Melody Fair Photo Gallery by jacob kedzierski at pbase.com

Melody Fair

Melody Fair got its start in the 1950s, originally housed under a big-top tent next to the old Wurlitzer plant off Niagara Falls Boulevard in North Tonawanda. The tent was eventually replaced with a theater dome. For 25 years, Melody Fair was synonymous with producer, Lewis T. Fisher, and the sound of flaps blowing in the wind and a little pit orchestra striving to give a big-band sound to the overtures. The theater did well and offered some of the biggest names to ever light up marquees: Jerry Lewis, Danny Kaye, Liberace, Carol Channing, Tony Bennett, Pat Boone, Jack Benny, Perry Como and Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong.

Thank You Brian Kevin and Michael Kedzierski for helping with the shoot.

Melody Fair 2008	20070007	20090009	20090017
Dad unlocking the door	cars that shift themselves	ext	getting the lights setup
grafitti	grafitti	really dark inside	the generator
stairs to level 2	two faced tree	FOUND melody items	random wheelbarrow
sound absorbers	pit was flooded	shadow man	IMG_1908
IMG_1927	crossing frame	nt boner gang were here	IMG_1947
IMG_1953	IMG_1966	IMG_1970	IMG_1971
IMG_1979	IMG_1980	IMG_1982	IMG_1993
dad	signs	IMG_2041	sound booth
sound booth int	electrical stuff	check out those passes	movie seats
deck of cards	brian grabbing a sound absorber	woo hoo	boner gang strikes
pile of chairs played	under area	dressing room	dressing room john
offices exposed	star mirror	20070020v	20070023v
DSC01040	DSC01041	DSC01043	DSC01047
DSC01051	DSC01056	DSC01061	DSC01127
DSC01131	DSC01153	DSC01161	DSC01166
DSC01167	DSC01171	DSC01175	DSC01183
DSC01207	DSC01216	DSC01218	melody pano

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Gary Samulski		25-Jul-2011 12:20
Thank you for sharing these images of the former Melody Fair. The summer of 1969 gave me my first opportunity to professionally play at the "tent". My first show was for then female impersonator/vocalist Jim Bailey. Rehearsal in the afternoon.....evening show. During the evening show a major rainstorm occurred.....water dripped on my music (which was written in flair pen)...and the music started to run together = welcome to professional theater. Went on to play many more shows in the early 1970's as well as being appointed technical director and being in charge of the children's shows. Some incredible memories of a great time! Lew Fisher was the master......he made it happen! A great run.......lots of incredible performers. Melody Fair will never be forgotten.....times have just changed!!

Scott Sarullo		14-Aug-2010 03:29
So sad to see this place gone. I went to my 1st concert here when I was 13, Charlie Daniels & Aaron Tippin. Also have seen Billy Ray Cyrus, Wynonna, The Oak Ridge Boys, Steppenwolf, & Gallagher here, & a couple others. I stopped by 1 day to check the place out 1 last time before it got torn down, but I was too late! I was surprised to c it gone already.

Keith Hall		06-Aug-2010 01:54
As I looked at the pictures I saw part of my childhood fade away. Lew Fischer and Melody Fair was a huge draw for NT. I think the demolishing of Melody Fair is what NT is about, destroying what little pride that the city has. I stay up to date on what happens there and it disgusts me to see the city and Western NY become the laughing stock of the state. Thanks to everyone who entertained us and who put on all those wonderful shows. Thank you!

Sandie Maurer		21-Jul-2010 05:57
I went to see the remainder of Melody Fair today. I have not wanted to see, but I am glad I did. I saw Ike and Tina , Sonny and Cher, The Temptations, Peter, Paul and Mary, The Turtles, The Byrds, Rightous Brothers (twice), Lorrie Morgan ( three times), The Judds, and others there. It was so much a part of my life. This should not have been torn down. I felt it shoud have bee packed up and sent to Branson. There are so few Theatres in the round.

Kathy Green		04-Jun-2010 03:38
I grew up around the corner from Melody Fair. I lived there for 15 years until we had to move to KY. I could not believe that it has been torn down. The pictures made me cry and brought me back to a life I had 28 years ago. I went to see only one concert there. I don't even remember who they all were. It was a group of "unknowns". I was supposed to see Elvis, but he died just days before. I miss everything about NT and would love to go back. Thank you for the photos and the memories. I did not know a Walmart was going there. That sucks!

Fuck Wallmart		20-May-2010 02:38
I will never shop at this wallmart for what they have dune to this amazing and wonderful place.

Marianne		05-May-2010 03:58
May 4, 2010 Watching the news on Ch 4 tonight, they showed the start of demolition of Melody Fair for a WALMART! I realized I never even took a photo of the place! So googled "Melody Fair" and here I am viewing the photos...so nice to see it, tho it looked far better the last time I attended a concert there. I remember as a child once seeing a Musical under the TENT, and then attended many concerts in the round with my family and friends, it was MAGICAL! In the end, when John Bunch reopened it, we also came to several concerts and enjoyed them all! I am so sorry that we are loosing this unique venue in Western New York, we were so fortunate to enjoy it for so many years. Now it will become a memory, just like Crystal Beach. How Sad! For a WALMART....that makes it seem even worse! We loose something so unique for something as common as a Wal Mart! To Jacob, Brian & Michael, thank you for the photographs! They brought back many happy memories for me...and one very special memory of someone I met from my past, after one of the Gordon Lightfoot Concerts one Summer Night. Melody Fair was indeed a MAGICAL PLACE.

Joe Kontrabecki		17-Mar-2010 20:55
Can any of you fine nostalgia buffs out there provide me with a decent, scanned copy of the Melody Fair logo? (The one from the 70s/80s with the dome over the top of it?) I'm a lifelong resident of WNY and saw many shows there growing up (Bob & Susan from "Sesame Street" was my first, Hall & Oates was my last. . .) Please email me at wehrlejbk3@yahoo.com

Jack Lis		18-Feb-2010 18:59
Jack Lis- I was the Music Contractor for Lew Fisher in the 70's. Those yrs were the best yrs of my music career. Backing up all those stars was such great fun for many of us. To this day i remember the phone call from Lew Fisher telling me were closing the doors. It was never the same after he gave it up. Jack & Kathy Lis--Chautauqua Lake, NY

Guest		09-Feb-2010 23:46
I performed in two shows under the tent; King and I (I believe in 1959) and South Pacific (I believe 1960). Great memories. Thanks for the pics.

Jim Missall		31-Jan-2010 17:10
Hello, I have tried to save Melody Fair...there still is a slim chance. I NEED a newspaper article stating that MELODY FAIR WAS BUILT FOR THE 100th ANIVERSARY OF THE WURLITZER PLANT. IF I can get that, GIBSON GUITAR HAS shown an interest in renovation! If you can help email: jmissall@roadrunner.com I am STILL CRUSADING TO SAVE THIS WONDERFUL place and have been in contact with the FISHER FAMILY (also Lew).

Keith Hall		27-Jan-2010 18:23
I lived on Kingston Ave. in the 60's so I heard and saw everything. Pete Hohl and I would sneak in all the time. Lew Fischer was a great guy too and it is to bad that the place looks as bad as it does. Saw Hetzers European Circus, Wayne Newton, John Davidson (we played softball with him), America, Little River Band, Chicago, Hall and Oates, ELO Part II, Seals and Croft, Kansas, Tower of Power, George Benson and Manhattan Transfer, fred Travalena, etc Great times!

Linda Sharon		25-Jul-2009 02:06
I worked there from 1966 to 1973 ... breaks my heart to see what's happen to Lew Fisher's gift to Buffalo. He was a wonderful man to work for. Wish someone would pick up the pieces and bring back te 'good times' ... thanks for the walk dow memory lane.

Bill		02-Mar-2009 02:00
Jacob, Great job once again. Keep up the good work and bringing us back the many great things about NT!

Mike Bullen		26-Sep-2008 15:53
I worked security there for a while. I got to meet Ringo Starr & his all Starr band...Huey Lewis is the nicest guy you'd want to meet, not "rock starish" at all...the .38 Special guys liked to DRINK...

Becky Stewart Onze		18-Sep-2008 17:06
When I was a kid, Melody Fair was just about the only place you could see a "real" celebrity. I saw an odd assortment of shows... Paul Anka to the Rock Opera Tommy with Ted Neely as Tommy. I saw Don McLean ( of American Pie fame) , and took my mother-in-law to see Tom Jones and Englebert Humperdink . We had our high school graduation there in 1973. It' sad to see in it in such disrepair, but thank you Jake, for giving us all a chance to walk down memory lane ! Keep up the great work.

Michael Gaeth		18-Sep-2008 12:22
I went to see Chuck Mangione at The Fair in the 70's. I also worked at Santora's Italian Restaurant for a few years and all the stars would come there after the shows. I met alot of stars there. Thank you so much for the memories. Even after all these years and living in San Diego, I feel like I'm 18 all over again.

Donna Lyon		18-Sep-2008 05:00
Hi, I remember Melody Fair. I don't remember going to too many shows there, but I graduated there with the North Tonawanda High School Class of 1973. It rained cats and dogs that day, and we were under that tent wondering if it was going to collapse. I definitely know that I saw the rock opera Tommy with Ted Neely (he usually was on stage in Jesus Christ Superstar) and also saw a concert with Steve Forbert and Clarence Clemmons (Bruce Springstein's saxaphone player). Both were great concerts, and I was always impressed that our little city would get such great performers, and that Melody Fair was frequently mentioned on TV when different performers would say where there were going to be. I wish it was still operating. What a nice place! Donna Hemmerling Lyon

LORA		18-Sep-2008 03:59
Jake, my older sister went to see Bobby Sherman under the "Tent" back in the late 60's. I do remember going to see David Brenner there in the 80's. I also saw Paul Anka, The Oak Ridge Boys 2 or 3 times. (I actually saw them 11 times in 9 years, had a major crush on Richard Sterban who had sung back-up for ELVIS in the 70's) Lorrie Morgan, and Howie Mandell were some of the others I saw too. Ron and I bought our house in '92. It is on the corner of Linden and Erie Ave, pretty much right across the street from Melody Fair. We could hear the music from our yard. I'll never forget how I heard the emcee introduce George Strait one evening while I was upstairs in my house! If there was NO traffic on Erie, you could hear everything. Ron was a NT Police Officer at the time, he knew all the security there. So we used to go over and catch the headliner after the opening act was over. We would only stay for a few songs and then walk back home. After Ron retired he would occaisionally work security there until it closed. It is SO sad to see this piece of history just sit there empty. It is horrible to see the damage that has been done to it. .

Mary (Cris Lyons) Drolet		18-Sep-2008 02:36
Thanks for the pictures and the memories of Melody Fair. I worked there the summer of 1965. I played a Nun in Showboat with Katherine Greyson, then I was part of the stage crew for Porgy and Bess with Cab Calloway and This Was Burlesque. I met alot of great people that summer.

DAD		17-Sep-2008 13:54
The pics turned out great, especially considering the awful lighting conditions. That was a tiring shoot for me but I'm glad I was finally able to "play" Melody Fair!!!! Larrie London played on that stage, the best drummer of our time!!

click on thumbnails for full image