Event

Secrets revealed of the hottest honky-tonk of the 20th Century – Cain’s Ballroom

Saturday, August 28th, 11:00 AM

Hear a presentation by the authors, ask questions, and get your books signed!

About the Book:

The Cain’s Ballroom building was originally designed to be a car dealership. Instead, it became one of the most iconic American music venues of all time. Only one place in the whole world can claim to be both the Carnegie Hall of western swing and the penultimate stop on the Sex Pistols’ infamous American tour. Now, for the first time ever, all the secrets of the hottest honky-tonk of the 20th Century – Cain’s Ballroom – are revealed in Twentieth-Century Honky-Tonk, in the words of the people who made it happen.

Spanning the famed venue’s first 75 years, from 1924 through 1999, Twentieth-Century Honky-Tonk tells it all, from Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys – who became a national sensation with their clear-channel ballroom broadcasts – to U2, the Police, and Van Halen – as Cain’s became an essential stop for breakout acts and cosmic cowboys.

The book also covers cutting-edge alt-rock acts, metal bands, and off-the-wall attractions like ladies’ mud wrestling (which worked) and Pig Time Racing (which didn’t).

About the Authors:

Co-authors, John Wooley and Brett Bingham, share a deep affinity for music, pop culture, and history – all of which intersect at the Cain’s Ballroom in their stories, interviews, and commentary.

John Wooley has written, co-written, or edited more than 40 books, including Shot in Oklahoma, named Outstanding Book on Oklahoma History for 2011 by the Oklahoma Historical Society. A three-time finalist for the Oklahoma Book Award, he was the first writer to be inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame. His classic horror novel, Old Fears (written with Ron Wolfe), is currently under option to Sony Pictures Television.

Legend has it that when Brett Bingham was born, he could see the Cain’s Ballroom out of his hospital window. Before he was even in high-school, Brett was running the national fan club for Bob Wills’ Original Texas Playboys; as an adult, he’s worked with dozens of musical acts, doing both management and booking and specializing in western Swing. Currently, he’s the business manager for Bob Wills’ Texas Playboys under the direction of Jason Roberts.

John Wooley

Brett Bingham