Longhorn Ballroom

Mr. Ruby eventually had a nervous breakdown[2] and lost the lease, but he is credited with hosting some of the best black entertainers of the day including Count Basie, Ruth Brown, and Nat King Cole.

[3] The Nat King Cole show took place in 1954 in the racially segregated Jim Crow South, where an affluent black audience sat in front, in the premium seats, while the white patrons stood in the back to listen to the legend.

One area, named the “Guthrey Club” featured Rhythm and Blues artists such as Little Richard, Fats Domino, Bo Diddly, and Roy Orbison, while the bigger ballroom focused on Country Music.

King, Millie Jackson, Al Green, and James Brown are just a few of the great soul and blues acts who played the Longhorn Ballroom stage on Monday Service Industry Nights at the venue.

[7] On January 10, 1978 it achieved brief infamy in international music circles[8] when the Sex Pistols appeared there and during their performance taunted the audience, resulting in someone throwing a beer bottle and breaking Sid Vicious's nose, and he continued to play with blood running down his chest.

Before the Sex Pistols, the venue hosted mainly country music artists including Charley Pride, George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Ray Price, Conway Twitty, Bob Wills, Loretta Lynn, Hank Thompson, Willie Nelson and Patsy Montana.

[14]  The tradition of offering a wide range of musical genres continued as Butthole Surfers, The Flaming Lips, Ramones, Motorhead and Red Hot Chili Peppers all performed at the Longhorn.