Entertaining Tucson Across the Decades V2

"Entertaining Tucson Across the Decades V2" is the second volume of the three part collection of local entertainment and music in Tucson, Arizona. This volume covers the period of 1986 through 1989 with hundreds of news articles, interviews, and photographs of musicians and entertainers popular during those decades.

The Giant Sandworms, Los Lasers, Statesboro Blues Band, Sam and Bobby Taylor, Dean Armstrong, Street Pajama, and hundreds of other entertainers were fixtures on the Tucson nightclub scene.

These articles and original photographs are compiled from several local newspapers that covered the Tucson entertainment scene over those decades– Tucson Teen, The Magazine, and Entertainment Magazine. As 1984 ended, so did Rockefeller– Tucson’s number one hard rock venue. Mark Newman 3 took over the old Outlaw nightclub on West Lester (which also closed) and renamed it the Roxy. The Roxy gave local rock bands a larger place to play and showcase up-and-coming bands. An all ages club opened in February 1985 on North Oracle called DanceTrax with recorded music. Country music enthusiasts got a big change with the moving of the Outlaw from West Lester location to midtown at 5822 E. Speedway. Chances Nightclub after arson fire, Entertainment Magazine archives, January 1985. The charred hull of Chances Night Club, 6542 E. Tanque Verde Road, was condemned hours after an arson fire ripped through the building on Thursday, January 11, 1985. The bar opened in November 1978.

The Entertainment Magazine also interviewed hundreds of national celebrities, but this volume focuses on the local talent that molded the Tucson entertainment scene.

The extensive index, at the back of this book, provides a valuable print search tool to locate people, places and events that were reported during those decades.

This book is in appreciation to those reporters and photographers who contributed their work and time to keep Tucson informed and the thousands of entertainers who kept us entertained over the decades.

Download a free PDF sample of the series and read selected chapters from "Entertaining Tucson Across the Decades."