Bill and Corky Kuykendall built Panther Hall in 1961 as a bowling alley, located at 600 Collard St on the east side of Fort Worth. When bowling didn’t succeed, the owners reopened on July 4, 1963 as a live music venue.
By 1965, KTVT, channel 11, was broadcasting an hour of the Cowtown Jamboree live on Saturday evenings. Friday nights were “Panther A-Go-Go” from 7 PM to midnight, and taped portions were shown on KTVT on Sunday evenings.
Panther a Go Go would feature four stages for these 1965 shows: a main center stage, smaller stages on the left and right, and a fourth in a balcony above the main stage. Panther a Go Go continued into 1966 and 1967 but on the footage I’ve seen these shows took place on the main stage.
The Motovators appeared at Panther A-Go-Go at least five times in 1965. They auditioned twice, on March 1 and March 8, 1965 the second time with KCUL DJ Ron McCoy and hall owner Bill Kuykendall. Other bands at the audition on the 8th were the Chantones and the Images.
Two days later they rehearsed at the hall, and on March 12 they played with the Images and the Sounds Unlimited, plus Ron McCoy as host, and Kay Harris leading the go-go-dancers. The Motovators were on the top stage, with the Images and the Sounds Unlimited on the sides. Robin Hood Brians & His Merry Men were the main attraction. A detailed set of instructions refers to Gary Carter instead of Robin Hood, I’m not sure why.
The Sounds Unlimited were a Dallas group. The photo at right is an early version of the group with Bill Mercer, David Thompson, Steve (last name unknown), Ron Davis, and Mike Collier. By 1966 Ron Davis had formed a new version of the Sounds Unlimited with Paul Jarvis, Steve Webb, Phil Ferrell and Chuck Hodges (and Ron Mears replacing Chuck Hodges). This later version cut their only single, “Keep Your Hands Off of It” / “About You” on Solar Records.
On March 26 the Motovators turned down a Panther A-Go-Go show with the Images and Jerry Lee Lewis.
They appeared on the May 21 Panther A-Go-Go with Lady Wilde & the Warlocks, the Velvateens from Lubbock/Texas Tech, Cecil Lang McCullough, and the Warlocks, plus “Panther-a-Go-Go drummer” Al Breaux.
The Velveteens played one side of their single, “Ching Bam Bah”, which had been released in February.
Lady Wilde is the same singer who cut two 1965 singles, “Poor Kid” / “Another Year” on ARA and “Noise Of Sound” / “Poor Kid” on Chicory, both produced by Royce McAfee. Her real name was Marie Smith.
The Warlocks were the Dallas band that included Dusty Hill, Rocky Hill, Philip Vickery and Kean McClelland. In 1966 they cut the great singles “Life’s a Misery” / “Splash Day” on Paradise and “If You Really Want Me to Stay” / “Good Time Trippin'” on ARA. At some point after the singles, the Warlocks added Frank Beard on drums and became the American Blues. Little Richard Harris was also a drummer for the Warlocks at some point, according to Dale Smith of the Allusions in an interview with Mike Dugo.
After playing Panther Hall, the Motovators went to Louann’s Club in Dallas to play for an additional two hours!
On July 16, the Motovators appeared on Panther A-Go-Go with Johnny Green & the Greenmen, Van Johnson, the TrenTones, and Larry & Don. Joe Knapp taped the Motovators show and Terry Guinn took photos.
After the show the Greenmen asked Terry to join them, but after some discussion with his family, he declines to finish his education.
Sunday, July 25, Panther A-Go-Go held a huge “Battle-of-the-Rock n Roll Bands” with eleven bands: Larry & the Blue Notes, the Jades, the Images, the Kasuals, the Visions, the Naturals, the Barons, Chas Christy & the Crystals, Jack & the Rippers and the Coachmen. Emcee was Bill Warren of WXOL, show host was Mr. Fred Slater. The family scrapbook preserves set lists and scores for the bands.
1st place – Charles Christy & the Crystals
2nd place – Larry and the Blue Notes
3rd place – The Images
Prizes were a trip to the West Coast, one year of guaranteed bookings, and opening slot with the Righteous Brothers at Will Rogers Coliseum.
On August 1, Panther-A-Go-Go was rerun on TV with the Motovators doing “Walkin’ the Dog”.
All posts from the Motovators scrapbook can be seen at this link.
More info on Panther Hall is available at the Texas State Historical Association website.
Thank you to Wm. Lewis Wms. and Andellyn Purvis-Hungerford for sharing this material.
Thank you to Ron Davis for correcting the info about the Sounds Unlimited.
Thanks to you and to your sources for the in depth look behind the scenes of the Fort Worth “teen scene” in your recent series of posts.
And thanks for an essential web site that has been daily reading for me (and I’m sure garage fans everywhere) for years!
Hello, i work a night shift in the Uk, to keep me sane I listen to rockabilly radio through the night. A dj called Del Villarreal has a show called ‘Go Kat Go’ the rockabilly show, this week his featured album was Charles Christy and the Crystals – The Lost ‘65 Sound City Sessions a release on Vee Tone records. The bands vocals and harmonising along with the raw sounding guitars were incredible, i loved it that much I pre ordered a copy of the yellow vinyl for myself. Could you point me in the right direction for more information on this band and maybe photos and images, and maybe recommendations for similar groups from the Fort Worth area.
Kind Regards, Chris Walker.
The info offered concerning Sounds Unlimited is correct AND incorrect. The Polaroid Picture Top to Bottom L to R.. shows Bill Mercer, (guitar) David Thompson, (tambourine) Steve last name unknown, (bass) Ron Davis (guitar) and Mike Collier, (drums) This was SU version One .> Ron Davis, Paul Jarvis, Steve Webb, Phil Ferrell and Chuck Hodges (Ron Mears replaced Chuck Hodges) were in the later version of Sounds Unlimited. This band Never played at Panther Hall. This band was from W.W. Samuell H.S. and recorded” Keep Your Hands Off Of It” and” About You” for Alexander The Great Productions.
A group called Nash or Nazz played there in ‘70-‘71. It was made up of unknowns, at least one went on to form a well-known band, but I don’t remember.
If that was Nazz, of course that was Todd Rundgren, an icon in the music industry who formed several bands and produced many other famous bands.
I met Phil Vickery who told me his story of growing up in Dallas & being in The Warlocks a Dallas Garage Band in the 1960’s with a 1 hit wonder that the old AM rock n roll station KLIF “Classic Albums” put on 1 of those album’s. He dropped out after he got married & they became the 3 piece band ZZ Top + he had a music room with 45’s in fancy cases on the wall & the only 1 I remember is the 45 he pointed out & told me, he discovered Stevie Nick’s, he produced her & Buckingham’s 1st recording in the 60’s Do You Know The Way To San Jose/What The World Needs Now. He lived in Denison TX selling yachts at Esienhower Marina when I met him in 2000, he died in 2007 or 2008 McKinney TX. His nephew Paul Thorton & youngest daughter Vanessa lived with him. His father was also a big golf pro played with some of those old famous golfers but was too an alcoholic & it held him back, Phil grew up in Fair Park area of Dallas with 2 sisters Paula & Lola, Lola being Paul his nephew’s mother who Dusty Hill begged to marry her & she refused. Phil was a cool person & I’m so fortunate to have met him & to have had him share his life story with me.