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In a Q&A with Steve Liebowitz author of the book Steel Pier: Atlantic City talks about what entertainers were paid at this "Showplace of the Nation":
" I have something you'll find interesting. I have the entire payroll for 1968. The top performance of that year was The Beach Boys. They were there three days, from August 9th through August 11th of '68. They were paid $27,000 for those three days. The entire bill for that week was almost $38,000, because on the bill with them was The New Christy Minstrels, who only got $8,500 and The Harmonica Rascals who only got $1,500. That was the top earner of that season. Herman's Hermits, who were only there August 17th and 18th, got paid $12,500. Smokey Robinson and The Miracles were there from the 12th through the 16th and got $10,000. The Cowsills were there from July 28th through August 2nd and they got $15,000. The Fifth Dimension were there the following week, August 3rd through 8th and got $11,000. With The Fifth Dimension was an opening act nobody had ever heard of, Helen Reddy, who got paid $600. (laughs) Frankie Avalon in that same season only got paid $7,500 for being there from the 22nd of July through the 27th. In '68, he wasn't worth nearly as much as the others. Dino, Desi And Billy: $7,000. The Four Tops: $9,000. Totie Fields got $10,000. The Doodletown Pipers: $9,500, while Gladys Knight And The Pips got only $6,000. Interesting, isn't it?
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