Antone's

Antone's nightclub

Location: Austin, Texas

ANTONE'S NIGHTCLUB. Antone's is a haven for blues music on West Fifth Street in Austin. It was opened by Clifford Antone on July 15, 1975. Antone feared that blues was in danger of disappearing. From its inception, his club has attracted a variety of influential musicians. "Me and my friends," Antone said, "wanted to hear blues before these [musicians] died." The first act to perform at the club was zydeco legend Clifton Chenier and His Red-Hot Louisiana Band. In the weeks that followed, both Sunnyland Slim and Big Walter Horton, blues legends in their own right, attracted large crowds to the club...

Click here for full text of article on the Handbook of Texas Online, courtesy of the Texas State Historical Association.