The Skyliner Ballroom was located at 2238 Jacksboro Highway, on the northwest side of Fort Worth, part of the “Thunder Road” strip of restaurants, bars, liquor stores, and motels.

The huge nightclub opened in the late 1930s. By the mid-60s, the Skyliner was on its last legs.

A February 25, 1964 show advertised the “All New Skyliner” with Jimmy Washington, Becky Sharp, and Ida Sneed. Little Richard headlined some shows, as did Ray Sharpe.

A couple ads in July of ’64 call the club “Jack’s formerly Skyliner”, and advertise the Raiders “Stick Shift” with Walter crane, vocalist and the Seven Gables

The Motovators played there three times in May and June, 1965. On the first occasion, bassist Terry Hungerford had his family car stolen from the parking lot. The next day they recovered the car on the north side, undamaged.

Terry Hungerford would play there again as part of Jerry Williams and the Epics, with the Emeralds, on August 20, 1966. Another Jerry Williams show at the Skyliner on August 7, 1965 was billed as Shindig a Go Go, and the other band on the marquee is the Red Hearts.

An ad included in the Motovators scrap book kept by Terry Hungerford’s mother shows Bobby Crown & the Capers opening for Ray Sharpe. Bobby Crown’s band was something of a rival for the Motovators, and a couple of their members would leave to join Crown’s band. The Infinitives is another band I’m not familiar with, and Ray Roger filled out the artist list.

The Skyliner’s New Year’s Eve party on December 31, 1965 had “The Texas Arthur Shindig a Go-Go” with Freddie King, Bobby Crown & the Capers, James Brown Jr., plus exotic dancers Tammi True, Gale Raven and Miss Galore.

The Ballroom closed in 1966, and was demolished in 1969.

Check out the Texas State Historical Association site for more history on the Skyliner Ballroom.

Thank you to Wm. Lewis Wms. and Andellyn Purvis-Hungerford for sharing this material.