Cain’s Dancing Academy (1930-)

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Cain's Dace Academy (Cain's Ballroom) is a historic music venue in Tulsa, Oklahoma that was built in 1924 as a garage for W. Tate Brady's automobiles. Madison W. "Daddy" Cain purchased the building in 1930 and named it Cain's Dance Academy.

In 2021, Pollstar ranked Cain's Ballroom at number 13 worldwide for ticket sales at club venues.

The venue played a prominent role in the development of western swing in the 1930s and 1940s, when Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys broadcast a near-daily show and performed live weekly.

Leon Russell and his band were regularly booked at Cain's when it was owned by Larry Shaeffer.

It is also notable as one of only seven venues played by the Sex Pistols in 1978 during their only North American tour. The band appeared 11 January 1978. After the show, a frustrated Sid Vicious punched a hole in the drywall of the green room. The wall section with the hole has since been removed and is preserved and on display at Cain’s.

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Jesse Austin Morris Collection Center for Popular Music, Middle Tennessee State University
referencedIn National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program Records: Oklahoma National Archives Library, National Archives Records Administration
referencedIn Oklahoma Historical Society Oklahoma Historical Society, Research Division
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Russell, Leon, 1942-2016 person
associatedWith Sex Pistols (Musical group) corporateBody
associatedWith Vicious, Sid person
associatedWith Wills, Bob, 1905-1975 person
associatedWith Wills, Johnnie Lee, 1912-1984 person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Tulsa OK US
Subject
Dance
Dance halls
Historical building
Venue
Occupation
Activity

Corporate Body

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Ark ID: w66z042w

SNAC ID: 87980789