About this property
Cain's Ballroom, often simply called the Cain's, is a music venue in Tulsa, Oklahoma that was built in 1924. The building is a historical landmark in downtown Tulsa, with performances still running today. Cain's Ballroom was originally built in 1924 by W. Tate Brady as his garage. The building was purchased in 1930 by Madison W. “Daddy” Cain to serve as "Cain's Dance Academy." In the 1930s and 40s the Cain's served as a "dime-a-dance", offering dance lessons for ten cents. Bob Wills came to Tulsa in the 1930s after parting ways with his manager, who retaliated by barring him from performing on Texas and Oklahoma City radio stations. After impressing the reluctant station manager at KVOO-AM, Wills began performing almost daily on broadcast from the Cain's. His first concert at the Cain's was on New Year's Night in 1935. It was during his performances at the Cain's that Wills popularized the Western swing genre. Wills performed at the Cain's regularly until 1943, when he left Tulsa to pursue other interests, with his brother Johnnie Lee Wills taking over regular concert duties. Today, the venue has a banner above the main stage that states "Home of Bob Wills". While much of Tulsa was segregated at the time, the Cain's regularly booked black artists such as Count Basie and Ernie Fields. However, in the late 40s and 50s, the Cain's declined in popularity as public perception of the venue soured. Poor management led to the venue being "virtually empty" through the 60s. The venue was bought in 1972 by Marie Meyers, an elderly woman who unsuccessfully attempted to bring dances back to the ballroom. In 1976, concert promoter Larry Shaeffer purchased the venue for $60,000, money he had earned from booking a Peter Frampton concert at the Tulsa Fairgrounds Speedway that same year. It was during Shaeffer's ownership that several popular rock acts of the time were booked at the Cain's, including native Oklahoman Leon Russell. The venue also became known as a spot for "baby bands", emerging musicians, to perform. Shaeffer owned the Cain's up until 1999, operating it even while touring with Hank Williams Jr. He sold the ballroom that year to brothers Danny and Mark Finnerty, for little. During this time rumors spread that the Cain's Ballroom was shut down for good. While plans were made for the brothers to retain the venue, eventually it was sold in 2002. In 2002, the Cain's was purchased by James Rodgers, a neurosurgeon, and his wife Alice. The Rodgers family has owned the venue since. The building was in disrepair and needed several renovations to bring it to modern standards. Dwight Yoakam was the first artist to perform there after these renovations. By 2013, it was co-owned by James and Alice's sons, Chad and Hunter Rodgers.
Location
Categories
Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Everything a full report reveals about Cain's Dancing Academy
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Questions about this property
When was Cain's Dancing Academy listed on the National Register?
Cain's Dancing Academy was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 3, 2003.
What type of historic resource is Cain's Dancing Academy?
Cain's Dancing Academy is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
What is the period of significance for Cain's Dancing Academy?
The period of significance for Cain's Dancing Academy is recorded as the industrial era, specifically around 1924.
Can I research the history near Cain's Dancing Academy?
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