A fire Saturday heavily damaged the Soul Town nightclub along old Route 66 in Amarillo, Texas, and the longtime owner is assessing how to rebuild it. Jimmy Dunn, 77, owns Soul Town, which before was the Crystal Pistol strip club, at 907 E. Amarillo Blvd., aka Route 66. The Amarillo Globe News reported: At 6:38 … Continue reading Fire damages historic dance hall in Amarillo
Category: Music
“Ship It on the Frisco”
A song off The Bottle Rockets' new album, "Ship It on the Frisco," sent me down a rabbit hole researching a certain Route 66 overpass and the railroad that once traveled on it. The song (download MP3 here) is found on The Bottle Rockets' excellent album, "South Broadway Athletic Club" (the album's title comes from a historic place on South Broadway in … Continue reading “Ship It on the Frisco”
Scenes from Rockabilly on the Route
Frank Kocevar, former owner of the Historic Seligman Sundries in Seligman, Arizona, put together this video from the recent Rockabilly on the Route festival in Tucumcari, New Mexico. Longtime Route 66 aficionados probably will recognize a few faces here. Rockabilly - 2016 Tucumcari, New Mexico from Route 66 Experience on Vimeo. The Quay County Sun … Continue reading Scenes from Rockabilly on the Route
Truck damages Cindy’s Eagle Rock restaurant
Cindy's Eagle Rock, aka Cindy's Coffee Shop, in Los Angeles will close for several weeks for repairs after a pickup truck crashed through the entrance when the restaurant was closed. According to Los Angeles Eater, the mishap occurred about 1 a.m. Saturday. The driver apparently swerved off Colorado Boulevard (aka Route 66) and crashed through the … Continue reading Truck damages Cindy’s Eagle Rock restaurant
Elvis sightings on Route 66
The Marshfield Mail in Missouri published an extensive listing of Elvis Presley sightings and shows in the Show-Me State in 1956 -- the year he came into national prominence. The future King of Rock 'n' Roll's tours brought him to a few Route 66 landmarks that year. According to the newspaper. --- "By May 1956, Elvis was … Continue reading Elvis sightings on Route 66
“Small Frame” music video shot at Roy’s of Amboy
The Los Angeles-based folk-rock band, Highland Kites, shot a video for its song, "Small Frame," at the historic Roy's complex on Route 66 in Amboy, California. Small Frame - Highland Kites from Aaron Cota on Vimeo. The shoot was done in October, according to the band's blog. (Image capture from the "Small Frame" video)
Merle Haggard, R.I.P.
Merle Haggard, considered one of the greatest country-music artists in history, died today after a long series of health problems, according to his manager. He was 79. Today also was his birthday. We'll let other music writers tell about Haggard's considerable legacy, which is far deeper than "Mama Tried" and "Okie from Muskogee." (His one-man … Continue reading Merle Haggard, R.I.P.
Mother Road Revival folk festival in Tulsa announced
A folk music and film festival Sept. 8-11 in Tulsa called the Mother Road Revival that pays tribute to Route 66 was announced this morning at the city's BOK Center arena, with popular country-rock artist Jason Isbell as the headlining act. The Mother Road Revival will occur at several venues that weekend that also include … Continue reading Mother Road Revival folk festival in Tulsa announced
“Route 66” with the Time Jumpers
Here's something special. Ray Benson, frontman for the western-swing outfit Asleep At the Wheel, sings "Route 66" with the Time Jumpers during a recent gig in Nashville. https://youtu.be/Bdm23K7xYls In case you didn't know, the Time Jumpers is a group of Nashville studio musicians who started playing classic country, swing, jazz and pop songs together nearly 20 … Continue reading “Route 66” with the Time Jumpers
Winslow’s tourism season began early with Glenn Frey’s death
Apparently The Eagles' loss was Winslow's gain. When Glenn Frey died in January, it wasn't surprising Winslow, Arizona, and its Standin' on a Corner Park saw a sudden influx of tourists wanting to pay tribute to the founder of the massively popular country-rock band. Standin' on a Corner Park pays tribute to The Eagles' first hit, "Take … Continue reading Winslow’s tourism season began early with Glenn Frey’s death