[Diane]

In the 1950s, I used to listen to KNUZ Radio. They had daily programs featuring Biff Colley, his wife, Marge Colley, Laura Lee McBride, Paul Berlin & another disc jockey whose name I can't remember. Seems like it was Larry "something." On the c/w progams, (the first 3), they advertised a dance hall that was way out South Main. I'm trying to remember the last name of that Larry ? & also the name of the dance hall. Bob Wills & Hank Thompson played there often but I was too young, at that time, to go! Darn!

[sevfiv]

hmm...there was a place on south main in the fifties called the trading post...maybe that's it? there was also the troubador and the copacabana, but those don't sound as "country"

This post has been edited by sevfiv: Wednesday, October 5, 2005 at 9:59 PM

[brucesw]

In my research in the 20s I keep coming across mentions of the End 'O Main Dance Hall, but I don't know if that was still around in the 50s.

Biff Collie worked at a number of Houston stations; KNUZ was neither the first or last. He hosted a certain up and coming singer from Memphis by the name of Elvis at the Grand Prize Jamboree at the Eagles Hall in 1955.

Here are some links on Biff Collie which indicate some of the venues he hosted dances and shows at:

http://www.crb.org/a...jhf/collie.html
http://www.hillbilly...ex.php?prog=310
http://www.randomhou...byday/1955.html

There were a couple of Larrys at KNUZ, I think. Larry Vance and Larry Kane. The latter also had a teen dance show on KTRK that many people thought was better than Dick Clark's American Bandstand.

This post has been edited by brucesw: Thursday, October 6, 2005 at 5:48 PM

[sevfiv]

in the mid-fifties there was the end of main ballroom, and also the end-o-main liquor store

This post has been edited by sevfiv: Wednesday, October 5, 2005 at 11:17 PM

[Heights2Bastrop]

Arch Yancy was another at KNUZ.

[57Tbird]

brucesw, on Wednesday, October 5th, 2005 @ 10:23pm, said:

There were a couple of Larrys at KNUZ, I think. Larry Vance and Larry Kane. The latter also had a teen dance show on KTRK that many people thought was better than Dick Clark's American Bandstand.

I remember Larry Kane very well. He was a contemporary of mine. He worked part-time as a DJ at the time he was attending San Jacinto High School just down the street from KNUZ. His real name was Harry Lieberman. The San Jacinto class of 1954 had their 50th reunion last year and Paul Berlin was one of their celebrity guests.

[brucesw]

sevfiv, on Wednesday, October 5th, 2005 @ 11:16pm, said:

in the mid-fifties there was the end of main ballroom, and also the end-o-main liquor store

What were the addresses? I've wondered what was considered 'end of main' in the 20s and 30s. One of the peculiarities of news stories and ads of that era is that they frequently didn't give addresses. W.C. Munn was a big 5 or 6 story department store downtown that sold everything from American Akron Tires to furniture to clothing, but I've never gotten a fix on where it was located because the ads never gave an address.

Other public dance halls of the 20s and 30s included Kensington Hall and the University Club.

57Tbird, on Thursday, October 6th, 2005 @ 12:01pm, said:

I remember Larry Kane very well. He was a contemporary of mine. He worked part-time as a DJ at the time he was attending San Jacinto High School just down the street from KNUZ. His real name was Harry Lieberman. The San Jacinto class of 1954 had their 50th reunion last year and Paul Berlin was one of their celebrity guests.

I think both Kane and Arch Yancey came on board after KNUZ switched to Top 40. Before that, it was probably block programmed - a couple of hours of country in the afternoon might be followed by a couple of hours of easy listening music around the dinner hour, followed by something else, then maybe an hour or so of religious programs, etc.

This post has been edited by brucesw: Thursday, October 6, 2005 at 6:02 PM

[Heights2Bastrop]

To get on the Larry Kane Show, I had to take dancing from a guy named Jerry Roe (I think) at Bill Mraz Ballroom on W 34th. Well, that's the way it was supposed to work. I quit taking the lessons before I got to go on the show.

[patsy]

Heights2Bastrop, on Thursday, October 6th, 2005 @ 7:13pm, said:

To get on the Larry Kane Show, I had to take dancing from a guy named Jerry Roe (I think) at Bill Mraz Ballroom on W 34th. Well, that's the way it was supposed to work. I quit taking the lessons before I got to go on the show.

I took lessons from Jerry Roe when he was on Westheimer near Kirby. He had two sons, one was hoody looking with slicked back hair and a surly expression, the other was a little nerdy but sweet. I sure learned to jitterbug good. Mr. Roe was a nice man.

[Alpha]

patsy, on Friday, July 14th, 2006 @ 9:55am, said:

I took lessons from Jerry Roe when he was on Westheimer near Kirby. He had two sons, one was hoody looking with slicked back hair and a surly expression, the other was a little nerdy but sweet. I sure learned to jitterbug good. Mr. Roe was a nice man.

I remember the American Bandstand show where Larry Kane subbed for Dick Clark. He brought the kids from his show and they completely outdanced the AB kids. I don't think they were ever invited back.

The thing is that I don't think the AB kids actually took dance lessons. They just went on the show. I remember thinking that the Larry Kane kids looked a little too "show-biz" doing all their fancy dances.

This post has been edited by Alpha: Thursday, July 20, 2006 at 6:46 PM

[patsy]

sevfiv, on Wednesday, October 5th, 2005 @ 11:16pm, said:

in the mid-fifties there was the end of main ballroom, and also the end-o-main liquor store

I remember my parents talking about the end o main ballroom and the Plantation dance hall and a gambling joint run by Jakie Friedman. I have B&W photos of wartime groups of couples partying at these places but they have no identifiers, just smiling patrons with lots of "set-ups" and booze on the tables. I'm going to quiz my 86 year old aunt who grew up here, danced her way through the 40's and 50's and still has her wits about her; will post something additional in the near future.

[mrking]

I am sorry for being so late to read and reply to this topic, I just recently discovered this wonderful forum! Regarding Larry Kane and Jerry Roe (even later Geoffery Underwood), I must confess to being one of the group. The location for the studio was downtown on Caroline?

I am 58 now, maybe at the time was the youngest. I started taking lessons from Jerry Roe in 1961 and took lessons from him and Jeffery Underwood for over 5 years continuously. Exact dates elude me, but I was one the Larry Kane show weekly for over 6 months. I am looking at the certificates on my office wall at home now received from my efforts. Bronze Star on April 8, 1961, Bronze Medal on April 9, 1962, plus 3 others. Issued by the "Jerry Roe Dance Studio". Signed by Jerry Roe.

I do not recall the year I danced a solo perfomance at the medal ball at the Shamrock Hilton, but it was a mambo and the live band was Perez Prado. Never will forget that moment...to Mambo #8.

Most of the names of my contemporaries escape me..most memorable was Alfred Arispe. Great style, also names remembered are Stephani Chifani, Bonita Brocco (went to her birthday party I think). Forgive me, it has just been too long!

One thing I will never forget is the many dances and fun I had. I moved away and lost contact but I promise you, it was wonderful!!!

MK

[texianjoe]

"If you happen to see me,
You can't help but hear me,
Driving in my car.
Cause for miles around,
You can hear the sound,
Of that lovin steel guitar.
I'm always singin,
And KNUZ is wailin,
Loud enough to wake the dead.
KNUZ country, thats where my head is at. K N U Z"


"I got a special built rig,
With speakers so big,
They rattle the house next door.
I turn KNUZ on,
to a country song,
And just listen to them roar.
I can't remember the rest"

I don't know why I remember that 30 years later and can't remember to take out the garbage.

joe

This post has been edited by texianjoe: Monday, March 26, 2007 at 8:15 AM

[txmusicwriter]

Hi,
This is my first time posting here so I hope I'm doing this right. I would be interested in talking further about this. Please see my Larry Kane photos here:
www.myspace.com/texasmusicwriter
Thanks,
Vicki

mrking, on Sunday, March 25th, 2007 @ 3:42pm, said:

I am sorry for being so late to read and reply to this topic, I just recently discovered this wonderful forum! Regarding Larry Kane and Jerry Roe (even later Geoffery Underwood), I must confess to being one of the group. The location for the studio was downtown on Caroline?

I am 58 now, maybe at the time was the youngest. I started taking lessons from Jerry Roe in 1961 and took lessons from him and Jeffery Underwood for over 5 years continuously. Exact dates elude me, but I was one the Larry Kane show weekly for over 6 months. I am looking at the certificates on my office wall at home now received from my efforts. Bronze Star on April 8, 1961, Bronze Medal on April 9, 1962, plus 3 others. Issued by the "Jerry Roe Dance Studio". Signed by Jerry Roe.

I do not recall the year I danced a solo perfomance at the medal ball at the Shamrock Hilton, but it was a mambo and the live band was Perez Prado. Never will forget that moment...to Mambo #8.

Most of the names of my contemporaries escape me..most memorable was Alfred Arispe. Great style, also names remembered are Stephani Chifani, Bonita Brocco (went to her birthday party I think). Forgive me, it has just been too long!

One thing I will never forget is the many dances and fun I had. I moved away and lost contact but I promise you, it was wonderful!!!

MK

[J W]

My dad ,whose 80, is an old Bob Wills fan . He says from the of the war to around 1955 Wills played at End of Main alot . If your thinkin later , it could be Regal Ranch in Stafford. Wills played there ever so often until the late sixties .
We need to start another post on old Houston CW dancehalls and honky-tonks .

[plumber2]

My dad talked about the "End of Main Ice House". I posted on an earlier thread that it was just south of present day Holcombe Blvd., probably were the Metro Transit Center and Shriners Hospital is located. My dad told the story of installing site work for the APC building and the back hoe equipment operator complaining about getting flat tires daily. He confided with the operator that this was the site of the above referenced ice house and that before the war everbody would sit in their cars at the back of the parking lot and throw empty bottles over the fence. There was a huge pile of broken glass accumulated through the years.

If every body remembers, South Main jogged east and followed present day Fannin St. south to Knight Rd back then. "End of Main Dance Hall", liquor store, or ice house as may dad refered to it as, could have actually been on present day Fannin.

[Vertigo58]

plumber2, on Thursday, November 1st, 2007 @ 12:25pm, said:

My dad talked about the "End of Main Ice House". I posted on an earlier thread that it was just south of present day Holcombe Blvd., probably were the Metro Transit Center and Shriners Hospital is located. My dad told the story of installing site work for the APC building and the back hoe equipment operator complaining about getting flat tires daily. He confided with the operator that this was the site of the above referenced ice house and that before the war everbody would sit in their cars at the back of the parking lot and throw empty bottles over the fence. There was a huge pile of broken glass accumulated through the years.

If every body remembers, South Main jogged east and followed present day Fannin St. south to Knight Rd back then. "End of Main Dance Hall", liquor store, or ice house as may dad refered to it as, could have actually been on present day Fannin.

So this means that End-of-Main dance hall was there before The Shamrock Hotel? If it was on Main St that is, Sounds like the very spot you mentioned. I will have to ask family and hope they will remember. Kind of hard to imagine that our city considered that area far away from everything. Some back then, would say "It's in the country"

[Subdude]

plumber2, on Thursday, November 1st, 2007 @ 12:25pm, said:

My dad talked about the "End of Main Ice House". I posted on an earlier thread that it was just south of present day Holcombe Blvd., probably were the Metro Transit Center and Shriners Hospital is located. My dad told the story of installing site work for the APC building and the back hoe equipment operator complaining about getting flat tires daily. He confided with the operator that this was the site of the above referenced ice house and that before the war everbody would sit in their cars at the back of the parking lot and throw empty bottles over the fence. There was a huge pile of broken glass accumulated through the years.

If every body remembers, South Main jogged east and followed present day Fannin St. south to Knight Rd back then. "End of Main Dance Hall", liquor store, or ice house as may dad refered to it as, could have actually been on present day Fannin.

This came up in an earlier topic, but until the late 1930s it seems South Main ended at Brays Bayou. So the location you mention by the Shriners Hospital could be right on the money.

[nm5k]

If main ended appx at the bayou, Friedmans gambling joint must have been out
in the boondocks for the time. It was on Old Main just west of 90. Course, by the 50's,
I guess with the various motels, etc, Main filled out a bit south of the bayou.
I'd like to see any pix of the gambling joint, if you can ever make some scans..
I wish I had paid more attention to it the couple or three times I walked around
in it, but at the time, I didn't know much about the history of it..
It's funny. Just the other day I was talking to a friend of mine that spent the night
there one time. He said some other people showed up, and they climbed on the roof
to check them out. Later after they left, they went back downstairs into the house
and hit the sack. A few hours later they woke to a huge crashing noise.
The roof that they had been walking around on earlier had caved in...
I still remember that a lot of the rooms had fancy red velvet looking wall paper,
and there were quite a few rooms. I thought the neatest part was the old swimming
pool. You could tell by looking at it, it was an old swimming pool.. Maybe from
the late 30's, 40's.. I forgot when the place opened, but offhand I'm thinking
it was the late 30's. He moved to the Sands in Vegas before the middle of the 50's
I think mainly due to local gambling pressure. I've read you had to be a pretty high
roller to even get in the place. Caroline Farb has said she remembers a lot of
movie stars, etc that used to be there when she came to visit. I think one part I read
said she would go down to eat breakfast, and a big shot like say an Errol Flynn, or
Clark Gable might be sitting at the table eating also.. :/ Or sumtin like that..
MK

[Subdude]

There's some discussion of Jake Friedman's Domain Privee on South Main in this thread.

[Vertigo58]

plumber2, on Thursday, November 1st, 2007 @ 1:25pm, said:

My dad talked about the "End of Main Ice House". I posted on an earlier thread that it was just south of present day Holcombe Blvd., probably were the Metro Transit Center and Shriners Hospital is located. My dad told the story of installing site work for the APC building and the back hoe equipment operator complaining about getting flat tires daily. He confided with the operator that this was the site of the above referenced ice house and that before the war everbody would sit in their cars at the back of the parking lot and throw empty bottles over the fence. There was a huge pile of broken glass accumulated through the years.

If every body remembers, South Main jogged east and followed present day Fannin St. south to Knight Rd back then. "End of Main Dance Hall", liquor store, or ice house as may dad refered to it as, could have actually been on present day Fannin.

I was speaking to an 88 yr old neighbor that told me there was a very popular Dance Hall called "The End of Main". She said it was way out far past where everyone just discussed here? Now I am confused. She said all of her friends and relatives (young crowd) would all jump in whomever had a car and would head out for an evening of dancing. I told here there might have been a bar and then maybe later this dance club opened? She said its possible but that she is positive that this "End of Main" dance hall was far away towards the very end somewhere.

She said that was the 1st stop then they would all head out to the Blossom Heath for some more Swing music! They must have really known how to party then! She said these clubs would have Jitterbug dance contests and stuff. How cool!

[57Tbird]

OK... I'm going to put in my $.02 worth here. I think I remember the End of Main from the late 40's-early 50's being where Sonny Look's would eventually be located. I believe that would be at the NW corner of S. Main and the present Loop 610. I'm not positive, but reasonably sure. It was certainly not at the end of Main then, but probably was when it was originally constructed.

This post has been edited by 57Tbird: Tuesday, November 6, 2007 at 11:48 AM

[Vertigo58]

57Tbird, on Tuesday, November 6th, 2007 @ 11:48am, said:

OK... I'm going to put in my $.02 worth here. I think I remember the End of Main from the late 40's-early 50's being where Sonny Look's would eventually be located. I believe that would be at the NW corner of S. Main and the present Loop 610. I'm not positive, but reasonably sure. It was certainly not at the end of Main then, but probably was when it was originally constructed.

Now if only there were photos of both of these now legendary places??? Has anyone checked the Bob Bailey Studios collection? About 3-4 yrs ago Chron had a story on Bailey Studios and mainly on the now famous/legendary nightclubs of Houston. Had great interior shots of these places on the off days so you could see all of the details within.

What is truly frustrating is that when I visit places like salvage/used thrift stores there are like boxes upon boxes of photos from people that have passed away. Living relatives either just give away the pics or trash them. I have found studio and personal pics of people at fancy dances, beauty contests, weddings, holidays, posing in front of cars, etc in these boxes. Yrs range from like 1910's to 1960's.

Houston keeps on trashing its history, ok now I'm depressed. phooey.