to have the starlight room built - but there is no doubt that gamble paid off. For in that period of almost nine years near enough every big name in the pop world appeared in Boston; on many occasions unknown ‘names’ were booked in for a month's time, and, lo and behold, by the time those ‘names’ had appeared on Top of the Pops with their new No.1 they were appearing at the Starlight Room the same weekend!
Almost all the Mersey Sound groups have appeared, along with British stars such as Tom Jones, Dusty Springfield, Chris Farlowe, P.J.Proby, The Yardbirds, the Small Faces, T Rex, Elton John, Roy Wood, Billy Fury, The Who, Manfred Mann, Amen Corner (who played their last gig at the venue), Status Quo, Slade; and from the States were Brenda Lee, Solomon Burke, Otis Redding, Lee Dorsey, Ben E King, Edwin Starr, Duane Eddy, Stevie Wonder, Ike and Tina Turner Show, The Platters, Inez and Charlie Foxx - and the list goes on!
Star names and groups of the Sixties and Seventies
1960 - Shane Fenton (later Alvin Stardust), Craig Douglas (first recognised 'pop' star to visit)
1961 - Joe Brown
1962 - John Barry Seven, Emile Ford, The Tornados (Telstar)
1963 - Marty Wilde (first visit), Freddie and the Dreamers, Johnny Burnette (first American star to visit)
1964 - Georgie Fame and the Blue flames (first visit), Tony Orlando, Starlight Room opened November 19
The Animals, Brenda Lee, The Merseybeats
1965 - Billy J. Kramer, The Searchers, The Merseybeats, The Kinks, The Barron Knights, Tom Jones, P J Proby, The Fourmost, The Walker Brothers (first visit), The Yardbirds, Them, Lulu (and The
Luvvers), Donovan, Alan Price Set, The Nashville Teens, Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders,
Billy Fury, The Small Faces, Tom Jones, Sandie Shaw, The Rockin Berries, Herman's Hermits
1966 - Dusty Springfield, The Fortunes, The Who, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Manfred Mann, Solomon Burke, The Move, Otis Redding/Chris Farlowe (on same bill), Lee Dorsey
1967 - Spencer Davis Group, Jimi Hendrix Experience, P P Arnold, Jeff Beck Group, Duane Eddy Show, Stevie Wonder, Traffic
1968 - The Tremeloes, Procol Harum, Amen Corner, The Herd, Ike and Tina Turner Show, The Platters, The Ronettes, The Nice, Love Affair, Status Quo
1969 - The Platters, The Marmalade, Amen Corner (final appearance before breaking up), Lovin' Spoonful, Inez and Charlie Foxx and Band
1970 - Carla Thomas, Edison Lighthouse/Fontella Bass (on same bill), Love Affair, Jimmy Ruffin, Free, Emerson, Lake and Palmer, Ginger Baker's Airforce, Yes
1971 - Lindisfarne, T Rex (first visit), The Sweet, Hot Chocolate, Slade
1972 - T Rex (second visit), Yes, Steeleye Span, Mac and Katie Kissoon
1973 - Thin Lizzy, Elton John, Roy Wood's Wizzard, Electric Light Orchestra, Curved Air
The last dance was on April 28th 1973.