Courtesy of Bear Family Records.

The !!!! Beat was a pioneering blues, soul and R&B television show broadcast from WFAA in Dallas, Texas and hosted by radio d.j. William “Hoss” Allen. The series, which began production in January 1966, ran for 26 episodes with stellar performances by national and regional stars, including Little Milton, Esther Phillips, Etta James, Gatemouth Brown, Louis Jordan, Otis Redding, Sam & Dave and Patti LaBelle, along with a rocking house band and go-go dancers.

Every Friday night in September we’ll be showing four half-hour programs from this rarely seen music series. All screenings are free and begin at 7:00 pm at Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital, 921 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, Washington, DC. View the complete schedule here.

Thanks to Larry Appelbaum, who curated the series and provided information for this post.