THE EVERGREEN BALLROOM
"A Kerosene Circuit Club"

Photo:  S. Carlson - July 1999
9121 Pacific Avenue S.E.
Lacey, Washington

1932 ~ 2000

The Evergreen Ballroom as it appeared on 20 July 2000

Friday, 21 July 2000, a piece of Northwest Music History is destroyed by flames, The Olympian.

Photo:  The Olympian

HERE IS ONLY A SMALL SAMPLING OF THE  MANY BANDS AND PERSONALITIES THAT APPEARED AT THE EVERGREEN BALLROOM OVER THE YEARS

Eric Predoehl, Producer:  "Oh man, this is terrible news.  I always wanted to go there, and see if I could find some old poster from the Bobby Bland/Jr Parker/ Etta James/ Richard Berry show, but I never got around to it."

Mike Dugo, Lance Records:  "Looks like the Ballroom hosted many great garage bands.  It's too bad another piece of history is no longer with us."

Stan Foreman, The Beachcombers:  "A lot of memories for a lot of people went up in smoke in the blaze.  The Beachcombers had played there several times in the '60's." Rich Liebe, The Regents:  "Really sad.  I remember seeing it when we went to AFKAD's sister's place last year. " Darryl Riffero, Pitchblende, The Train:  "Sammy, I am sorry to say that the EVERGREEN BALLROOM is on fire as I type this.  I can see the smoke in the sky east of where I live.  What a shame."  When reminiscing about the Evergreen... "It's funny because 3 or 4 times this year I got off of I-5 and took old Highway 99 just to drive by the Evergreen Ballroom, staring hard at it when I drove by...  thinking of all the bands I saw there." (Darryl was the first to give us the news about this sad event). Steve Thurgood, The Continentals:  "Not only have I seen the sadness in the pictures, I actually stood and watched as she was burning - I live... here in Olympia about three miles from the 'Green.  No sprinkler system, no fire insurance, she's  now gone!" Mark and Deb Lindsay:  "gosh, we heard this on the radio, what a shame..." Lan Roberts , KJR DeeJay, among other things:  Such a loss! Just the mention of places like "Spanish Castle" and "Evergreen Ballroom" conjure up many memories of great sounds and  wonderful romances.
The Lan Roberts Unauthorized Web site Tami McLoughlin-DeBellis: "I felt like a part of my youth went up in the flames." Gretchen Christopher:  I wept when I read the eyewitness account of Darryl Riffero.

The Evergreen went down in flames and, with it, so much history, just a bit of which was The Fleetwoods' first of 15 albums, Mr. BLUE.  For a long time that cover was displayed with the original vinyl LP, peeking halfway out of it, protected by a glass case.  In the last years, it was just the cover of Barbara, Gretchen and Gary.  Though the three of us never played The Green, I did performe there solo, before I put the trio together in 1958.  There and at The Tropics Ballroom on the other side of Olympia.  As I recall, they paid me $5 a song, to step up and do a few solos with the band, as a special appearance.  In the Fifties, fifteen dollars was not shabby for a 16 year old singing three songs!  And the thrill has never left, whether performing solo or as The Fleetwoods, on Dick Clark's American Bandstand or in an amphitheater before 109,000 fans in the rain.

As I recall, the last time I performed at the Evergreen Ballroom was the year before it burned.  I was there with a partner for swing dancing; such fun. Lois, who had hired a Dixieland Jazz Band, asked me if I would be willing to sing a few numbers.

I was having a wonderful time dancing, but she rounded us up and spoke with the musicians at intermission, and we established that I would sing several numbers, including  "Hard Hearted Hannah" and ending with "Bye Bye Blackbird", which I talked through for them. All the numbers went beautifully.  To end, I started "Blackbird" and sang with great feeling as a ballad, then stomped my foot, kicked the band into double time, and we burnt up the boards joyously, all the way through; then the band took their solos, I took it through again, and out with a tag, "Bye, Bye!"

It was great to see the surprise and respect in their eyes.  I like to think I gave them, and the crowd, something kind of special, one more memory at The Green.  We'll miss it.
Gretchen Christopher, The Fleetwoods, February 2003

When Stationed at Fort Lewis, Washington from 1963 to 1965, my girlfriend took me to the Evergreen Ballroom to see  Buck Owens (R.I.P).  Owens was a new Kid in the entreatment field, a rising star. I Never forgot that in his chat  with the audience he was a bit nervous, and stated how happy he was to be in the great city of Tacoma, till one of his aids let Buck know he was in Olympia.  We all have lots of memories of this Ballroom in the Pines.
Nick Di Brino.  Westchester County, New York, Aug 2005, May 2006. My Dad played there in the 50’s and early 60’s.  He was a trumpet player with various groups.  In the late spring of ’62, he was hanging out in the bar and saw a women being harassed on the dance floor by a drunk “trying to make time with her”.  She was beautiful – looked like Jackie Kennedy.  So, he ran right out to save her – for which she was grateful.  Her southern accent (she had just come here from Georgia) finished the enchantment.  The rest is history – 44 years of marriage – my brother and me – and . . . Mom still looks like Jackie Kennedy.

I wish I had a picture of that place from the 60’s.  I live just down the road from it now, but all I’ve ever seen is the pile of rubble.
Sheri (Core) Treinen, September 2006

I too have a lot of great memories of the Green.  I spent many Saturday nights there back in the 1970's.  I remember when Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels played the Green. Man that place was so packed you could hardly move.  They had a little glass showcase in the entrance and Tommy Dorsey's business card was even in there.  I worked at the Green as a custodian back in the 1980's for a while. I had to keep that huge wood floor nice and clean.  I still have a piece of the original green siding from that building.  It doesn't have a whole lot of the green paint left on it but enough so when I look at it it reminds me of what a great time those years were.

G. Hale, October, 2006

The wife and I  went  to see Ray Price at the Colonial theatre in Idaho Fall's, Idaho the 17th of April, and it brought back memories of seeing Ray Price at the Evergreen Ballroom in 1962 while I was in the service at Fort Lewis.  I Also saw Hank Thompson and the Brazzo Valley Boy's, and Fat's Domino.  I always asked folks about the Evergreen Ballroom and was saddened to find it had burned down... but what a run it had.  The Evergreen has instilled a lot of fond memories in a lot of people.

Dennis Kennedy, Island Park, Idaho, April 2007

I learned about an historic double bill in the early 50's at the Evergreen Ballroom from local musicians Chuck Stentz and Bill Ramsay, who were there.  Dave Brubeck (w/Chet Baker, Shelly Manne) was on one stage and Charlie Parker on the other.

One story from that night was that a friend of Chuck and Bill's commented that he thought Brubeck was the better musician and that Charlie Parker wasn't all that good.  They wanted to take him outside.

Another incredible show at the legendary 'Green.

Craig Foster, August 2008

If you have corrections, a neat photo or more information, please send it to:

Credits:  Eric Predoehl, S. Carlson, Darryl Riffero, Stan Foreman, Rich Liebe, Mike Dugo, Steve Thurgood, W.A. Farrens, The Olympian, Mark Lindsay, Deb Lindsay, Lan Roberts, Michael Moore, Duane McCaslin, Tami McLoughlin-DeBellis, Jim Sola, Jim Hawkins, Steve Berman, Keith Craine, Larry Kirkland, Brett McCarron, Pat Drew, Tom Walters, Gretchen Christopher, Brian Feldtman, Maggie Fox, Nick Di Brino, Mike Shea, G. Hale, Dennis Kennedy, Bob Claycamp, Joel Johnson, Roland Morris, Craig Foster, Jim Henning