Pelican Club

Status: Closed

Parish: Avoyelles

Location: Marksville

Alton Dupuy: “It was on the corner- the address was on Spring Bayou Road. It was owned by Whitney Bordelon in the 1950s. You entered into the bar and there was a pathway straight through to the dancehall. You’d get your hand stamped when you paid to dance. It might have been the Moonlight Inn before that. My sister (Bruce Daigrepont’s mother), Jennie Rita Dupuy, danced with Hank Williams there. Boogie Kings played there too.”

Dale Walker: “Right before the Peacock Club opened there was another club on the Spring Bayou Road also know as Bayou Blanc Community, Marksville, LA. The Pelican Club thrived for many years. It was owned by Whitney Bordelon. He was a great owner/manager but there were the occasional fights with a couple of fatalities involved. It brought down the club goers a bit but soon business would be back up and going. I would have to say it survived for many years because my dad talked about getting into a fight there with the well-known actor of those days Robert Mitchum and which had to be around the late 1940s and/or 1950s. I remember my sister going there in the 1960s. I, unfortunately, never got to go except the parking lot in the car with my mom to pick up my sister. It was a happening place but one night there was an explosion in the early morning hours that shook the entire town. The Pelican Club had caught on fire and with all the liquor in there it created an enormous explosion. The place burned to the ground. It never reopened after that time so I presume that’s why the Peacock Club ending up opening to have a dance hall in this area. I know there are pics around the Avoyelles Parish Area because I heard some individuals even had pics of it burning and of the next day when it was still smoking. It was a big loss and some frequent goers grieved the loss. I don’t know what bands would play there but I’m sure it was some of the best but I would think local bands. I believe two of the bands were The Boogie Kings and The Swing Kings which may have been a mixture of the two bands. The same owner and building before it was the Pelican Club aka The Moonlight Inn (not sure of the spelling). I know during the time my dad went it was the Moonlight Inn. When the Grand Casino aka The Paragon Casino opened up in Marksviile, LA some 20 years ago they had named the dance club in the casino The Pelican Club in honor of the one that had burned down years ago. Recently the Paragon Casino shut down the Pelican Club in the casino and now I grieve because having a dad that played in a band back in the 50s and 60s I have always enjoyed my dance halls and at an early age approximately 4 years old probably younger but that is the time I remember until my dad passed away when I was 12 years old, I was usually right next to the bandstand listening and dancing in a corner. At the age of 14 my grieving stopped because my mom allowed me to go back to my favorite places where I felt secure since the loss of my dad and that was Louisiana Dance Halls. Where there was music, dancing and bands I would forget my grieving and become alive. At 60 years old I still like to dance and I’m not too particular on my genre of music.”

8 Comments

  1. I can remember a young man was murdered at the pelican club in the mid 60’s .. 2 other guys stomped him to death because
    he drank some beer out of one of their beer bottles .. my cousin mj Juneau ( joey Mitchell ) was performing with the swing kings the same
    night of the killing .. my dad allen roy of hessmer served on the jury at the trial at Avoyelles courthouse . trial lasted 6 weeks .. the 2 murderers
    got off easy with each a manslaughter charge .. their attorney was Camille gravel who was popular as mike small is now ..

    marvin roy – hessmer, la.

    Reply
    • I miss you daddy!!!

      Reply
  2. Can anyone give me a little history of the Peacock Club?
    Looking for info like who played there, and dates.

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    • My husband and I went there in the late sixties and early seventies. It was a skating rink before a dancehall. We saw the Joe Stampley and the Uniques, Percy Sledge, and many others there.

      Reply
    • My bro in law,Herb Bettevy,played music with Bab Bordelon,Ozia paul, Pete and Earl jeansonne,St Clare Paul and others many times at the Pelican once I can remember Fats Domino came,also ?Mathis and his wife. He p!ayed a double neck elec.guitar. Jimmy StewaRt came there also and it was a reg stop for the Boogie kings.if i am not wrong Boots Randolf came once to!.my hus (boyfriend then) and I were there almost every Sat. Nite an d nites,in between. ..sometimes Herb would play at LA VIES IN ManSURA too

      Reply
  3. I SEEN —COOKIE AND THE CUPCAKES THERE IN THE 60 ‘ S

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    • I’m Donnie Morris… I use to play music at the Peacock in weekends …and even played there when it was a skating rink before it was a dance hall for teenagers…I was in the Premiers band… us and the Uniques …lots of battle of the bands…

      Reply
  4. David “Dave” Louis Bartholomew (24 Dec. 1918 – 23 June 2019) would backup, Fats Domino there in the early 60’s. We would drive down from Alexandria to hear them.

    Reply

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