TMO Present at the Re-Opening of the Longhorn Ballroom in Dallas
On March 30th, the Texas Music Office (TMO) attended the re-opening of the 73-year-old legendary Longhorn Ballroom in Dallas. The event was also attended by Dallas City Council members, civic leaders, members of the press, members of the Dallas music community, and other stakeholders that were instrumental to the re-opening of this legendary institution.
Beautifully restored by the team at Dallas' Kessler Presents, led by Edward Cabaniss, the Longhorn Ballroom is a testament to the importance of restoring and renewing existing historic music venues in the state of Texas for future music business development, as well as patron experiences.
At the ribbon-cutting event, TMO Director Brendon Anthony gave remarks, in addition to Dallas City Council members and Kessler's Edward Cabaniss. Later that evening, Brendon Anthony also gave the opening night statement to the sold-out crowd at the Ballroom that featured (legendary in it's own right) Asleep At The Wheel (AATW), led by Ray Benson.
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The Longhorn Ballroom was built in 1950 for country music legend Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys and was originally named Bob Wills' Ranch House. It was managed for a time by Jack Ruby before it landed in the capable hands of ‘Dewey’ Groom who renamed it the Longhorn Ballroom. Groom built it into one of the greatest venues of its day. The Ballroom hosted a wide variety of acts from country legends like Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, Merle Haggard, Charley Pride, Patsy Cline, and George Jones to world-renowned jazz, blues, and R&B artists like B. B. King, Ray Charles, Nat King Cole, James Brown, and Al Green. Johnny Rodriquez, Freddy Fender and Selena have also graced the stage.
In 1978 the Longhorn Ballroom reached international fame for being one of six venues in America to host the Sex Pistols on their only US tour. The tour was considered one of the seminal moments in rock and roll history. The venue has always embraced the punk attitude of pushing to expand the boundaries of inclusion and acceptance through hosting a variety of artists and cutting- edge performances.
A new generation of ownership brings an entrepreneurial and independent spirit and looks forward to bringing this legendary venue back to its storied heyday.