Cain's Ballroom, often simply called the Cain's, is a music venue in Tulsa, Oklahoma that was built in 1924. The building is a historical landmark in downtown Tulsa, with performances still running today.
- Venue
- Cain's Ballroom
- Address
- 423 North Main Street
- Town
- Tulsa, US
- Capacity
- 1,800
Cain's Ballroom, often simply called the Cain's, is a music venue in Tulsa, Oklahoma that was built in 1924. The building is a historical landmark in downtown Tulsa, with performances still running today. Cain's Ballroom was originally built in 1924 by W. Tate Brady as his garage. The building was purchased in 1930 by Madison W. “Daddy” Cain to serve as "Cain's Dance Academy." In the 1930s and 40s the Cain's served as a "dime-a-dance", offering dance lessons for ten cents. Bob Wills came to Tulsa in the 1930s after parting ways with his manager, who retaliated by barring him from performing on Texas and Oklahoma City radio stations. After impressing the reluctant station manager at KVOO-AM, Wills began performing almost daily on broadcast from the Cain's. His first concert at the Cain's was on New Year's Night in 1935. It was during his performances at the Cain's that Wills popularized the Western swing genre. Wills performed at the Cain's regularly until 1943, when he left Tulsa to pursue other interests, with his brother Johnnie Lee Wills taking over regular concert duties. Today, the venue has a banner above the main stage that states "Home of Bob Wills". While much of Tulsa was segregated at the time, the Cain's regularly booked black artists such as Count Basie and Ernie Fields. However, in the late 40s and 50s, the Cain's declined in popularity as public perception of the venue soured. Poor management led to the venue being "virtually empty" through the 60s. The venue was bought in 1972 by Marie Meyers, an elderly woman who unsuccessfully attempted to bring dances back to the ballroom. In 1976, concert promoter Larry Shaeffer purchased the venue for $60,000, money he had earned from booking a Peter Frampton concert at the Tulsa Fairgrounds Speedway that same year. It was during Shaeffer's ownership that several popular rock acts of the time were booked at the Cain's, including native Oklahoman Leon Russell. The venue also became known as a spot for "baby bands