If asked to name a city or a building integral to the evolution of country music, you'd probably name Nashville, Music Row and the Grand Ole Opry. You might even be hard pressed to think of another place that was important in country music history, but that place is Shreveport and the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium.
The Louisiana Hayride
The Shreveport Municipal Auditorium was home to a popular radio (and later television) broadcast, The Louisiana Hayride. The three-hour show debuted in 1948 on Shreveport's KWKH station and is best-known for launching the career of Hank Williams. Other notable country superstars to perform on the Louisiana Hayride include Johnny Cash and George Jones.
Elvis Presley's debut on the Louisiana Hayride came two weeks after an unsuccessful performance at the Grand Ole Opry. Elvis' brand of rockabilly paired with gyrations didn't impress the Opry's more conservative audience, but he was an instant hit in Shreveport. Elvis signed a contract to perform every Saturday night for $18 a show.
Elvis' run on the Louisiana Hayride lasted about 18 months. It's believed he honed the moves that launched him into superstardom during his run on the show. His performances averaged 2,000 people per show, although his final performance on the Hayride brought in a reported 10,000 people.
Colonel Tom Parker who often credited himself as having "discovered" Elvis, bought out his contract for $10,000 and the singer moved onward and upward. But not until one final performance.
One of the conditions of the buyout was that Elvis play one final show. However, a bizarre, unexplained scheduling snafu placed Elvis in the number three spot on the show.
By the time The King was set to take the stage, he had, in many ways, outgrown the Shreveport Auditorium where he rose to fame. Fearing that the crowd of Elvis fans would be too large for the venue, his final Hayride performance took place at the Louisiana State Fairgrounds as a fundraiser for the local YMCA.
Unsurprisingly, the fans in the packed house screamed for an encore after Elvis had finished his set and continued to demand more Elvis throughout the performance of the act who had the bad luck to directly follow The King.
In an effort to calm the fans and refocus the show, Louisiana Hayride producer Horace Logan made the following announcement:
"Elvis has left the building...He has left the stage and went out the back with the policeman and he is now gone from the building."
Page went on to remind the audience that the Louisiana Hayride had other artists yet to perform. In listening to the audio recording, it doesn't appear that news was well-received.
Shreveport Municipal Auditorium Today
The Shreveport Municipal Auditorium continues to have a place in the music scene as well as in the Shreveport community. The stage, original floorboards and all, is still a place where music is experienced and shared. Today, the music that rings through the building represents a wide variety of genres, and not just country. Recent notable acts include Dwight Yoakam, Lyle Lovett and Robert Earl Keen. The venue also regularly hosts comedy shows, family entertainment and community events.
From the Instagram-worthy statues outside to the intricate art deco interior, this building is fascinating to explore - and you can. Visitors who want to walk - literally - in the footsteps of Elvis or other music greats who've graced the stage at the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium can take a tour.
I took the tour in February 2022. Our tour guide, Winston Hall, used a portable speaker to play audio recordings from the Louisiana Hayride to illustrate the acoustics in various parts of the building, which gave us an idea of what it would have been like to be in the audience in the days of Hank Williams and Elvis Presley. I stood in the center of the stage, looking down at the worn floorboards and trying to wrap my mind around the fact that some of the musical icons of our time had placed their feet in this very same spot.
Hall played an audio recording of Elvis' introduction during his debut on the Louisiana Hayride. The recording was from before he'd made it big, and it was bittersweet to hear how young and innocent 19-year-old Elvis sounded as he bantered with the announcer before launching into his new recording, a song called "That's All Right Mama." I closed my eyes and listened to young Elvis singing and, for a blink, life felt just a little simpler.
We keep music alive through people and technology. Musicians perform classic songs, remix them, breathe new life into old favorites to entertain the next generation. And, we have places where the music was made that help keep important music relevant through the years. Think how those walls and floorboards have absorbed endless melodies, conversations, and applause.
We've all heard the saying "If walls could talk." I'm 100 percent certain the walls of the Shreveport municipal building would have some enlightening, inspiring and maybe even some shocking things to say. The building stands tall and allows us to draw our own conclusions.
Editor's Note: A previous version of this article stated that Frank Page originated "Elvis has left the building." It was actually Louisiana Hayride producer Horace Logan. We regret the error.
An earlier version of this article stated that the Municipal Auditorium is where the phrase "Elvis has left the building" orginated. While the Municipal Auditorium played an integral role in Presley's early career, the phrase is believed to have actually originated nearby during a Presley performance at the Lousiana State Fairgrounds.
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