Home LifestyleOklahoma History Cain’s Ballroom: A Unique Success Story

Cain’s Ballroom: A Unique Success Story

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Tulsa’s Cain’s Ballroom was initially built as a car dealership in 1924. The property was later leased to Madison “Daddy” Cain, who added a neon sign with animated dancers and charged 10 cents per dance lesson. He called the place Cain’s Dance Academy.

Cain’s was made famous by fiddle-playing Bob Wills, a big band leader who blended folk, country, jazz and popular music to create a new hot sound called Western swing. Each day over the noon hour, Bob and his Playboys would fill the airwaves on KVOO radio.

Today, the legend of Cain’s Ballroom continues to live on.

– Dr. Bob Blackburn, Oklahoma History Center

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