Golden Spur

Listed in “Readers recall clubs where they danced to Louisiana Music” from The Daily Advertiser, December 29, 1998: “Readers of The Daily Advertiser were asked to submit names of’ the clubs where they danced to Louisiana music in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, with a brief recollection of what the club was like and who played there.” ...

Guidry’s Place

Photo at left courtesy of Marty Guidry, Photo at right from the Johnnie Allan Collection at the Center for Louisiana Studies, University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Marty Guidry: “With the building of the levees around the Atchafalaya Swamp shortly after the massive 1927 flood in south Louisiana, Henry Guidry, a bridge tender at the small community Atchafalaya, moved his family in 1930 the short distance to Lenora. One of the earliest settlers of Lenora, Henry immediately built a grocery store, restaurant and dance hall. In 1934 using mules Henry Guidry hauled his businesses about a mile southwest and reopened. Folks began to settle around Guidry’s businesses and the small community of Henderson came into existence. Today Henry Guidry is known as the founder of Henderson, Louisiana. Henry was quite a cook and is best known for making crawfish the premier seafood it is today. Diners drove on dirt roads for miles to eat crawfish at Guidry’s Place in Henderson. Within the same building was Henry Guidry’s dance hall of the same name. Diners could enjoy the Cajun music while dancers from throughout the area glided across the cornmeal-strewn floor to the two-steps and waltzes. The Cajun bands played long into the night. As a young woman, Helen Boudreaux, award-winning Cajun singer and songwriter, remembers sitting on the balcony at Guidry’s Place and watching her two brothers woo the girls with their outstanding dancing. At Henry Guidry’s death in 1954, the family sold the restaurant and dancehall to Pat Huval and it became the world famous Pat’s of Henderson Seafood Restaurant.”   ...

Angelle’s Whiskey River Landing

1365 Henderson Levee Road, Cajun or zydeco, every Sunday afternoon, Started as a bar and boat launch, the original owner added a back porch as an area to host fishing tournament weigh-ins. After a short period of time, he decided to cover the area and began having occasisonal bands on weekend afternoons. When those events proved to be success, he added enclosed the back area with walls and added fans (and later air conditioning and heat). Dancing at Whiskey River ...

Therrits Levee Club

Listed in “Readers recall clubs where they danced to Louisiana Music” from The Daily Advertiser, December 29, 1998: “Readers of The Daily Advertiser were asked to submit names of’ the clubs where they danced to Louisiana music in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, with a brief recollection of what the club was like and who played there.” Photo from the Johnnie Allan Collection at the Center for Louisiana Studies, University of Louisiana at Lafayette. ...

Colonial Club

Dale Walker: “The Colonial Club is one of the clubs I remember going to when my dad was in the band and they played there mainly on Saturday Nights. The Colonial Club was really what I would call a Honky Tonk. It was the classic white building with no windows except maybe one in the back. At that time there was no fire marshals nor was there any fire safety laws. It must have been in the mid to late fifties when my dad played music there. I can still see the traditional wooden tables with wood chairs with the red and white checkered tablecloths. The tables would comfortably seat four individuals but if needed two or more tables could be put together. I really enjoyed the nights my dad played music. Heck I was a dancing queen on those nights in a dark corner next to the band stand dancing my heart away to every song. My Mom would be sitting at the table and would keep an eye on me because several times I had ventured out on the dance floor to try my hand at dancing with the adults. My mom would start looking for me and when my dad would see her looking for me my dad would point to my location. She would immediately come get me. The Colonial Club had a crowd every Saturday Night and I would see adults having good clean fun dancing the night away. The Colonial Club was located on the Hessmer Hwy. between Bunkie, LA and Marksville, LA. Therefore it drew people from both sides of the parish. My dad’s band was well known so they drew a crowd. They played old country and western songs especially Hank Williams, Sr. Jimmie Rodgers, Roy Rogers, Lefty Frizzell, Johnny Cash, Ernest Tubb, etc. The songs still live inside my head after all those years.” Listed in “Readers recall clubs where they danced to Louisiana Music” from The Daily Advertiser, December 29, 1998: “Readers of The Daily Advertiser were asked to submit names of’ the clubs where they danced to Louisiana music in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, with a brief recollection of what the club was like and who played there.” Alton Dupuy: It was a country music spot between Hessmer & Bunkie. ...

112 Club

Mentioned in “Louisiana Fiddlers” by Ron Yule and Bill Burge: Country, swing, and old time fiddler Ray Beebe played there in 1960 in place of Leon Melder when Melder’s hand was out with a cut hand. Country and western swing fiddler Jack Kay played there in the mid 1960s. Eddie Friday also played at the family style dances held there at this popular spot. ...