AUSTIN, Texas — James White, the founder and owner of South Austin’s iconic honky-tonk, the Broken Spoke, died Sunday at age 81.
The Broken Spoke made the announcement on its Facebook page:
God bless you James White ❤️ This man is a legend and Austin, Texas and country music is better because of him. He’s up in Honky Tonk Heaven. What an introduction every body will get as they get to Heaven then he’ll sing a song with them. April 12, 1939 - Jan 24, 2021
White opened the local dancehall on South Lamar in 1964. Since then, a number of country music stars have taken the stage.
"The first big star I had here was Bob Wills,” White told Spectrum News 1 in 2004. “My whole family listened to him. Everybody knew who Bob Wills was."
Now flanked on both sides by new condominiums, the Broken Spoke is still known for its dance floor and the classic country music acts it hosts.
The Broken Spoke has been called Texas' best honky-tonk. It's brought music and dancing to Austin for 57 years.
"The secret is to treat people like you want to be treated when you come to a place. That's what I did,” White said. “I have never changed anything. I kept it country just like it’s supposed to be. Just like when I was a kid, my parents would take me to places like this. So I thought, 'When I get out of the Army, I'm going to open me up a place of my own.’ And I visualized a place like no other and now I'm living my dream and people let me do it."