Cowtown Jamboree - Panther Hall

Panther Hall was probably the most popular venue for live country music in Fort Worth, Texas, during the 1960s and 1970s. It was not only a hotbed for popular local and regional acts but also featured national known stars regularly. Moreover, it was home to Fort Worth's "Cowtown Jamboree", a live stage show that also aired on TV.

The list of talent and stars that performed on stage in front of sold-out crowds is long and prestigous. Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Little Jimmy Dickens, and countless other top names of the day stopped by to play Panther Hall.

The story of Fort Worth's heart of country music entertainment began in 1961, when brothers Bill and Corky Kuykendall built Panther Hall, originally as a bowling arena, envisioned by the Kuykendalls' investor as the new home of Fort Worth's professional bowling league. However, audiences were not ready for a major league bowling team and soon, the Kuykendalls were left with a building nobody wanted.

A night club owner suggested they should convert Panther Hall into a dance hall and so they did. This was in 1963. In July, the grand opening featured local Billy Gray and the legendary Bob Wills to appear on stage of Panther Hall. Within a few years after its opening, the building's reputation as a live music venue grew. The Kuykendalls soon also hosted acts out of the country music field on Friday nights, the first being Bobby Vinton.

Panther Hall developed into a popular live music place and put Fort Worth on the map for music fans. This was mostly due to the presence of the Cowtown Jamboree, a live stage show that was televised on KTVT as part of the station's Saturday night programming, which also included syndicated shows from different country music stars. Emceed by Bo Powell or Bill Mack, soon, many of the stars of the 1960s appeared on Cowtown Jamboree and played concerts right after the TV show had ended. Such names included Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys, Loretta Lynn, Buck Owens, Johnny Bush, George Jones, Ray Price, Porter Wagoner, Dolly Parton, Lefty Frizzell, Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and many others. Both Jerry Lee Lewis and Willie Nelson cut live albums at Panther Hall in 1966 as did Charley Pride in 1969.

Waylon Jennings at Panther Hall during Cowtown Jamboree, 1971

Apart from the national known stars, also many local acts appeared on Saturday nights at Panther Hall. Popular Texas country music bandleader Jimmy Heap and his band were regular visitors to the venue and also Curley Jim Morrison, who enjoyed some local popularity in Fort Worth with songs like "Little John" and "Ace in the Hole", appeared there. In addition to country music acts, there were also many pop and rock bands over the years to appear at Panther Hall. ZZ Top, Savoy Brown, Canned Heat, the Grateful Dead, the Ramones, and other chart busting popular bands entertained the crows there.

Advertisement for UK blues rock band Savoy Brown at Panther Hall
March 20, 1970

Although being popular well into the 1970s, the live music fun came to an end in 1978. The Kuykendalls had sold Panther Hall in 1973 and the new owners remodeled it in 1975. However, the concerts' popularity ceased and in 1978, Panther Hall closed as a live music venue. Among the last country music singers to perform there was Tony Douglas, a local who had been a regular at Panther Hall. A year later, the hall housed a disco but soon, it came all to an end.

In 1979, Texas Wesleyan University bought the hall. During the years, the building fell apart and was finally demolished in early 1997, destroying a piece of American music history.

Above: front and back cover of a Cowtown Jamboree LP featuring many of the show's house musicians

Sources
• Elvia Limon: "What Happened to Fort Worth's Panther Hall, home of TV's Cowtown Jamboree?" (Dallas Morning News)
• Panther Hall at Texas State Historical Association
• Panther Hall Collection
• Panther Hall historical concert dates
• Bo Powell obituary
• Story of Panther Hall on "Hometown by Handlebar"
• Shirley Jinkins: "Fort Worth's country music roots run deep" (Fort Worth Star-Telegram)