The term honky-tonk (also called honkatonk, honkey-tonk, honky tonk, or tonk) refers either to a bar that provides country music for the entertainment of its patrons, or to the particular genre of music which is played at such establishments itself. It can also refer to the type of piano (a tack piano) used to play such music. Bars of this kind are common in the American South and Southwest. Many prominent country music artists such as Jimmie Rodgers, Ernest Tubb, Lefty Frizzell, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Johnny Horton and Merle Haggard began their careers as amateur musicians in honky-tonks.
The origin of the term "honky-tonk" is disputed, originally referring to bawdy variety shows in areas of the Old West (Oklahoma, the Indian Territories, and mostly Texas) and to the actual theaters showing them.
The first music genre to be commonly known as honky-tonk was a style of piano playing related to ragtime but emphasizing rhythm more than melody or harmony; the style evolved in response to an environment in which pianos were often poorly maintained, tending to be out of tune and having some nonfunctioning keys. This honky-tonk music was an important influence on the boogie-woogie piano style. Before World War II, the music industry began to refer to hillbilly music being played from Texas and Oklahoma to the West Coast as "honky-tonk" music. In the 1950s, honky-tonk entered its golden age, with the popularity of Webb Pierce, Hank Locklin, Lefty Frizzell, Faron Young, George Jones, and Hank Williams.
Etymology The origin of the term honky-tonk is unknown. The earliest known use in print is an article in the Peoria Journal dated June 28, 1874, stating, "The police spent a busy day today raiding the bagnios and honkytonks."
There are subsequent citations from 1890 in The Dallas Morning News,The Dallas Morning News (Dallas, Texas), August 6, 1890: "Myself and him set and talked awhile and he got up and said he wanted to go to the honk-a-tonk (variety show)." 1892 in the Galveston Daily News (Galveston, Texas)Galveston Daily News, July 26, 1892, p. 6: "Fort Worth, Tex. (...) A youth named Goodman, who arrived here from Wilbarger county entered Andrews' honkatonk on Fifteenth street and was ordered out on account of his age." () (which used the term to refer to an adult establishment in Fort Worth), and in 1894 in The Daily Ardmoreite in Oklahoma.The Daily Ardmoreite (Oklahoma), February 26, 1894, p. 2, col. 1. (Oklahoma Historical Society, Microfilm #110). "The honk-a-tonk last night was well attended by ball heads, bachelors and leading citizens. Most of them are inclined to kick themselves this morning for being sold." Early uses of the term in print mostly appear along a corridor roughly coinciding with cattle drive trails extending from Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, into south central Oklahoma, suggesting that the term may have been a localism spread by cowboys driving cattle to market. The sound of honky-tonk (or honk-a-tonk) and the types of places that were called honky-tonks suggests that the term may be an onomatopoeic reference to the loud, boisterous music and noise heard at these establishments.
One theory is that the "tonk" portion of the name may have come from the brand name of piano made by William Tonk & Bros., an American manufacturer of large upright pianos (established 1881), which made a piano with the decal "Ernest A. Tonk". The Tonk brothers, William and Max, established the Tonk Bros. Manufacturing Company in 1873, so such an etymology is possible; however, these pianos were not manufactured until 1889, at which point the term seems to have already been established.
An early source purporting to explain the derivation of the term (spelled honkatonk) was an article published in 1900 by the New York Sun and widely reprinted in other newspapers.Reno Evening Gazette (Nevada), February 3, 1900, p. 2, col. 5.
History An article in the Los Angeles Times of July 28, 1929, with the headline Honky-Tonk' Origin Told", which was probably in response to the Sophie Tucker movie musical, Honky Tonk (1929), reads:
In this context of the term’s meaning and its possible origin, an example from roughly the same period is the Harvey Oliver Brooks song “They Call Me Sister Honky-Tonk,” sung by Mae West in the 1933 film I’m No Angel.
Honky-tonks were rough establishments, providing country music in the Deep South and Southwest and serving alcoholic beverages to a working-class clientele. Some honky-tonks offered dancing to music played by pianists or small bands, and some were centers of prostitution. Katrina Hazzard-Gordon wrote that the honky-tonk was "the first urban manifestation of the jook", and that "the name itself became synonymous with a style of music. Related to the classic blues in tonal structure, honky-tonk has a tempo that is slightly stepped up. It is rhythmically suited for many African-American dance."Hazzard-Gordon, Katrina (1990). Jookin. Temple University Press. p. 84.
As Chris Smith and Charles McCarron wrote in their 1916 hit song "Down in Honky Tonk Town", "It's underneath the ground, where all the fun is found."
Origins of the establishment Although the derivation of the term is unknown, honky tonk originally referred to bawdy variety shows in the West (Oklahoma and Indian Territories and Texas) and to the theaters housing them. The earliest mention of them in print refers to them as "variety theaters"The Daily Oklahoman, Sunday, September 5, 1915, p. 1., col. 1. "There is scarcely an old-time gambler in the United States who does not remember the Reeves gambling house and 'honkytonk' in Guthrie. ... a stage and rows of curtained boxes, was built as an addition for the purposes of a free-and-easy variety show." and describe the entertainment as "variety shows".Reno Evening Gazette (Nevada), February 3, 1900, p. 2, col. 5. "The programme is made up largely of specialties. Whatever the feeling of a long-suffering public, the honkatonk vocalists never will permit 'Sweet Rosie O'Grady' and 'Just One Girl' to perish from the earth, and coon songs are sung as May Irwin never did and never will sing them. Always at least one drama is presented, the entire company, vocalists, dancers and all, participating. Among the most popular plays are 'The Dalton Boys' and 'Mildred, the She-Devil of the Plains,' for the old traditions still are respected to a certain extent, though the participation of the audience is no longer solicited." The theaters often had an attached gambling house and always a bar.
In recollections long after the frontiers closed, writers such as Wyatt Earp and E.C. Abbott referred to honky-tonks in the cowtowns of Kansas, Nebraska, and Montana in the 1870s and 1880s.Hunter, Trail Drivers of Texas, p. 832 : "I went to Dodge City, the honkatonk town, cleaned up an bought a suit of clothes, and left for San Antonio, reaching home July 1, 1885." Their recollections contain lurid accounts of the women and violence accompanying the shows. However, in contemporary accounts these were nearly always called hurdy-gurdy shows, possibly derived from the term hurdy-gurdy, which was sometimes mistakenly applied to a small, portable barrel organ that was frequently played by organ grinders and buskers.
As late as 1913, Col. Edwin Emerson, a former Rough Rider commander, hosted a honky-tonk party in New York City."Col. Emerson's Novel Party; Rough Rider Veteran Gives 'Old Forty-niners' Honky-Tonk Fandango. The New York Times, February 23, 1913. p. C7 The Rough Riders were recruited from the ranches of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Indian Territories, so the term was still in popular use during the Spanish–American War.
Regional variations
Although honky tonk music is often associated with the American South, it took on unique regional characteristics in different parts of the United States. Those characteristics were manifested from how local cultures, histories, and migration patterns influenced the sound, style, and settings of honky tonk in key areas.
Honky tonk made its first appearance in the oil boom towns and cattle-driving regions of Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. Over time, it spread west to California and gained national attention through the music industry which was centered in Nashville, Tennessee. Ranging from lyrical themes to dance styles, each of these regions contributed unique features to the honky tonk tradition.
Oklahoma – Dust Bowl migration and multi-ethnic musical influences shaped the honky tonk sound in this region. Electric instruments were adopted early on to cut through bar noise, and artists like Johnny Bond and Wanda Jackson began their careers here. Texas – Texas honky tonk evolved around rural dance halls and cowboy culture. Bob Wills, Ernest Tubb, and many others defined the electrified, rhythm-driven sound here. Dance hall traditions and Texas two-step also played a major role in shaping the Texas honky tonk identity. California (Bakersfield) – In the 1960s, children of Oklahoma and Texas migrants living in California pushed back against the polished Nashville Sound and created the grittier Bakersfield Sound. Artists like Merle Haggard became known for their stripped-down, working-class take on honky tonk. Tennessee (Nashville) – While honky tonk was born in bars, Nashville helped bring it to national audiences through venues like the Grand Ole Opry. Over time, however, the rise of the Nashville Sound led to a more polished and commercial version of country music that some saw as a departure from honky tonk’s roots.
Evolution of venues Honky-tonks originated in the late 19th century. They were often in the Texas-Oklahoma area, with mostly working-class individuals. The venues were associated with having a rough atmosphere with activities such as drinking and gambling. By the middle of the 20th century, they had a similar reputation, but it changed from the blue-collar crowd into an atmosphere more focused on music and dancing. Today honkey-tonk bars are a mix of music clubs and tourist-friendly bars with some of the aspects of the mid-20th century, including neon beer signs and wooden dance floors.
Notable bars and landmarks Tootsie's Orchid Lounge
Tootsie's is located in downtown Nashville Tennessee behind the Ryman Auditorium. Tootsie's is noted as one of the most famous honky tonk bars in the history of honky tonk. The bar was originally opened by Hattie Louise “Tootsie” Bess, the bar got its name after a painter accidentally covered the bar in orchid colored paint. Tootsies quickly became a central location for notable country stars such as Willie Nelson, Patsy Cline, Kris Kristofferson, and Loretta Lynn. Though it declined in popularity after the Grand Ole Opry moved in 1974, it was revived in the 1990s by Steve Smith and is still open to the public to this day.
Gilley's Nightclub
Originally named Sherwood Cryer, Gilley’s Nightclub in Pasadena, Texas was opened in 1970. The Nightclub featured a shooting gallery, showers for truckers, a rodeo arena with mechanical bulls, pool tables, punching bags, and a dance floor big enough for thousands. Gilley’s hosted many different musical artists such as Loretta Lynn, Ernest Tubb, Emmylou Harris, and Roseanne Cash, and launched the career of Mickey Gilley. However, in 1988 Mickey Gilley became frustrated with the Nightclub saying the previous owners refused to make renovations, clean the bathroom, and address parking lot issues. This led to him gaining control of the Nightclub after a lawsuit. Later in 1989, the Nightclub had to be closed down due to loss of profits. Then in 1990 the Nightclub burned down and is now no longer operational.
Billy Bob's Texas