icepickphil

I've heard that Corll also lived in a couple of apartment complexes on the west side — Yorktown apartments on Yorktown between San Felipe and Westheimer and Woodway Square apartments on Woodway near Voss. Can anyone verify this?

I picked up an awesome black Liberty Hall t-shirt at the Texas Junk Company in the Fourth Ward a couple of weeks ago. They had a few left.

I met the owner of the Junk Company named Robert and he used to run with the Liberty Hall crowd... worked there in fact. He told me a story of giving Ravi Shankar a ride from the airport to Liberty Hall as well as seeing the New York Dolls play there in '74.

Does this guy ring a bell for anyone?

Here's a good blog with some info on KFMK.

http://theragblog.bl...s-houstons.html

More here too:

http://scarletdukes....hou_radio1.html

The bumper sticker scan on that blog page isn't the one I remember though which had a psychedelic male face with the words KFMK Wow! or something like that.

Briargrove Elementary is very sought after and considered to be one of the area's top schools.

It seems the Loews was showing grindhouse features by this time in it's history. "Disciples of Death" from Hong Kong and "A Man for Hanging".

Keep your eye out for Loew's and Metropolitan marquees.

Alex Bennett: "The man you love to hate"

Several mp3 audio file airchecks of Alex Bennett/James Bond at this site The Vasthead Houston Retro Radio. Many other KILT and Houston radio airchecks at that site also.

For those of us who are old enough to remember this and how it was covered by the local Houston media at the time, it will always be one of the most horrific events of a lifetime.

What was the scene at "The Hill"? Hippies hanging out smoking weed?

I hung around all of those places... During that time, I shot about 400' of color footage at The Hill. There's several short subjects that could be produced; the Hill, Liberty Hall, downtown festivals...skyline timelapse (1972) ...but I'm just a sprockethead. Anyone know of an hip nostalgia buff who is into digital video today? I need some help posting this film (late 60s early 70s) online.

I think a film about Houston music from that era would be fantastic. It may be a tough rode to get it made, but go for it!

Hey everyone,

Looks like I found some L Hall old schoolers...huh?

my name is Valentina Gonzalez, I am the daughter of the late Roberto Gonzalez, a former manager of the Hall.

For those of you that care, Roberto passed away last October from a massive heart attack.

He was crazy! creative, inspirational, irrational, brilliant, irresponsible, innovative, addicted to life(and some other stuff too...), and above all

fun as hell!

He designed many if not all the posters hanging in the Museum exhibit, and brought in bands, that at the time were, completely exotic.

Thanks to his passion for all forms of music and art, I was able to grow up claiming John Lee Hooker and Lightin' Hopkins as my god pappies,

and I continue to utilize that same passion in my life as a musician, artist, mom, and partner.

As for the architecture of the building goes, I can't say much because I'm only 30, but I do know that beyond the bar, down a little hallway, there was a secret room that all sorts of rowdy shit happened in. I've also heard some had preference for the old timey seating that was in the main hall, which my father tore out for a dance floor. In fact the only picture I have of the face of the building, was taken at my mother and fathers wedding out front...big crowd, shitty copy, and blurry, so I've always just used my imagination.

I was planning on doing a film about the Hall, my pops, and the musical history of Houston, but everybody is either dead, thousand dollarsed up, stuck up, or over it.

What do you all think?

If its something you think would be cool, or that you would like to contribute to, or even if you would like to simply share a memory

I can be reached at bloomn@gmail.com

Have a good day!

Keep rocking!

VRG

Does anyone know the date Liberty Hall opened?

Sometime in '70 maybe?

I heard the HISD sold the property.

Anyone know why they closed down Pilgrim Elementary on Richmond Dr. , in the Galleria area ? Looks like it is getting ready for demo.

I found it on this page along with more info about his Liberty Hall '74 shows. Looks like Bruce had played in the South earlier that year btw.

http://www.brucebase.org.uk/gig1974.htm

I have no idea when it was taken, but love this pic.

I had never heard that there was someone else (another boy) in the Pasadena house that night. Not to say there wasn't. I wonder if Ch. 13 checked police records to verify if this guy was actually there 35 years ago.

You would really have to wonder if this guy is being totally truthful. Soon will write a book and then a film, etc. His name has never been brought up in the last 35 yrs that most native Hostonians can think of. He seems just as creepy as the rest of those ghouls. He could have had his hand or had part in some of these bizarre events.

Did people learn their lesson of getting into cars with strangers 35 years later? Nope.

AND we were there watching the WFL Houston Texans the night John Matuszak was served a restraining order on the bench.

I was at that WFL game too. As I recall Matuszak suited up but did not play after he was served the restraining order. I think he was still under contract to the Oilers at the time.

Matuszak used to work out at my high school (Robert E. Lee) when he was first with the Oilers.

I also saw the Deep Purple/J. Geils Band concert at the Dome in the summer of '74.

I recall seeing a polo match played there in the mid-sixties!

Would be interested in hearing more of these interesting and verifiable things regarding Corll...

I wondered about when that concrete was poured, Filio. A number of bodies Corll buried in the Heights might be under a parking lot behind where Corll's old candy biz was located.

There used to be some folks around Pasadena who remembered Corll oddly cruising around some of the neighborhoods there as early as the mid-1960s. Trouble is, the homosexual angle to the murders caused them to keep their mouths shut, least they be thought to be in the same company.

This terrible crime still fascinates me, in part, because I remember it so well as a 12-year-old kid and because I still cross threads of it today: my mother-in-law has a beach house near where some of Corll's victims were buried. We also frequently travel across Lake Sam Rayburn, passing very near a second burial place Corll used, through Broaddus, where he spent time, into San Augustine where Henley was held briefly. When I worked for the Pasadena Citizen I talked to people who had some interesting things to say -- verifiable things -- about Corll. By chance, at the funeral of a family friend, I talked to a guy who knew Dean Corll through another teenager (not Henley or Brooks) and went to one of the periodic shindigs they'd hold. He told me about some odd and scary stuff that went on and said he feels certain that he'd have been a victim if he'd continue to go back, but he didn't.

Yes Corll lived in an apartment complex in the early 70s on San Felipe called Woodway Square. The entire complex has since been torn down. I think that's where one of his first murders occured.

I believe he also lived in some apartments on the west side of Yorktown between San Felipe and Westheimer for a short while. Does anyone know anything about this?

Yeah, those boatsheds on Silver Bell are still there.

Drove by Corll's Pasadena house just the other day. Corll told a boy he was having an affair with that he would never take him into the back bedroom of the house on Lamar and did not say why. According to a Pasadena cop, that room was in the back on the southwest side of the house, same room in which Corll was killed. It is believed that some bodies are buried in the backyard there. Vince's Bayou runs behind the place but it has concrete banks.

Other related spots: The Westcott Tower (I have no address) -- Corll lived there with Brooks and Henley was a frequent visitor. Neighbors reported hearing weird stuff and seeing lots of kids coming and going.

The Hart's Chicken Joint near old Hamilton Junior High in the Heights -- frequent pickup spot for Henley and Brooks.

402 W. 16th Street Heights -- Corll lived here.

6363 San Felipe (an apartment complex, I believe) -- Corll lived there and Henley told cops Ruben Haney was killed there.

The Place One Apartments on Mangum -- Corll lived and killed there.

The Princessa Apartments on Wirt -- Corll lived there and took the lives of several victims there as well.

My brother once bought a house where a double murder/suicide took place. Apparently, a teenage girl shotgunned her parents while they slept then killed herself. I used to go over there to do yard work before he moved in and then after he moved out and was selling the place. Knowing its history made the place creepy. My mind tended to regard every odd noise as a ghost.

The Wild Pair shoe store was in most malls even Gulfgate had one. The timing was just right for this chain. It was the early 80's and the style of shoe wear they had was exactly what the young new wave/punk crowd was craving. They knew exactly how to display the latest and most bizarre or toned down versions of new wave shoe wear (inspired by films like Bladerunner, Valley Girl, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Mad Max, Waterworld etc) I never had the heart to let go of at least 2 pair of Duran Duran/Beatle style boots I have in boxes.

Here are some examples of Wild Pair style of shoes they sold. The displays in that store were so futuristic, too cool. Sure miss dat store folks.

Oh yes, and if you really wanted to look like Billy Idol or Adam Ant, this is where you would go. lol

Looks like their shoes were what you would call "trendy". In the early seventies I bought a pair of zip up on the side platform men's boots there. Kind of glam rockish they were.

I wasn't there in the 80s but I sure spent alot of time at the Galleria from when it opened in fall of '69 until about '75. In it's early years it was more of a neighborhood mall that attracted neighborhood families and their kids. It was very similar to Sharpestown Mall in that respect. The ice skating rink was the first one most of us had ever seen. I can vividly recall going skating there in the early seventies and there being dozens of kids in the mall all playing with their clackers which was a very popular toy at that time. There was a constant noise of a low roar made by these clackers in the mall.

At this time there was only the Galleria...no Galleria II yet. On the bottom floor was Disc Records and a shoe store The Wild Pair. On the second floor was the twin movie theatre. There was also The Gap...one of the first Gap stores in Houston I believe.

There were always teens and tweens hanging out there but I don't believe the 'mall rat' culture among young people had really emerged in Houston by the early 70s--at least at the Galleria. It wasn't really a 'hang out' where I would run into other kids I knew. Sharpestown Mall had a better rep for that..particularly as a place to 'pick up chicks'.

For several winters around Christmas time in the early 70s I worked as a Galleria Auto Host. These were high school boys like myself who helped direct parking traffic during the busy holiday season--mostly on weekends. We all wore bright orange windbreakers and hard hats. Wish I still had them. We were paid a low wage and if we were lucky made the occasional tip. We also goofed off and partied while on the job.

When the economic boom hit Houston in a big way in the late 70s the Galleria began to change. It became much more upscale and attracted more foreign visitors with money.

When did Madison High open?

I graduated from Westbury in 69 also. I remember the hair fiasco.

It was a great place to go to school in the 60's. Felt sorry for some of my buddies that got zoned to Madison.

When I was 16 and 17 years old and a student at Robert E. Lee Sr. High I used to work as an usher at tons of rock concerts at the Coliseum and Music Hall. All you had to do was show up about an hour before the concert started wearing slacks, dress shirt, and a tie. You did not get paid. This was back in '74 and '75.

As the crowd came into the venue you would seat them in the area you were assigned to usher. This would be while the opening act would be performing. By the time the headliner came on stage your work was done and you could find a seat and enjoy the band or hang out with other usher friends.

Most of the ushers were boys from Lee, Westbury, and Milby. I saw many great rock bands...and a few lousy ones.

I also saw the Beatles play at the Coliseum when I was about 8. It was an afternoon show. Never forget it. Cannibal and the Headhungers ("Land of 1,000 Dances") were one of the opening acts.

Sure I remember The Island very well. It was on South Main right?

Early Houston punk venue. Many touring national acts came through there as well as other Texas bands. Great place.

I went to Liberty Hall a few times in the early '70's while still in high school. Missed Springsteen (although I did see him at the Music Hall right after Born to Run broke), Kinky Friedman, Doug Kershaw, etc...My most vivid memory was having the doorman inspect the contents of my paper bag (I was only 17), a bottle of Wild Turkey. He looked at it, looked at me, said "gobble, gobble" and let me in. Going off on another tangent, remember Rock Island aka The Island? I think that might qualify as Houston's first mostly punk venue.

Not too well though they did beat UTEP this past weekend. I think they're record now is 2 wins 6 losses. Last year they went to a Bowl Game (and lost) for the first time since '62. They they're head coach quit and got hired to coach at Tulsa.

I haven't kept up with college football this season. How is Rice doing?

There's a thread all about Sin Alley here.

Why was it called "Sin Alley"? was this a red light district?

Vicman -- on a distantly related subject...

Where was Lincoln High School in Houston and when was it closed?

Overseas, I would not be surprised. The mother of one of my friends from the Dairy Ashford area said that many Walnut Bend area parents became alarmed when West Briar MS filled. Now the Dairy Ashford people and Uptown people will get to share a school.

To show Paul Revere's changes, I found this SchoolDigger map:

* http://www.schooldigger.com/go/TX/schools/...496/school.aspx

And here is West Briar:

* http://www.schooldigger.com/go/TX/schools/...271/school.aspx

There was a Lincoln High School in Houston during the '70s. Nothing about it on the internet though. It seems to have vanished.

There's someone on HAIF named Vicman who would know about this.

Isn't that the Gregory-Lincoln Education Center, the K-8 Fine Arts magnet? Was that ever a high school? It was built in 1966 and is getting a new building.