Shreveport/Bossier History Threatened

[j.nc]

1960s(70s) KEEL radio = Lovable Larry Ryan

rhertz: "1970s Shreve Square

I should be an expert on Shreve Square but I can hardly remember those days… Sorry, the square consumed a lot of brain cells…."

LMAO. yep... A-train and Killer Beez (sp?) at Humphries, Sportspage -precurser to sports bars with all the screens playing football games.

Rusty Nail = ( I have it in my head that this used to be "Tape City USA" where'd you'd get your 8-tracks); Trout fishing in America played there a lot.

“ghost tracks”…. did that once,

Stan's Record Shop. Stan and the history of the song "Susie Q"

in all.. listen to rhertz and joepoole and Isaac-Saxxon and a few others and u'll do good.

edit:

"Hair Shapers" -was that the place next to Byrd on Line Ave? There was a hair place next to Byrd - I think that was the first boutique hair cutting place in Shreveport. They retained a regular barber too - got my hair cut there for a while. It was close to the art gallery.

Leatherhead? There was this leather shop run by a hippie just off of...? Kings Highway near Centenary/Gilbert - somewhere around there. Just a small building kind of sat by itself. He made belts and other such leathercraft.

[rhertz]

Originally Posted by j.nc

Rusty Nail = ( I have it in my head that this used to be "Tape City USA" where'd you'd get your 8-tracks); Trout fishing in America played there a lot.

Yeah now I remember. I used to go into Tape City and pick out an 8track and they would dup it right there in front of you! That took balls. I think ASCAP/BMI authorities cracked down and/or shut down the place after a while.

Originally Posted by j.nc

in all.. listen to rhertz and joepoole and Isaac-Saxxon and a few others and u'll do good.

LOL, now he's in trouble for sure...

[Jvanv]

Just wanted to let anyone who visits that as of April 28, 2014 I am still working on this project.

I have made fairly good progress on information about the Skyway Club and other area venues and I am currently seeking any information you may recall about the Columbia Park raid in 1971 or the underground newspapers that promoted the rallies at Betty Virginia Park. I have located the class action law suit that came out of the bust but it doesn't really give a lot of detail about the events surrounding or leading up to the bust.

http://leagle.com/decision/197116413...20D'ARTOIS

[Jvanv]

Originally Posted by j.nc

Leatherhead? There was this leather shop run by a hippie just off of...? Kings Highway near Centenary/Gilbert - somewhere around there. Just a small building kind of sat by itself. He made belts and other such leathercraft.

Actually he just looked like a hippie. His name was Robie Odom and from what I've heard he was kind of an uber-athlete at Byrd High School in the late sixties. He moved to Dallas and became a graphic artist/computer graphics guru.

[LateNight]

SOOTO Records - Something Out of the Ordinary.

Loved going into that place.. as a young lad, who listened to some pretty eclectic music, didn't care for the top 40 stuff.. I could go into Sooto's and find some excellent stuff.. I believe several if not all of the A-Train records were released on the Sooto's label.

[Jvanv]

Originally Posted by j.nc

1960s(70s) KEEL radio = Lovable Larry Ryan

"Hair Shapers" -was that the place next to Byrd on Line Ave? There was a hair place next to Byrd - I think that was the first boutique hair cutting place in Shreveport. They retained a regular barber too - got my hair cut there for a while. It was close to the art gallery.

I don't recall Hair Shapers ever being next to Byrd, I think that was Illusions run by Doug Yelverton and Bev? weird lady with wild hair. Hair Shapers was one of the, if not THE first, salon to locate in a mall (St. Vincent's Mall). They were on the East side just outside of Sears. Owned by Claude and Sue Burch who I believe purchased Pat Goin's beauty school on Youree Drive.

Anyone know what happened to Dale Hawkins?

[Jvanv]

I vaguely remember bombers being scrambled and the base being shut down, does anyone else have any recollections of what was going on out there (or anywhere else in the city for that matter)?

And while we're at it - Where were you when JFK was assassinated?

[rhertz]

Originally Posted by Jvanv

I vaguely remember bombers being scrambled and the base being shut down, does anyone else have any recollections of what was going on out there (or anywhere else in the city for that matter)?

I recall "sonic booms" all the time in Shreveport. Also civil warning sirens would go off every Saturday at noon. They were up on poles at schools. The one closest one to my house was at Broadmoor Junor High. It used to drive all dogs nuts! Especially hounds. First the sirens, then the hounds...Finally the sirens would stop but the dogs just keep on going. I forget when they stopped all that. Must have been in the mid or late 70's

Originally Posted by Jvanv

And while we're at it - Where were you when JFK was assassinated?

I was 4 years old when JFK was shot and I mean to tell you, it sucked for a 4 year old. No cartoons, no tv shows, no nothing for 3 or 4 days. Finally some programming resumed... I had little understanding of what was going on. I just knew everyone was sad...

[decolady]

Originally Posted by Jvanv

And while we're at it - Where were you when JFK was assassinated?

We lived in Tallulah then and I was sitting in my 4th grade classroom. The intercom came on and the principal made an announcement that the president had been shot. Lots of kids went home from school early.

My aunt had taken my younger brother and sister to Dallas to see the motorcade so they were on the scene. They were both really young and don't really remember what happened.

[Jvanv]

Well this has sort of gotten put on the back burner but I still think it is worth while. I will get back to it at some point.

Does anyone remember Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs playing in the Shreve-City parking lot?

Or, Parker Turner and the White Leopard Kung Fu School? Or Johnny Lee the main instructor? I believe they put on some sort of Kung Fu Demonstration at the civic center, Kung Fu masters from around the world sort of thing.

Murrells restaurant? Dobbs House on Line Ave? Robert Riser, Sherman Gorton?

[Jvanv]

Hello everyone. This has certainly been a long and drawn out process, but after many hours pouring over info on the internet and several trips to gather information from old timers I'm finally starting to write what I hope will be the companion book to the documentary.

Please if you have any stories about the Bossier Strip I would really love to hear them. If you know anyone that used to work on the strip I would really love to talk with them.

There is virtually nothing online or in print about the Bossier Strip or what it used to be. I hope that this work may serve to inform and entertain future generations about the rich musical heritage that is theirs.

If you would like to speak to me I can be contacted at 469-441-8771

Thanks again for all the input.

Sincerely,
Jonathan Van Voorhees

[Jvanv]

I am making progress on the book portion of this project. The Skyway Club was a club on the Bossier Strip between 1936 and 1966. It was host to some of the biggest names in country music in it's day. Hank Williams played there, Elvis Presley, Webb Pierce, Slim Whitman, Faron Young, Johnny Horton, and many others got their start as professional musicians there. There was even a radio broadcast from the club that went out over KWKH the same station that broadcast the Louisiana Hayride.

I am looking for stories about the SKYWAY CLUB, or anyone that ever visited the Skyway Club. No detail is too small to be worth mentioning. If you know anything or know anyone that knows anything about the club, the people who patronized the club, performers who played the club or any legends, fables, myths about the club I would like to hear them.

Please contact me at 469-441-8771 or by email at jdvanvoorhees@aim.com

Thanks to everyone who has commented.