This is one of a series of posts expanding on my 50 States in 50 Dates blog by documenting the global touring adventures of George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers and the earlier years of their career.
Above: George Thorogood poses for a photo at an unknown California bowling alley on June 19, 1983.
In the 1970s and early 1980s, George Thorogood and the Destroyers were gaining increasingly wider recognition for their albums and high octane live performances while at the same time remaining notably private about themselves and the behind the scenes details of the band. More often than not, George’s interviews with the music press were snippy encounters filled with curt responses that frequently took intentionally playful liberties with historical facts. Asked by an interviewer when and where he was born, Thorogood once replied, “In the United States, in this century. That’s all you’re going to get, pal”. Thorogood spoke of being 20 years old, even as he approached his 30th birthday, and talked about being from Delaware, Louisiana, California, Massachusetts, and many other places. As Charles M. Young of Rolling Stone magazine rightly observed, “Thorogood’s birthplace has a plus/minus factor of several hundred miles and whatever state happens to be on his mind when he’s interviewed.”
While reliable biographical info was often in short supply, the Delaware Destroyers were far more open to talking about their off-stage interests, including baseball, professional wrestling, movies, television, and – of particular focus in this post – bowling. ”Thorogood’s style runs toward Cuban cigars, annual stints in the bleachers during spring training, midnight bowling, and a large measure of privacy,” reported Spin Magazine in 1985. ”Very few people understand our attitude,” Thorogood told Billboard magazine in 1979. ”I don’t want to be a big rock star. Playing clubs is just fine the way it is. When I get home, I just do the things I always do – go bowling, watch TV”.
With this as background, this blog post showcases the enduring connection between George Thorogood and the Destroyers and the great American pastime of bowling.
Source: Spin Magazine. Vol. 1, No. 5. Sept. 1985. Pg. 73; Billboard Magazine. May 5, 1979. Pg. NF18; Rolling Stone. March 29, 1979. Pg. 29; Boston Globe. Oct. 31, 1980. Pg. 28; Knoxville News Sentinel. Jan. 17, 1985. Pg. C1.
Above: George Thorogood poses for a photo at an unknown bowling alley in California on June 19, 1983.
Quick Links:
- October 31, 1983 – Brunswick Blue Hen Lanes. Newark, DE.
- April 7, 1984 – South Bay Bowling Center. Redondo Beach, CA.
Brunswick Blue Hen Lanes.
Date: October 31, 1983.
Venue: Brunswick Blue Hen Lanes. 501 Newark Shopping Center. Newark, Delaware. 19711. USA.
Find it on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/hXGp2s8LArs1BefE8
Venue Exterior:
2013:
2019:
Venue Interior:
1961:
Opening Act: Unknown.
Poster / Flyer / Handbill: I have not yet seen a poster, flyer or handbill for the Destroyers’ 1983 concert at the Brunswick Blue Hen Lanes bowling alley in Newark, Delaware.
Press & Promotion: I am still looking for any print advertising or promotion for George Thorogood and the Destroyers’ 1983 concert at the Brunswick Blue Hen Lanes bowling alley in Newark, Delaware. Please get in touch if you know of any.
Ticket Price: Unknown.
Ticket Stub: I have yet to see a ticket stub from this concert. If you have a scan or a photo to share, please send me a note.
Attendance: Unknown.
Set List: Unknown. Please drop me a note if you have any information.
Was the Concert Recorded? Unknown.
Concert Photos:
Above: Possibly a photo of George Thorogood and Mike Donahue performing at Brunswick Blue Hen Lanes on Halloween in 1983. Source: Facebook.
Concert Reaction: I am still looking for a contemporary, printed review of the Destroyers’ show at the Brunswick Blue Hen Lanes, circa October 1983. Please get in touch if you know of one.
Other Notes: If you will excuse a very loose connection between the Delaware Destroyers and bowling, Billiards great Willie Mosconi, one of the guest stars of the Destroyers’ “Bad to the Bone” music video, made a personal appearance at Newark’s Blue Hen Lanes on June 7, 1962.
Source: Evening Journal. May 31, 1962. Pg. 23.
Fate of the Venue: Brunswick Blue Hen Lanes in Newark, DE was torn down in 2014 and replaced with an apartment building.
Source: Newark Post. Sept. 30, 2014.
South Bay Bowling Center.
Date: April 7, 1984.
On this date, George Thorogood appeared at the second annual “Rock ‘n’ Bowl” charity event to raise money and awareness for the T.J. Martell Foundation for Leukemia and Cancer Research.
Venue: South Bay Bowling Center. 1515 Hawthorne Blvd. Redondo Beach, California. 90278. USA.
Find it on Google Maps: https://goo.gl/maps/Ar5ZSNsakZQ4YZ3M9
Venue Exterior:
1957:
Source: Torrance Press. Aug. 22, 1957. Pg. 26.
2022:
Venue Interior:
1960:
Source: Brunswick Architectural Research Division. 60R00. 1960. Pg. 2.
Poster / Flyer / Handbill: I have not yet seen a poster, flyer or handbill for the T.J. Martell Foundation’s “Rock ‘n’ Bowl” charity event at the South Bay Bowling Center on April 7, 1984. Please send me a note if you have any leads.
Press & Promotion:
Source: Los Angeles Times. April 1, 1984. Pg. 95.
Ticket Price: Participants in the Rock ‘n’ Bowl event could hire a bowling lane for a $1,000 donation.
Source: Los Angeles Times. April 1, 1984. Pg. 95.
Ticket Stub: I have not yet seen a ticket stub from this event. If you have a scan or a photo to share, please send me a note.
Attendance: Unknown.
Event Photos:
Above: Photo of George Thorogood at the T.J. Martell Foundation’s second annual “Rock ‘n’ Bowl” charity event at the South Bay Bowling Center on April 7, 1984. Source: Personal collection.
Above: Rod Stewart gets ready to bowl at the South Bay Bowling Center on April 7, 1984. Source: Lester Cohen / Getty Images.
Above: Steven Van Zandt (Little Steven), Paul Reubens (Pee Wee Herman), and Al Yankovic (Weird Al) pose for a photo at the South Bay Bowling Center on April 7, 1984. Source: Lester Cohen / Getty Images.
Above: Original MTV VJ J.J. Jackson, Stray Cats’ drummer Slim Jim Phantom, and Motley Crue lead singer Vince Neil at the South Bay Bowling Center on April 7, 1984. Source: Lester Cohen / Getty Images.
Event Reaction:
Other Notes:
The Destroyers’ connection with the the T.J. Martell Foundation continues to this day through the Marla Thorogood Memorial Fund for Ovarian Cancer Research. You can donate to the memorial fund at this link: https://give.vanderbilthealth.org/campaign/marla-thorogoods-ovarian-cancer-research-fund/c456799
Fate of the Venue: The South Bay Bowling Center closed in 2004 and was demolished in 2005.
Source: http://blogs.dailybreeze.com
50 States in 50 Dates 
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