Woody Dances

Woody Dances

The Woody Dances are very much a favorite memory. They were held at The Holiday Inn Resort on Lake McQueeney. The Inn was owned by Lee Strange and his wife. Because the name predated the hotel chain they were still able to be known as The Holiday Inn. It was a great place to have live music - Isolated with a gravel parking lot. Because it was an inn there were also cottages available to rent for an overnight stay.

Lake McQueeney was noted for water skiing in the daytime. At night the covered deck next to the Holiday Inn transformed the area into a wonderful setting.

I held the Woody Dances every Friday and Saturday night. During the summer Sunday nights got added to the schedule.

The regular Woody Dance audience was a mix of teens from Seguin, Universal City and San Antonio. Additionally there were usually guys from Randolph Air Force Base in the crowd.

The bands that regularly played were The Chaynes, The Spidels, The Outcasts, The Argyle's, The Minuets, The Commands, Bobby Jenkins and The Jades, Rob London and The Rogues (Rob and Bobby were the same band leader, the Jade's were soul R&B with horns, and The Rogues we're British Rock). Out-of- area bands included The Five Americans, John Fred and his Playboy Band and The Bad Seeds from Corpus Christi.

A Woody Dance at Lake McQueeney was the antithesis of Sam Kinsey's Teen Canteen. Crazy things happened like The Chayns suddenly jumping out the big side window and diving into the lake. Every once in a great while a couple of Randolph guys with too many beers might have a parking lot scuffle over a girl. But...Because we had good security we never had any problems inside the dance hall. Everyone always had too much fun and went away smiling after listening to great live music.

On a rainy Sunday afternoon, while out on the Holiday Inn Resort deck drinking a beer with Lee Baby Simms, I let him in on a secret. I was leaving KONO and going to KTSA. Lee Baby was stunned! He looked at me and said: 'Woody you can't go without me. I'm coming with you.'

That meeting that afternoon was the start of a whole other story.

After Lee Baby Simms and I lost our court case with KONO and were run out of town, I turned the dances over to Bruce Hathaway.

The Holiday Inn Resort is now gone and in my aged mind I cannot recall exactly where it was located on the lake. Maybe someone remembers. It sure would be nice to know.

Woody Roberts

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