World Premiere Screening: Saturday, Nov. 1 in Detroit.
Jim and The Bee
The Musicians Behind The Magic
First Rockets photo. Detroit, 1972.
Credit: Leni Sinclair
Experience the raw energy and untold stories of 1960s and 70s Detroit rock and roll.
“Jim and The Bee,” chronicles the turbulent, decades-long journey of Detroit rock legends Jim McCarty and Johnny "The Bee" Badanjek.
As the founding guitarist and drummer of “Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels” and “The Rockets,” McCarty and Badanjek are the signature guitar riffs and drum beats behind generations of legendary music.
Experience the World Premiere Screening:
"Jim and The Bee"
"Jim and The Bee" is a four-part documentary series exploring the legacies of guitarist Jim McCarty and drummer Johnny "The Bee" Badanjek, founding members of “Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels” and “The Rockets.”
The series details their story from teenage bandmates to chart-topping rock-and-roll stars, exploring a history filled with band break-ups, drug use, legal battles, and tragedy, while collaborating with some of the biggest names on songs that redefined the rock industry.
The full documentary will debut on PBS in March 2026.
Saturday, Nov. 1
Location:
Harpo's Concert Theatre
14238 Harper Ave
Detroit, MI 48213
Event Lineup
6 p.m. Doors Open
7:00 p.m. Opening Greeting
7:15 p.m. Episode One: Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels
8:30 p.m. Intermission
9:00 p.m. Episode Two: The Rockets
Admission
The event is open to the public with free admission.
Donations at the door will be accepted for the Living Legends Organization,
a 501(c)(3) charity dedicated to supporting first responders.
Rockets promotional photo
Credit: Leni Sinclair
Headlines
From the Archives
Michigan Rock and Roll Legends
"The band changed their name to the Detroit Wheels and... had publicity photos taken of the group on top of oil barrels, surrounded by piles of automobile tires, to drive the Motor City image home.
...Their second single, “Jenny Take A Ride”, started them on a two-year journey of hits that brought the band fame and fortune, but also ended up tearing them apart.
According to James A. Mitchell’s book, It Was All Right, [the manager] had to be talked into releasing the song as a single by Keith Richards and Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones. Richards and Jones had been guests in the studio when “Jenny Take A Ride” was recorded, and they spoke up for the song’s potential as a hit single."
Courtesy: Michigan Rock and Roll Legends
"After leaving music in 1973, Mitch Ryder... expressed himself creatively by working on a semi-autobiographical novel, writing poetry, and painting.
In the meantime, his old drummer, John (Bee) Badanjek, went on to work with Edgar Winter, Alice Cooper, and Dr. John before teaming again with Jim McCarty to form the Rockets. Beginning with 1977’s “Love Transfusion”, the Rockets produced six albums of Detroit hard rock through 1983. The band charted two singles in 1979; “Can’t Sleep” and a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s “Oh Well." The Rockets’ final charting single was 1980’s “Desire."
Courtesy: Michigan Rock and Roll Legends