Talk:Louisiana Hayride
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The popular notion is that Elvis killed the Lousiana Hayride. I don't agree. In fact, the Hayride's "final performance" date cited by the main Wikipedia article of August 27, 1960 can't possibly be true. I distinctly remember my family attending the Lousiana Hayride all through the 1960's in Shreveport's historic Municipal Auditorium. I was born in November 1957, so my recollections are certain. In fact, I vividly remember wearing an icon of 60's fashion, a peach colored Nehru collar shirt, to one Hayride performance.
One name omitted from the list of stars to appear at the Louisiana Hayride is Roy Clark. I saw him soon after my dad bought an album called, "The Lightning Fingers of Roy Clark." This was several years before his breakout success in Hee Haw.
Did Elvis kill the Hayride? I don't think so. No doubt change was underway in 1960, perhaps the show was dropped by a radio network, or suffered a decline in radio audiences with the advent of television. I think the economics of the music industry was also changing, artist compensation, royalties and such. Whatever the case, something has been lost. It is tragic to me to consider that there is hardly any place left where live music is appropriate family entertainment. I suppose the only similar live performance event available today is professional sports, but I fear there has been a real cultural loss in substituting athletes for artists.
