Memories of Our Austin - People

Madalyn Murray O'Hair

Sat, 16 Mar 2013 22:06:50 -0700

An Austin rebel, for sure. MMO'H was one of the most hated figures in town back in the "peaceful" hippie days. She could be counted on for regularly protesting at political events, and therefore appearing on the news that night. I recall that when she got ill and passed on, her son carried the torch here in town as best he could. This movement was what defined "Austin Anarchy" for many, many years and actually seemed like a local thing. I suppose that it took Phil Tolstead's arrest at Raul's to define the next phase of that.

Remembering Ken Featherston

Mon, 28 Dec 2009 16:13:39 -0800

Ken Featherston was from my neighborhood near Oso Park in Corpus Christi. I knew his sister from school and the neighborhood, but just saw him around, cause he was older. We were all proud of him though. He was off in Austin working a staff artist (here's a cover he did for the Marshall Tucker band) and as a bouncer for the Armadillo. That lead to his death. In 1975 he was working security for a Pointer Sisters show at the Armadillo. Someone had been escorted out by another fellow, and unfortunately that person thought that they should come back and shoot and kill somebody. So we lost him. I just want him to be remembered. So, here's a link to some of his posters done for the Armadillo and for sale by wolfgangs vault. If you hunt around you can find more of the cover art he did for albums. Who knows how famous he would have gotten if he'd not been killed so young, but he was famous with me.

Texas Sun

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:36:22 -0800

Here's a treasure trove for all of you with fuzzy memories of Austin in the 70's. A full scan of the Texas Sun newspaper from 1977. I'm sure that there's more to be found but wow... check out those club listings!

Update: Here is an archive of years of the Sun

Hattie Valdez and Waldo Harper

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:49:49 -0800

I have already told you some about Hattie Valdez. She was the most well known madam in Austin. Waldo Harper had a wrecker service (it still exists) and was the perrinial champion race car driver at out little round and round track. He won the title almost every year.

He was trying to get Hattie to sponser on his car. Hattie said to him;"Hell Waldo, what would you put on the car".
Waldo said: "That's easy, Hattie's Hardware, The Best Screws in Town".

I have laughed about this story over and over. It was told to me by Curtis Martin, a wrecker driver that heard Waldo say it.

Hattie Valdez

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:44:15 -0800

She was Austin's most famous madam in the 50's to the 70's.
She had many houses around town and most the the ladies were bored married women. Hattie's residence was on the southeast corner of I-35 and Riverside. It now houses Time Insurance Agency. There are two old homes on the property. Almost every room has a bathroom. Go figure. I have worked for Time and here's a short story.

I was in the kitchen getting some coffee one morning and one of the insurance ladies was taking an application from this older gentleman. She left and went to her desk to get something and left me there with this man. He looked up at me sheepshly and said, "I've been here before, but it wasn't to buy insurance." We both had a laugh.

The Day John Lennon Died

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 09:49:01 -0700

Who was here that fateful day, Dec. 8, 1980? It was actually the day after that I remember. I was awakened, as always back then, to KLBJ-FM. Note, that was when KLBJ was good; before it changed into their current "Hey man, let's party!" blazing guitars and hair mode. Anyway, the DJ was very somber and announced that Lennon had been killed the night before. They played only Beatles and Lennon that day non-stop, no commercial breaks. I had to go to work but I was completely shocked into an altered sense of being. The Beatles meant so much to us all. Around 5:00pm or so, I was at my girlfriend's apartment and she told me of a gathering at Zilker under the Zilker Christmas tree... we had to go.

What we found there was a very large but quiet crowd of Austin under the tree. Some had brought candles to pass around and soon there was a large circle of folks, all holding candles, around the base of the tree, all facing in. We cried, we sang, we thought of the damage that Mark David Chapman had done. We all knew that things had fundamentally changed that night. Austin certainly never felt the same again. It seemed like from that day forward, the pace of change in Austin has done nothing but get faster, accelerating away from us.

Old Janis Days

Sun, 05 Apr 2009 11:12:51 -0700

Yea, I was lucky enough to move to austin in mid 60's. Threadgills was the only saloon out north, well besides Jade and Dodge City. But me Mom used to take me, as she knew Kenneth, Senor Cisco, and many politicos.
I remember I thought the gal sounded horrid and just screammed. You had to understand it was a small, small joint and she of course sang her heart out. But I never forget her. She sat with KT and mom and I. And indeed she became a legend, and I finally liked most her stuff. The last time I saw her was in Fillmore West with BB & Holding.
God bless me mom for enlightening me to the Austin music scenne before there was one.
BadBuzz
The road goes on forever...and the party never ends!

Top Notch Burgers

Sat, 15 Nov 2008 07:32:06 -0800

Last week we lost yet another one of those things that you just rely on being there: James Stanish passed on. If your had ever eaten there, "Mr. Top Notch" surely either took your order and/or cooked your meal. Everyone seems to mention the Dazed and Confused connection with Top Notch as if that is the defining attribute. It's not. Top Notch has always been a place where you walked in and felt like family. We don't know yet whether they will re-open and try to keep going without James. I hope so but in either case we will have lost a part of our Austin family.

Update: the family has decided to re-open the restaurant and keep going. Give them your support.

Hippie Flower Sellers

Tue, 04 Nov 2008 06:23:57 -0800

Today, there are pan handlers on every street corner. Back in the good old days, there were hippie flower sellers. Remember them? I think they were officially called "The Flower People". They each had a white plastic bucket of long stem carnations and each had their own style of marketing and actually put some effort into it. The main technique I recall was their ability to twirl a long-stem flower on their index finger for hours. Much like watching someone spin a basketball or ride a unicycle, it look effortless and easy.

Effortless and easy... that pretty much describes the culture of the times that allowed not only the omnipresence of these hippies of commerce but also allowed one of them to rise up to run the circus:

Ray Henning's Heart of Texas Music Store

Wed, 05 Sep 2007 19:15:37 -0700

Ray Henning's HoT Music... a more mystical place may not exist for the Austin music lover. Consider this. Ray has been central to the Austin music scene since well before anyone knew there was one. I know a member of an Austin 50's doo-wop group (The Slades, compadres of Ray Campi) that remembers Ray running HoT music even back then. Ray gave the starving, strugging, Stevie Vaughn a guitar from the "used" bin that SRV went on to make his career upon. HoT music directly supports road shows and all Austin music festivals with equipment rentals, loaners, whatever. Ray help define Austin as a Guitar Town well before the the marketing guys woke up to it.

Musicians have come and gone in this town but one of the men behind the scenes, who made the music possible more than most, was always Ray Henning.

Update: Well, the end is here. As reported by the Statesman, Lamar Plaza is being gentrified. Here's the final tombstone for a great Austin tradition.

It is said that HoT Music will keep going in their Temple store... I hope so.

Note: Ray doesn't seem to have a website and a lot of folks end up here after searching for him. Here is his information from the phone book:

Heart Of Texas Music
1002 S Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 444-9750
(800) 856-1313

Hours of Operation: Mon-Fri 9:30am-6:30pm, Sat 9:30am-6pm
Payment Methods: AMEX, DISCOVER, MASTER CARD and VISA

Ray Henning & Family - A Texas Tradition Since 1961

Bicycle Annie

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 13:17:33 -0700

Back in college, starting in 1979, I remember old Bicycle Annie. By that time, she had given up her (three wheeled) bike, and would move slowly around on crutches. She moves so slowly that, you'd see her at one end of The Drag on your way to class, and when you were returning from class, she had finally made her way about six blocks toward the other end of The Drag.

One time, I made the mistake of trying to open the door for her at the Whataburger on The Drag. She screamed at me that, in no uncertain terms, would she accept no help from anybody. I cringed and slunk away like a beat puppy.

Man, she was old. I wonder how much longer she lived or who she really was.

Google Bucket

Mon, 09 Oct 2006 23:02:01 -0700

If you get here through a search, then you remember something listed on this page. Do us a favor and log-in and record that Austin memory!

Treaty Oak - still there in spite of the attempted VooDoo killing
North vs. South Tug of war - The North won, I believe
The Buccaneer - a seedy bar in the south
The old dinner theaters - on the edge of town... speaking of that!
The Edge of Town - a night club in a converted dinner theater
Dessau Hall - country girl, I think you're pretty
Jalapeno Charlie's - in that strange building on S. Lamar
The Hanging Tree - more S. Lamar weirdness
The Chaparral Lounge - what's this "new Chaparral" bullshit?
The Split Rail - I remember this as a biker bar
Duke's Royal Coach Inn - punk club on Congress... Joe King's homeroom
Maggie Mae's - remember when it was so narrow and one of the pioneers of 6th street?
The Salt Lick - before it was famous. The best Friday lunch was to fill a cooler and head out Camp Ben McCulloch road for the afternoon.
Holiday House - wild animals and burgers!
2J's - good burgers, loyal following
The Draught House - the one before the Draught Horse!
Lone Star Beer sign - stood above the Drag for a generation
Dry Creek Cafe - still kicking and lot's of ink spilt already... add your special experience
Scarbrough building and store - Austin elegance
The Silver Dollar - WAY before Dallas, the night club
The Raw Deal - the original... east 6th back in the day
Update: nice photo show of the old RD
The Poodle Dog - still there I think, as is...
The Horseshoe Lounge - got kicked out of there once

Earl and the Heisman

Mon, 03 Jul 2006 15:34:09 -0700

I still recall walking into the UGL and seeing Earl's Heisman on display in the lobby. As I understand it, it was the real deal... just like Earl.

Hippies

Sat, 18 Mar 2006 09:54:18 -0800

Austin was well known for it's hippie culture. Hippies on the drag, Hippie houses, Hippie Hangouts, Hippie events (Eeyore's party is a direct descendant of hippie happenings.) What was interesting was how everyone seemed to get along. It was common to see Hippies mingling with the rest of the population and everyone getting along fine. This is another huge indicator of how modern society has lost the tolerance that once made it strong.
Update: I recently took a stroll through one of the ancient hippie neighborhoods (just west of downtown... you know where) and I was pleasantly surprised to see houses and yards that could pass for 1979 in Austin. Old school Austin bomemia has survived!