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Memorial Auditorium
The City of Wichita Falls is the county seat of Wichita County and located in the North East corner of the Panhandle/Plains area of North Texas, within two hours of both Dallas-Fort Worth and Oklahoma City. North Texas was the traditional home of several tribes of Plains Indians, notably the Kiowa and Comanche. Wichita County was organized in 1882, and the railroad arrived the same year. Agriculture dominated the economy until early in the 20th century when oil was discovered in the area which led to an oil boom that peaked during World War I. For the next several years, Wichita Falls flourished as a refinery town while continuing to support the agricultural economy that was based largely on cattle and wheat. During World War II, Sheppard Air Force Base was established in Wichita Falls and became an important contributor to the economy.1
Memorial Auditorium, called Municipal Auditorium initially, located at 1300 7th Street in Wichita Falls just west of the downtown district, was built in 1927 in hopes of attracting conventions and major entertainers.1 It is said by some to be built on the bluff where the last Indian battle had been fought in Wichita Falls.2 In 1870, the Battle of the Little Wichita River was part of two-day effort by the 6th U.S. Calvary to subdue an uprising by Chief Kicking Bird and 100 members of the Kiowa Indian tribe dissatisfied with their miserable lives on the reservation.3
The Auditorium was modeled after the Fair Park Music Hall in Dallas, replicating the same three portals on the front but with a slightly different architecture and interior decor. It has 12 dressing rooms and has staged a variety of concerts, shows, and legendary performers such as Will Rogers, Al Jolsen, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Ethel Barrymore, Gene Autry and Bob Hope. The building also houses many of the city's municipal offices.2
The Auditorium, at least from 1954 through 1956, was listed in Billboard as having 3148 permanent seats and managed by George A. Mobley
On January 19, 1956, Elvis, Scotty, D.J. and Bill made the first of two appearances at the auditorium with two performances each time. Elvis, Scotty and Bill at least had performed in Wichita Falls twice before in 1955, at the M-B Corral club on April 25th and at Spudder Park on August 22nd.
This date was during a six day tour of Texas with Jamboree Attractions that included preceding stops in San Antonio, Galveston, Beaumont and Austin, and concluded with a stop in Fort Worth. Peter Guralnick wrote that this tour would be the last dates that Elvis and the boys would be a supporting act. Elvis received $1800 for the six days.4 They would not tour again until February but would make their first two national Television appearances on the Dorsey Brother's Stageshow in the interim. According to Stanley Oberst, like the last Wichita Falls appearance at Spudder Park, this show was booked by Bill Mack.5
Originally from Shamrock, Texas, Bill Mack (born Bill Smith) had been a country disc jockey since the late 1940s, and also had success as a singer, songwriter, and producer. While at West Texas State College he worked for radio KEVA and at 19, he was news-director for radio KLYN in Amarillo. He got his first break of his multi-faceted career in Wichita Falls in 1951 as a deejay at KWFT. In addition he had his own show 'The Big Six Jamboree' in the early 50s and emceed 'The Old Hadocol Western Barn Dance' on KWFT-TV which led to a contract with Imperial Records.6
By their return trip and final appearance in Wichita Falls on April 9th, they had appeared on the Milton Berle show and Elvis had signed a movie deal with Paramount. This appearance took place on an off night from a five city tour promoted by A.V. Bamford, with Wanda Jackson and Faron Young that started in Denver the night before and commenced the following night in Lubbock followed by stops in El Paso, Albuquerque and Amarillo.
The two-show appearance in Wichita Falls was likely booked again by Bill Mack. Lee Cotten wrote that Elvis wore a blue suit and white shoes as he headlined two performances at the Municipal Auditorium in Wichita Falls, at 7:00 and 9:00 p.m. The show featured the Hank Locklin unit, with Charline Arthur and Bill Mack. Tickets were $1.25 for the balcony and $1.50 for the main floor with all kids admitted for 50-cents. Tickets purchased in advance saved a quarter. Backstage Elvis was interviewed by Jay Thompson, (hear it below) host of the “Hillbilly Hit Parade" on KSTB radio in nearby Breckenridge.7 He mentions in the interview recently signing a seven year contract with Paramount and expectations of his first picture being The Rainmaker with Burt Lancaster and Katherine Hepburn.
The Colonel had been instrumental in getting Charline Arthur signed to RCA in 1952. The boys had first shared dates with her though in Lubbock, Roswell and Abilene in February of 1955 followed by dates in Texarkana and Dallas at the Big D Jamboree where she was a regular, and also in Memphis. This would be their last. RCA dropped her later in 1956, and because of her reputation for being controversial and difficult, no other major record label took her in.8
Carol Allred, a native to Wichita Falls, attended the
show that evening and took photos. She remembered that at the time it
was called the "Municipal" Auditorium, as indicated in the ads for the
show. She said, from the stage, there was what was called the
orchestra pit,....then we were sitting about 5 rows (that I can remember) back. Great seats. At the time I didn't know who Elvis was, but my friends wanted me to go, so I did....and screamed with the rest of the girls...not knowing who I was screaming for.
Little did I know.
Judy L Patterson, another Wichita Falls native, went to see him at least twice, she said he parked outside the back of the Memorial Auditorium and one of the boys in our neighborhood bragged that he stole the hood ornament off his Cadillac. Don't know if that was true or not. He signed autographs at the stage door.
After the Bamford tour, Elvis, Scotty, Bill and DJ would fly to Nashville for a session at McGavock St. and then return to San Antonio for three more dates in Texas with Wanda Jackson and Hank Locklin, the last appearances that they would make with any that could be considered their peers.
A country disc jockey now for more than a half-century, Bill Mack later worked for KDAV in Lubbock and went to WBAP in Fort Worth in 1969. In 1996 thirteen-year-old LeAnn Rimes launched her career with "Blue," a song written by Bill back in 1959. It hit #1 on the charts and he received a Grammy for it in 1997. Bill retired from WBAP in March of 2001 but today still hosts shows on Satellite radio.9
The auditorium received renovations in the '60s and the '70s would see acts at Memorial Auditorium such as Rush, Nazareth, Styx and Judas Priest. The Auditorium has since hosted, the Judds, Reba McEntire, Randy Travis, George Strait, Ricky Van Shelton and Garth Brooks among others. These current stars' double sellouts were matched by a double sellout of the national tour of the famous Broadway show Cats. Today, at 2700 seats, the Auditorium is a component of the Multi-Purpose Events Center (MPEC) in Wichita Falls and still hosts variety of concerts and shows.2
The refineries in Wichita Falls have long since disappeared, but oil production and farming remain. Also important is Midwestern State University with a student body numbering approximately 6,000. Sheppard Air Force Base is still an important contributor to the economy.1
page added March 20, 2011
Special thanks to Graham Tedesco-Blair and the Wichita Falls Public Library for their assistance with ads. 1
excerpts from Wichita
Falls: Images of America By Kenneth E. Hendrickson, Jr.
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All photos on this site (that we didn't borrow) unless otherwise indicated are the property of either Scotty Moore or James V. Roy and unauthorized use or reproduction is prohibited. |
