We’re working on something here, and we could use your help. We’re trying to identify the biggest pop culture moments in Dallas history. We’re gonna do something fun with them online once we’ve got our list nailed down. We’ve already got about 50. Examples:
– On March 21, 1980, the Dallas episode “A House Divided” aired, launching the ad campaign “Who shot J.R.?”
– Last month, at the Buick Open, David Feherty farted on national television and made Tiger laugh.
– On October 19, 1991, Nirvana played Trees and Kurt Cobain got into a fight with a member of the audience.
– On November 10, 1975, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders appeared on Monday Night Football and changed the world.
– On August 4, 1993, Nolan Ryan punched the ever living crap out of Robin Ventura’s head.
See where we’re headed? What moment springs to your mind? If your moment makes the cut, you will receive due credit. Comments are open. Thanks in advance for being awesome.
60 comments
1978- Debbie Did Dallas.
These might be too serious…
Oliver Stone’s JFK. The Sixth Floor Museum went from 10,000 visitors a year to over 50,000 within a year of its release. (The things I remember from my old job)
And as far as a moment that has inspired a ton of pop culture moments including Warhol paintings and entire conspiracy culture, the assassination is on the top of the list.
Then you can count Jack Ruby shooting Oswald. I just finished watching all of the Sopranos on DVD and they mention Ruby many many times.
For lighter note, the Cowboy Cheerleaders’ had their own made for TV movie starring Jane Seymour. They even had a sequel.
Kelly Clarkson wins the first American Idol.
Dallas serving as a futuristic version of Detroit in Robocop.
Gordon Keith and WFAA changed TV talk shows forever.
Fear and Loathing:
“What was I doing here? What was the meaning of this trip? Was I just roaming around in a drug frenzy of some kind? Or had I really come out here to Las Vegas to work on a story? Who are these people, these faces? Where do they come from? They look like caricatures of used car dealers from Dallas, and sweet Jesus, there were a hell of a lot of them at 4:30 on a Sunday morning, still humping the American dream, that vision of the big winner somehow emerging from the last minute pre-dawn chaos of a stale Vegas casino.”
Dale Hansen and Barry Switzer.
Tim Rogers and Mark Cuban.
Jack E. Jett and anyone not Jack E. Jett on a blog.
And I forgot Sandra Crenshaw as a caucus judge.
The frozen margarita was invented here!
7-Eleven started here in 1922, Barney the stupid dinosaur was birthed here, Lamar Hunt coined the phrase ‘Super Bowl’, Mistake Out Company (LiquidPaper) was invented here
7-11 is from here.
Michael Irvin’s full-length mink coat perp walk leading off the ABC’s evening news program.
Nate Newton’s alibi for the “White House”: “We just runnin’ some hoes in and out of here, man. No big deal.”
Tine Turner left Ike for good in Dallas.
Ricky Nelson was on his way here when his plane crashed.
Shannon Hoon of Blind Melon was on his way out of town when he died in his bunk on the band’s tour bus.
Eddie Van Halen on stage with Michael Jackson at Texas Stadium.
The Beatles at Memorial Auditorium.
Texxas Jam 1978.
The opening sequence of “Office Space”.
“Cheaters”, “Barney” and “Prison Break”.
Lewisville Pop Festival
Stoney Burns and the Lee Park Massacre.
October 11, 1956. Elvis Presley plays the Cotton Bowl. Attendance was 27,000, at the time the largest crowd to attend an outdoor concert in Texas.
John Wiley Price and the Black Hole Incident.
Willie Nelson records his masterpiece, “Red Headed Stranger,” in…Garland.
Sex Pistols at the Longhorn Ballroom.
Jerry and Jimmy meeting at Landry’s fave restaurant to discuss his job going bye-bye.
Nothing will ever top JFK.
The Stones at the Cotton Bowl for 2 days. One day of torrential rain and the band played on, mostly unprotected by the enormous stage set. Mick: If you can take it, we can take it. Well awright. Or something like that.
Logan’s Run.
The Beatles stay at the Cabana Inn on Stemmons – now a minimum security prison or some such.
Phantom of the Fillmore, aka Phantom,The Phantom of the Paradise, with Paul Williams.
The release of the CueCat in 2000.
On April 21, 2009, Frontburner banned comments.
Bret Michaels wrote Every Rose Has Its Thorn in a laundromat in Dallas.
-Van Halen playing a free concert on 12/4/91 in the West End was a pretty big deal. Only 2 hours notice. Pretty sure every teenage white dude in town was there or claimed to be there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuysIZ7dmNY
-Starck Club raid, August of 1986, was another.
-Cowboy Super Bowl Riot, 1993
-”Office Space”
-Corny Dogs
In 1958, Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments invented the integrated circuit.
Carl and Neil Fletcher introduced the “Corny Dog” at the Texas State Fair.
Neiman’s created its Christmas catalog.
On May 5, 1929 Aaron “Oak Cliff T-Bone” Walker made his first recording, “Trinity River Blues”.
And Robert Johnson’s famous recordings at 508 Park Avenue.
Neiman-Marcus and Fortnight.
Have you ever seen Dallas from a DC-9 at night?
“Bret Michaels wrote Every Rose Has Its Thorn in a laundromat in Dallas.”
I had to look that one up. Totally thought it was a joke:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Every_Rose_Has_Its_Thorn
We already had most of these, but there are a couple suggestions here that are great. How did we overlook “Office Space”?
And thanks for showing why the comments section is so vital to the blog. Stay tuned for a change in our policy thereon.
On 2/19/1999 Office Space was released — based in Dallas, it gives hope to corporate drones that they too can someday stick it to that boss/company who so deserves it.
Thursday, September 17, 1964 – The Beatles arrive at Love Field for their first and only Dallas performance.
Friday, September 18, 1964 – The Beatles play to a sold-out crowd of 10,000 at Memorial Auditorium. The top ticket price was $5.50–the most ever charged for any kind of musical performance.
December 2007: Jessica Simpson and her pink Romo Jersey. Played on Sports shows for the next two years and counting.
http://stylenews.peoplestylewatch.com/2007/12/17/get-jessica-simpsons-pink-dallas-cowboy-jersey/
I think Office Space was filmed mainly in Austin, not Dallas. Should be checked. Much of the movie (scenes that showed what should have been blue sky) looks like Seattle, but that’s not cloud cover. It’s that damn smoke from Mexico that blanketed Central Texas in the spring of ‘98 when the movie was shot.
Here’s one that simply can’t be missed: Gordon McLendon, founder of KLIF and countless other radio stations coast to coast, is considered the Father (capital F) of Top 40 radio. Changed the face (or is that voice?) of the medium.
And here’s one more:
Highland Park Village Shopping Center is considered the first inwardly-faced (and thus self-contained) shopping center in America. It opened in 1931. There’s a debate about the distinction because Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, which opened seven years earlier (in 1923), is considered the first shopping center designed for people arriving by car. These are Wikipedia characterizations, but they’re basically accurate. Still, it seems to me that both distinctions are different enough to merit their own horn tooting…and thus ours!
Something perhaps about SOC’s Stevie Ray Vaughn, Prestonwood Baptist, Chili’s and HD television?
Nic is right – gotta include Sex Pistols at Longhorn Ballroom. Possibly the most iconic picture of one of the most iconic bands (Sid Vicious with blood on his chest) was taken at that show after he called the crowd “a bunch of cowboy f**gg*ts” and they started throwing bottles at him
Also Curt Kobain was attacked onstage by Scott Turner Van Blarcum – local musician/artist, who was working as a stage bouncer for the show that night.
Barack Hussein Obama II was conceived here.
1918 (exact date unknown) – Rev. Atticus Webb becomes Superintendent of the Texas Anti-Saloon League, headquartered in Dallas. This began the growth of “Drys” in urban areas, which led to the success of a state prohibition amendment in 1919, followed by a national law in 1920. It continued in effect until 1933.
1901 – The Ladies’ of the Dallas Free Kindergarten and Training School in Dallas publish “The Lone Star Cook Book”. Dedicated to “every man, woman and child whose heart is tender toward our work. May they derive as much good from its use as the poor children of Dallas ill from its sale”.
Thus beginning the tradition of cook books as a fundraising effort.
whoops, that’s “will”.
Kent Rathbun hefting half an elk over his shoulder while participating in a reality TV cooking show (Iron Chef) and winning?
Beginning of Southwestern cuisine?
Morganna at the Rangers games
Sump N Else with Ron Chapman and Joanie Prather
Mr. Pepperment and Wiggly Worm
Icky Twerp’s Slam Bam Theater
Chantal
The Who opened for The Beach Boys
Beatles stayed at the hotel on Stemmons and thousands stood outside for hours waiting for them. It was awesome. I remember what I had on.
John Peel leaving KLIF to join Radio Caroline. Where would the music world be if he had stayed in Dallas?
Speaking of the Beatles staying at that hotel on Stemmons, the one that’s now part of the jail system: It was called the Cabana, and Raquel Welch worked there as a ****tail waitress in the early 60’s while briefly living in Dallas with her two young children.
I didn’t realize that the word ****tail doesn’t pass muster! Funny. Let’s try “alcoholic beverage server.” There we are.
Deep fried twinkies at the State Fair!
Sometime in the summer of ‘87 (I think) The Exploited played at Theater Gallery right after the evangelical Christian whomever they were bought it and the Prophet Bar. Wattie spray painted ‘Jesus is a wanker’ and ‘Lemmy is God’ on the wall, and the Christians were running around behind him trying to paint over it and cover it up…so he just did it on another wall. Then he growled at them and riled up the audience with threats of stopping the show until the Christians just let him do what he wanted. That was the last show at TG.
I think that should be deep fried *****ies at the State Fair, since twink is surely suggestive of something lewd somewhere.
Office Space was mainly filmed in Austin and Irving/Las Colinas (I think). But how about Bottle Rocket? Wes Anderson, the Wilson brothers. Great film!
What about Brinker restaurants–Chili’s, Macaroni Grill, et al.
September 24, 2000. T.O. stands on the Star at Texas Stadium and gets steamrolled by George Teague. I still replay that over and over and smile everytime I see him get hit.
Marty Cortland debuts in D Magazine in October 2007. His Frontburner tussle with Wick Allison over Wick’s rash and unlikely support of Barack Obama propels him (Obama) to the White House.
Mr. Cortland’s ignominious ejection from D Magazine 13 months later precipitates the worst meltdown on Wall Street since the Great Depression.
Wick’s starry-eyed community organizer proposes a $10 trillion, nothing-to-show-for-it bailout. Mr. Cortland suggests buying Canada instead.
Kevin Von Erich defeats Ric Flair for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship before 60,000 fans at Texas Stadium–1998.
Fritz Von Erich and Wahoo McDaniel fight to a draw in a World Championship bout before 4,000 crazed drunks at the Sportatorium-1969. (What on earth was dad even thinking with this idea of a “bonding” experience for the boy? We barely got out alive!)
Deep fried twinkies at the State Fair!…
The Trinity River Launch Party. November 2007.
Bus Reily had good intentions, but a bunch of wrong information. It was Kerry Von Erich defeating Ric Flair at Texas Stadium. And it was in 1984, not 1998.
My votes are: Mothers of Invention live on Sumpin’ Else, August 1966; Who open for Herman’s Hermits NOT Beach Boys in July 1967; Andy Warhol at the USA Film Festival, March 1972
The day of the missing dots.
Lakewood Elementary kids are extras on the Carousel during the filming of “State Fair” in 1962. Oh wait, maybe I should mention Bobby Darrin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtbCB55Co2c , Alice Faye, Tom Ewell, Wally Cox (roommate of Marlon Brando), a shirtless Pat Boone http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exVk9FInTfw and Ann-Margret – check out the best use of the bandshell ever: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y8uaIzt-Wk
* Darin (also I think his wife Sandra Dee was along – no reports on whether she downed a few beers at the Fair).
What about Robert Tilton and his church -Word of Faith?-that used to be over on 35 & 635?
Ron Chapman and Sump’n Else.
Ron Chapman as a part of Charlie and Harrigan @ KLIF in that triangular studio overlooking whatever that street is/was.
KNUS
The very first “underground” music on WFAA AM in about 1971.
Jimi Hendrix popping the footlights with the neck of his guitar at the State Fair Music Hall in 1967-68(?).
Dennis. Rodman.