Images of Black Sabbath’s original manager have been plastered all over huge billboards on one of the USA’s busiest roads to promote his interview on a new rock music TV show.

The 25-foot by 48-foot digital billboards on the Interstate 10 highway outside Los Angeles are promoting Brad’s Basement, launched last week on Rockefellas TV.

Brad’s Basement is presented by Birmingham-born soul, blues and Americana singer Brad Henshaw, and is created at Rockefellas TV's first studio outside of Los Angeles, in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter.

The show started last week with the interview with Jim Simpson, Black Sabbath’s first manager from the late 1960s until September 1970, just months after he had arranged the successful release of their legendary albums Black Sabbath and Paranoid.

The billboards promoting the show, which have reportedly achieved a total of 3.7 million impressions over one week, are part of the TV station’s advertising campaign across the USA said to be worth more than $24,000 a month.

Alex Garcia, chief executive of Rockefellas TV, is also the owner of AMG Outdoor, which runs the advertising billboards seen on highways across the USA. 

Garcia said: “Rockefellas TV is currently running on billboards throughout southern California. Most of the Los Angeles static billboards have generic Rockefellas TV ads posted in between other campaigns.

“But in Banning, California we have designated slots on both sides of the 25-foot by 48-foot digital billboard continuously running 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with weekly changes depending on the specific show that is scheduled to air a week after the ad goes up. 

“The current advertising dollars we are investing towards Rockefellas TV is estimated to be at $24,000 per month. As AMG expands its reach in Los Angeles this next year, we plan on investing another £75,000 per month, reaching an estimated $1.2 million annually.”

The billboards have this week switched to pushing the second episode of Brad’s Basement which interviews Rob Bruce, the man behind the famous Rich Bitch Studios in Selly Oak, Birmingham, once used by the likes of Iron Maiden, Earth Wind and Fire, Ruby Turner, ELO and Black Sabbath.

And from this weekend, the billboards will switch to advertising the third episode of Brad’s Basement, featuring English-born rock guitarist Rowan Robertson, who was just 17 when he started playing with heavy metal band Dio.

As well as the interviews with Jim Simpson, Rob Bruce and Rowan Robertson, guests on future episodes will include soul singer Jaki Graham, drummer Chris Slade, a founder member of Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, and Damian James, the son of Denny Laine.

Brad’s Basement airs at 7pm every Thursday on Rockefellas TV, available via an app of that name and at www.rockefellastv.com, which can be downloaded to any smart device or smart television.

Once broadcast, each episode will also then be on YouTube. The first episode featuring Jim Simpson is already available here.

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Notes for the editor

Big Bear Music Group has been based in Birmingham since 1968. Its operations include Big Bear Records, probably the UK’s longest established independent record company, which is at the forefront of jazz, swing and blues, with more than 100 album releases.

Since 1985, Big Bear Music has organised the annual Birmingham Jazz & Blues Festival, Europe’s biggest free admission jazz party every July, bringing international bands to venues across the West Midlands. Big Bear Music also operates Henry’s Blueshouse, Birmingham’s home of the blues since 1968, with weekly gigs at Barbara’s Bier Haus on Broad Street. Henry’s Blueshouse blog and weekly Bluesletter features interesting stories, music and video from the past, present and future of blues.

Big Bear Music is also an agency for artists, booking a wide variety of acts for public events and private functions. It represents touring bands including King Pleasure & The Biscuit Boys, Tipitina and Lady Sings The Blues and more.

Since 1987, Big Bear Music has published The Jazz Rag, a bi-monthly, nationally-distributed magazine of news, which was winner of the 2023 Parliamentary Jazz Award for Best UK Jazz Publication.

Big Bear Music has a rich photography archive stretching back to the early 1960s, featuring some of the most illustrious names in rock and roll, jazz and blues.

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