View source for Honky-tonk

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2022}}
{{short description|Type of bar that provides musical entertainment and a style of music played there}}
{{other uses|Honky Tonk (disambiguation)}}

[[File:Tootsies 2015.jpg|thumb| [[Tootsie's Orchid Lounge]] is the oldest honky-tonk in Nashville, Tennessee.]]
A '''honky-tonk''' (also called '''honkatonk''', '''honkey-tonk''', '''honky tonk''', or '''tonk''') is either a [[Bar (establishment)|bar]] that provides [[country music]] for the entertainment of its patrons or the style of music played in such establishments. It can also refer to the type of piano ([[tack piano]]) used to play such music. Bars of this kind are common in the [[Southern United States|South]] and [[Southwestern United States|Southwest]] United States. Many prominent country music artists such as [[Jimmie Rodgers]], [[Ernest Tubb]], [[Lefty Frizzell]], [[Hank Williams]], [[Patsy Cline]], [[Johnny Horton]] and [[Merle Haggard]] began their careers as amateur musicians in honky-tonks.

The origin of the term "honky-tonk" is disputed, originally referring to [[bawdy]] variety shows in areas of the old West ([[Oklahoma Territory|Oklahoma]], the [[Indian Territory|Indian Territories]] and mostly [[Texas]]) and to the actual theaters showing them.

The first [[music genre]] to be commonly known as honky-tonk was a style of [[piano]] playing related to [[ragtime]] but emphasizing [[rhythm]] more than [[melody]] or [[harmony]]; the style evolved in response to an environment in which pianos were often poorly cared for, tending to be out of tune and having some nonfunctioning keys. This honky-tonk music was an important influence on the [[boogie-woogie]] piano style. Before World War II, the music industry began to refer to [[hillbilly music]] being played from Texas and Oklahoma to the West Coast as "honky-tonk" music. In the 1950s, honky-tonk entered its [[golden age]], with the popularity of [[Webb Pierce]], [[Hank Locklin]], [[Lefty Frizzell]], [[Faron Young]], [[George Jones]], and [[Hank Williams]].

==Etymology==
The origin of the term ''honky-tonk'' is unknown. The earliest known use in print is an article in the ''[[Journal Star (Peoria)|Peoria Journal]]'' dated June 28, 1874, stating, "The police spent a busy day today raiding the [[bagnio]]s and honkytonks."<ref>{{citation|url=https://www.becomingrichardpryor.com/pryors-peoria/assets/Peoriana_Adaline_Cole_all.pdf|title=Underworld – Women|publisher=“Peoriana” collection, Peoria Public Library|pages=2335–2342}}</ref> 

There are subsequent citations from 1890 in ''[[The Dallas Morning News]]'',<ref>''The Dallas Morning News'' (Dallas, Texas), August 6, 1890: "Myself and him set and talked awhile and he got up and said he wanted to go to the honk-a-tonk (variety show)."</ref>{{page needed|date=July 2015}} 1892 in the ''[[The Daily News (Texas)|Galveston Daily News]]'' ([[Galveston, Texas]])<ref>''Galveston Daily News'', July 26, 1892, p. 6: "Fort Worth, Tex. (...) A youth named Goodman, who arrived here from Wilbarger county entered Andrews' honkatonk on Fifteenth street and was ordered out on account of his age." ({{citation|url=http://www.barrypopik.com/article/1686/honky-tonk-not-from-tonk-pianos|title=Honky Tonk (Not from Tonk Pianos)|access-date=July 9, 2006}})</ref> (which used the term to refer to an adult establishment in [[Fort Worth, Texas|Fort Worth]]), and in 1894 in ''[[The Ardmoreite|The Daily Ardmoreite]]'' in Oklahoma.<ref>''The Daily Ardmoreite'' (Oklahoma), February 26, 1894, p. 2, col. 1. (Oklahoma Historical Society, Microfilm #110). "The honk-a-tonk last night was well attended by ball heads, bachelors and leading citizens. Most of them are inclined to kick themselves this morning for being sold."</ref> Early uses of the term in print mostly appear along a corridor roughly coinciding with [[Cattle drives in the United States|cattle drive]] trails extending from Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, into south central Oklahoma, suggesting that the term may have been a localism spread by cowboys driving cattle to market. The sound of ''honky-tonk'' (or ''honk-a-tonk'') and the types of places that were called honky-tonks suggests that the term may be an [[Onomatopoeia|onomatopoeic]] reference to the loud, boisterous music and noise heard at these establishments.{{cn|date=October 2025}}

One theory is that the "tonk" portion of the name may have come from the brand name of piano made by William Tonk & Bros., an American manufacturer of large upright pianos<ref>Pierce, ''Pierce Piano Atlas''.</ref>{{page needed|date=July 2015}} (established 1881),<ref name="Sweeny Piano.com">{{cite web|title=Piano Manufacturers New York State 1789–1911|url=http://www.sweeneypiano.com/interstate/manufacturers/ny_piano_manufacturers.cfm|website=Sweeneypiano.com}}</ref> which made a piano with the decal "Ernest A. Tonk". The Tonk brothers, William and Max, established the Tonk Bros. Manufacturing Company in 1873, so such an etymology is possible;<ref>{{cite book|title=Tonk Manufacturing Company records|date=January 21, 1873|oclc = 713358409}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0KdzNQEACAAJ|title=Memoirs of a Manufacturer|first=William|last=Tonk|date=January 21, 2019|publisher=Presto|access-date=January 21, 2019|via=Google Books}}</ref> however, these pianos were not manufactured until 1889, at which point the term seems to have already been established.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-hon2.htm|title=World Wide Words: Honky-tonk|website=World Wide Words|access-date=January 21, 2019}}</ref>

An early source purporting to explain the derivation of the term (spelled ''honkatonk'') was an article published in 1900 by the ''New York Sun'' and widely reprinted in other newspapers.<ref>''Reno Evening Gazette'' (Nevada), February 3, 1900, p. 2, col. 5.</ref>

==History==

An article in the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' of July 28, 1929, with the headline {{"'}}Honky-Tonk' Origin Told", which was probably in response to the [[Sophie Tucker]] movie musical, ''[[Honky Tonk (1929 film)|Honky Tonk]]'' (1929), reads:
 
{{quote|
Do you know what a honky tonk is?
 
[[seamanship|Seafaring]] men of a few years ago knew very well, as the honky-tonks of [[San Francisco]]'s [[Barbary Coast, San Francisco|Barbary Coast]] constituted perhaps the most vivid spots in their generally uneventful lives.
 
The name originated on the Barbary Coast and was applied to the low "[[dive bar|dives]]" which formed so great a part of this notorious district. In these establishments, which were often of enormous size, much liquor was dispensed at the tables which crowded the floor, and entertainment of doubtful quality was given on a stage at one end of the room.
 
The honky tonk, as a matter of fact, was the predecessor of the present-day [[cabaret]] or [[nightclub|night club]], the principal differences being that the prices were lower and that the former establishment made no pretense of "[[upper class|class]]."<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/image/385498508/ {{"'}}Honky-Tonk' Origin Told"].{{subscription required}} ''Los Angeles Times''. July 28, 1929. p. 16.</ref>
}}

In this context of the term’s meaning and its possible origin, an example from roughly the same period is the [[Harvey Oliver Brooks]] song “They Call Me Sister Honky-Tonk,” sung by [[Mae West]] in the 1933 film [[I%27m_No_Angel|I’m No Angel]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0024166/soundtrack/|title=I'm No Angel (1933) - Soundtracks|website=IMDb.com|access-date=June 16, 2024}}</ref>

Honky-tonks were rough establishments, providing country music in the [[Deep South]] and [[Southwest United States|Southwest]] and serving [[alcoholic beverage]]s to a [[working class|working-class]] clientele. Some honky-tonks offered dancing to music played by pianists or small bands, and some were centers of [[prostitution]]. Katrina Hazzard-Gordon wrote that the honky-tonk was "the first urban manifestation of the [[Juke joint|jook]]", and that "the name itself became synonymous with a style of music. Related to the classic blues in tonal structure, honky-tonk has a tempo that is slightly stepped up. It is rhythmically suited for many African-American dance."<ref>Hazzard-Gordon, Katrina (1990). ''Jookin{{'}}''. Temple University Press. p. 84. {{ISBN|0-87722-613-X}}</ref>

As [[Chris Smith (composer)|Chris Smith]] and [[Charles McCarron]] wrote in their 1916 hit song "Down in Honky Tonk Town", "It's underneath the ground, where all the fun is found."

===Origins of the establishment===
Although the derivation of the term is unknown, ''honky tonk'' originally referred to bawdy variety shows in the [[American West|West]] ([[Oklahoma Territory|Oklahoma]] and [[Indian Territory|Indian]] Territories and [[Texas]]) and to the theaters housing them. The earliest mention of them in print refers to them as "variety theaters"<ref>''The Daily Oklahoman'', Sunday, September 5, 1915, p. 1., col. 1. "There is scarcely an old-time gambler in the United States who does not remember the Reeves gambling house and 'honkytonk' in Guthrie. ... a stage and rows of curtained boxes, was built as an addition for the purposes of a free-and-easy variety show."</ref> and describe the entertainment as "variety shows".<ref>''Reno Evening Gazette'' (Nevada), February 3, 1900, p. 2, col. 5. "The programme is made up largely of specialties. Whatever the feeling of a long-suffering public, the honkatonk vocalists never will permit 'Sweet Rosie O'Grady' and 'Just One Girl' to perish from the earth, and coon songs are sung as May Irwin never did and never will sing them. Always at least one drama is presented, the entire company, vocalists, dancers and all, participating. Among the most popular plays are 'The Dalton Boys' and 'Mildred, the She-Devil of the Plains,' for the old traditions still are respected to a certain extent, though the participation of the audience is no longer solicited."</ref> The theaters often had an attached gambling house and always a bar.

In recollections long after the frontiers closed, writers such as [[Wyatt Earp]] and E.C. Abbott referred to honky-tonks in the cowtowns of Kansas, Nebraska, and Montana in the 1870s and 1880s.<ref>Hunter, [http://www.lib.utexas.edu/books/texasclassics/traildrivers/txu-oclc-12198638-c-0832.html ''Trail Drivers of Texas'', p. 832] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060716234521/http://www.lib.utexas.edu/books/texasclassics/traildrivers/txu-oclc-12198638-c-0832.html|date=July 16, 2006}}: "I went to Dodge City, the honkatonk town, cleaned up an bought a suit of clothes, and left for San Antonio, reaching home July 1, 1885."</ref> Their recollections contain lurid accounts of the women and violence accompanying the shows. However, in contemporary accounts these were nearly always called [[hurdy-gurdy]] shows, possibly derived from the term ''hurdy-gurdy'', which was sometimes mistakenly applied to a small, portable barrel organ that was frequently played by organ grinders and [[busker]]s.

As late as 1913, Col. Edwin Emerson, a former [[Rough Riders|Rough Rider]] commatourist-friendlyonky-tonk party in [[New York City]].<ref>"Col. Emerson's Novel Party; Rough Rider Veteran Gives 'Old Forty-niners' Honky-Tonk Fandango{{'"}}. ''The New York Times'', February 23, 1913. p. C7</ref> The Rough Riders were recruited from the ranches of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Indian Territories, so the term was still in popular use during the [[Spanish–American War]].

=== Regional variations ===

[[File:Honky Tonk Regional Variation USA Map.png|thumb| A USA map featuring the four states that influenced Honky Tonk: Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and California]]
[[File: MerleHaggardJun09.jpg |thumb|upright|Merle Haggard, an American country music songwriter, singer, and musician (1937–2016)]]
Although honky tonk music is often associated with the [[American South]], it took on unique regional characteristics in different parts of the [[United States]]. Those characteristics were manifested from how local cultures, histories, and migration patterns influenced the sound, style, and settings of honky tonk in key areas.

Honky tonk made its first appearance in the oil boom towns and cattle-driving regions of [[Texas]], [[Oklahoma]], and [[Louisiana]]. Over time, it spread west to [[California]] and gained national attention through the music industry which was centered in [[Nashville, Tennessee]]. Ranging from lyrical themes to dance styles, each of these regions contributed unique features to the honky tonk tradition.

# '''Oklahoma''' –  [[Dust Bowl]] migration and multi-ethnic musical influences shaped the honky tonk sound in this region. Electric instruments were adopted early on to cut through bar noise, and artists like [[Johnny Bond]] and [[Wanda Jackson]] began their careers here.<ref name="OKHist">{{Cite web|url=https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=CO072|title=Country Music – Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture|publisher=Oklahoma Historical Society}}</ref>
# '''Texas''' – [[Texas]] honky tonk evolved around rural dancehalls and [[cowboy]] culture. [[Bob Wills]], [[Ernest Tubb]], and many others defined the electrified, rhythm-driven sound here. [[Dancehall]] traditions and [[Texas two-step]] also played a major role in shaping the Texas honky tonk identity.<ref name="OKHist" />
# '''California (Bakersfield)''' – In the 1960s, children of [[Oklahoma]] and [[Texas]] migrants living in [[California]] pushed back against the polished [[Nashville Sound]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://sites.dwrl.utexas.edu/countrymusic/the-history/the-nashville-sound/|title=The Nashville Sound – The History of Country Music|website=University of Texas|access-date=April 5, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/music/nashville-sound-music|title=Nashville Sound – Music Research Starter|publisher=EBSCO|access-date=April 5, 2025}}</ref> and created the grittier [[Bakersfield Sound]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://visitbakersfield.com/things-to-do/music-entertainment/bakersfield-sound/|title=The Bakersfield Sound|publisher=Visit Bakersfield|access-date=April 5, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/country-music/bakersfield-sound-branches-of-country-music|title=The Bakersfield Sound – PBS Country Music|publisher=PBS|access-date=April 5, 2025}}</ref> Artists like [[Merle Haggard]] became known for their stripped-down, working-class take on honky tonk.<ref name="OKHist" /> 
# '''Tennessee (Nashville)''' – While honky tonk was born in bars, [[Nashville]] helped bring it to national audiences through venues like the [[Grand Ole Opry]]. Over time, however, the rise of the [[Nashville Sound]] led to a more polished and commercial version of country music that some saw as a departure from honky tonk’s roots.<ref name="OKHist" />

=== Evolution of venues ===
Honky-tonks originated in the late 19th century. They were often in the Texas-Oklahoma area, with mostly working-class individuals. The venues were associated with having a rough atmosphere with activities such as drinking and gambling. By the middle of the 20th century, they had a similar reputation, but it changed from the blue-collar crowd into an atmosphere more focused on music and dancing. Today honkey-tonk bars are a mix of music clubs and tourist-friendly bars with some of the aspects of the mid-20th century, including neon beer signs and wooden dance floors.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-11-25 |title=What is a "Honky-Tonk?" The History & Surprising Facts! » Country Dancing Tonight |url=https://www.countrydancingtonight.com/the-history-of-honky-tonks-surprising-facts-you-need-to-know/ |access-date=2025-04-02 |website=www.countrydancingtonight.com |language=en-US}}</ref> 

== Notable bars and landmarks ==
=== Tootsie's Orchid Lounge ===
{{Main|Tootsie's Orchid Lounge}}
Tootsie's is located in downtown Nashville Tennessee behind the Ryman Auditorium. Tootsie's is noted as one of the most famous honky tonk bars in the history of honky tonk. The bar was originally opened by Hattie Louise “Tootsie” Bess, the bar got its name after a painter accidentally covered the bar in orchid colored paint. Tootsies quickly became a central location for notable country stars such as [[Willie Nelson]], [[Patsy Cline]], [[Kris Kristofferson]], and [[Loretta Lynn]]. Though it declined in popularity after the Grand Ole Opry moved in 1974, it was revived in the 1990s by Steve Smith and is still open to the public to this day.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Tootsies World Famous Orchid Lounge {{!}} National Trust for Historic Preservation |url=https://savingplaces.org/stories/historic-bars-tootsies-world-famous-orchid-lounge#:~:text=Tootsies%20is%20located%20behind%20the,as%20Tootsie%E2%80%99s%20Wall%20of%20Fame |access-date=2025-04-02 |website=savingplaces.org |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Gilley's Nightclub ===
{{Main|Gilley's Club}}
[[File:Johnny Paycheck.jpg|alt=Gilley's Nightclub|thumb|upright|Gilley's Nightclub]]
Originally named Sherwood Cryer, Gilley’s Nightclub in [[Pasadena, Texas]] was opened in 1970. The Nightclub featured a shooting gallery, showers for truckers, a rodeo arena with mechanical bulls, pool tables, punching bags, and a dance floor big enough for thousands. Gilley’s hosted many different musical artists such as [[Loretta Lynn]], [[Ernest Tubb]], [[Emmylou Harris]], and [[Rosanne Cash|Roseanne Cash]], and launched the career of [[Mickey Gilley]]. However, in 1988 Mickey Gilley became frustrated with the Nightclub saying the previous owners refused to make renovations, clean the bathroom, and address parking lot issues. This led to him gaining control of the Nightclub after a lawsuit. Later in 1989, the Nightclub had to be closed down due to loss of profits. Then in 1990 the Nightclub burned down and is now no longer operational.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Association |first=Texas State Historical |title=Gilley's |url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/gilleys#:~:text=Gilley's%20was%20a%20nightclub%20located,musician%20Mickey%20Gilley%20as%20partner. |access-date=2025-04-02 |website=Texas State Historical Association |language=en}}</ref>

=== Billy Bob's Texas ===
{{Main|Billy Bob's Texas}}
[[File:Billy Bobs Texas (2).jpg|alt=Billy Bob's Texas|thumb|Billy Bob's Texas]]
Opened in 1981 by Texas A&M graduate and professional football character Billy Bob Barnett, Billy Bob’s Texas is located in a former cattle barn in the [[Fort Worth Stockyards]] and is known as the World’s Largest Honkey Tonk. This building spanned over 100,000 square feet and contained multiple dance floors, stages for concerts, and an indoor rodeo arena. Billy Bob’s hosted some of the biggest names in country music and even boosted the careers of people such as [[George Strait]], [[Reba McEntire]], [[Travis Tritt]], and many others. Despite all of this success, Billy Bob’s Texas had to be closed down on January 8, 1988 Billy Bob’s had to close its doors due to bankruptcy. This was a significant hit to the Tourism of [[Fort Worth, Texas|Fort Worth, TX]] as Billy Bob’s Texas was a major tourist attraction. However, the Honkey Tonk was saved on November 28, 1988, as some of the original investors came back in to save and help manage the Honkey Tonk. Billy Bob’s Texas is still open today and is a major tourist attraction for all country fans.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Association |first=Texas State Historical |title=Billy Bob's Texas |url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/billy-bobs-texas |access-date=2025-04-04 |website=Texas State Historical Association |language=en}}</ref>

=== Gruene Hall ===
{{Main|Gruene Hall}}
[[File:Gruene hall.jpg|alt=Gruene Hall|thumb|Gruene Hall]]
Although it may not be labeled as a “honky tonk” Gruene Hall was(and still is) a very influential dance hall for many artist who are considered to be in the Honky Tonk genre. Gruene Hall is known as the oldest dance hall in Texas that is still operational today. Although it was open in 1878, ownership has preserved it over the years, even keeping the same layout as when it first opened. Gruene Hall  is a massive 6,000 square foot dance hall that has hosted musicians such as [[Garth Brooks]], [[Willie Nelson]], [[Merle Haggard]], [[LeAnn Rimes]], [[George Strait]], [[Townes Van Zandt]], [[Jerry Jeff Walker]], [[Lyle Lovett]], [[Hal Ketchum]], and [[Gregg Allman]]. Gruene hall have been a staple for many Honky Tonk artist and living history for all tourist and Honky Tonk fans to enjoy.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Association |first=Texas State Historical |title=Gruene Hall |url=https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/entries/gruene-hall |access-date=2025-04-06 |website=Texas State Historical Association |language=en}}</ref>

==Dancing and cultural significance==
Dance has been the centerpiece of the honky-tonk culture for a long time. This genre has more upbeat suited for dancing, typically two-stepping and the [[jitterbug]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-10 |title=What Is Honky-Tonk Music? A Full Exploration - Ourmusicworld |url=https://www.ourmusicworld.com/archives/13028#:~:text=The%20rhythm%20of%20honky,reflecting%20the%20lively%20atmosphere%20of |access-date=2025-04-06 |language=en-US}}</ref>

Typically, in the Texas honky-tonks, there are a multitude of folk dances that are done in the halls. Those being the Texas Two-Step, the waltz, and the polka. A Texas historian, Christian Wallace says that "Everything that's important about Texas culture: barbecue, beer, two-steps, waltzes and polkas" (Wallace 2019). Wallace means that these dances foster social connection not just entertainment.<ref>{{Cite web |title=10 Legendary Texas Dance Halls and Honky-Tonks |url=https://blog.tmlirp.org/10-legendary-texas-dance-halls-and-honky-tonks#:~:text=Patrick%20Sparks,%20president%20of%20the,%E2%80%9D |access-date=2025-04-06 |website=blog.tmlirp.org |language=en-us}}</ref>

In 1980, the film ''[[Urban Cowboy]]'' was released. This movie was set in a honkey-tonk, and began a nationwide spread of the country line dancing. The movie portrayed typical honky-tonk dances and mechanical bull rides, spreading the honky-tonk culture as a whole.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Americans need to dance |url=https://www.ironmountaindailynews.com/opinion/2024/12/americans-need-to-dance/#:~:text=A%20communal%20culture%20that%20shares,Night%20Fever%E2%80%9D%20did%20for%20disco |access-date=2025-04-06 |website=ironmountaindailynews.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Music==

[[File:Hank Williams MGM Records - cropped.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Hank Williams]], an influential honky-tonker from the 1940s and early 1950s]]

The honky-tonk sound has a full rhythm section playing a two-beat rhythm with a crisp backbeat. [[Steel guitar]] and [[fiddle]] are the dominant instruments.<ref>Campbell, Michael (2011). ''Popular Music in America: The Beat Goes On''. [[Cengage Learning]]. p. 127. {{isbn|9780840029768 }}</ref>

The first [[music genre]] to be commonly known as honky-tonk music was a style of [[piano]] playing related to [[ragtime]] but emphasizing [[rhythm]] more than [[melody]] or [[harmony]]; the style evolved in response to an environment in which the pianos were often poorly cared for, tending to be out of tune and having some nonfunctioning keys.

Honky-tonk music influenced the [[boogie-woogie]] piano style, as indicated by [[Jelly Roll Morton]]'s 1938 record "Honky Tonk Music" and [[Meade Lux Lewis]]'s hit "Honky Tonk Train Blues." Lewis recorded the latter many times from 1927 into the 1950s, and the song was covered by many other musicians, including [[Oscar Peterson]].

The [[twelve-bar blues]] [[instrumental]] "[[Honky Tonk (composition)|Honky Tonk]]" by the [[Bill Doggett]] Combo, with a sinuous [[saxophone]] line and driving, slow beat, was an early [[rock and roll]] hit. [[New Orleans]] native [[Fats Domino]] was another honky-tonk piano man, whose "[[Blueberry Hill (song)|Blueberry Hill]]" and "[[Walking to New Orleans (song)|Walkin' to New Orleans]]" were hits on the popular music charts.

In the years before World War II, the music industry began to refer to honky-tonk music played from Texas and Oklahoma to the West Coast as ''[[hillbilly music]]''. More recently, the term has come to refer to the primary sound in [[country music]], developing in Nashville as [[Western swing]] became accepted there. Originally, it featured the [[guitar]], [[fiddle]], [[string bass]], and [[steel guitar]] (imported from [[Music of Hawaii#Folk music|Hawaiian folk music]]). The vocals were originally rough and nasal, as exemplified by the singer-songwriters [[Floyd Tillman]] and [[Hank Williams]], but later developed a clear and sharp sound, such as that of [[George Jones]] and [[Faron Young]]. Lyrics tended to focus on working-class life, with frequently tragic themes of lost love, adultery, loneliness, alcoholism, and self-pity.

Copyrighted and released in 1941, "[[Walking the Floor Over You]]", by [[Ernest Tubb]],<ref>[https://www.sheetmusicnow.com/products/walking-the-floor-over-you-p391479 "Walking The Floor Over You" Sheet Music by George IV Hamilton], SheetMusicNow.com</ref><ref>[https://countrymusichalloffame.org/artist/ernest-tubb/ Ernest Tubb], [[Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum]]</ref> his sixth release for [[Decca Records|Decca]],<ref>[http://countrymusichalloffame.org/%7Bstash:permalink%7D] {{Dead link|date=August 2018|bot=InternetArchiveBot|fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> helped establish the honky-tonk style and Tubb as one of its foremost practitioners.<ref>Morrison, Craig (1952). ''Go Cat Go!'' University of Illinois Press. p. 28. {{ISBN|0-252-06538-7}}.</ref> Tubb, from Crisp, Texas, was a fan of Jimmie Rodgers and fused Western swing, which had been using electric guitars for years, with other "country" sounds.<ref>Nassour, Ellis. ''Honky Tonk Angel: The Intimate Story of Patsy Cline''. p. 39.  {{isbn|978-1556527470}}</ref>

He took the sound to Nashville, where he was the first musician to play [[electric guitar]] on [[Grand Ole Opry]]. In the 1950s, honky tonk entered its [[golden age]], with the popularity of [[Webb Pierce]], [[Hank Locklin]], [[Lefty Frizzell]], Faron Young, George Jones, and Hank Williams. In the mid- to late 1950s, [[rockabilly]] (which melded honky-tonk country with [[rhythm and blues]]) and the slick country music of the [[Nashville sound]] ended honky-tonk's initial period of dominance.

[[The Rolling Stones]]' number-one single and gold record "[[Honky Tonk Women]]" (1969) was based on the sound of 1940s honky-tonk artists like Hank Williams<ref>{{Citation |author=Appleford, Steve |year=1997 |title=The Rolling Stones: It's Only Rock and Roll: Song by Song |isbn=0-02-864899-4 |page=88 |publisher=Schirmer Books }}.</ref> and referred to the reputation of honky-tonk bars as centres of prostitution.<ref>{{Citation |year=2006 |title=Encyclopedia of Prostitution and Sex Work, Volume 2 |editor=Melissa Hope Ditmore |isbn=0-313-32970-2 |page=407 |place=London |publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group }}.</ref> In the 1970s, [[outlaw country]]'s brand of rough honky-tonk was represented by artists such as [[Gary Stewart (singer)|Gary Stewart]], [[Waylon Jennings]], [[Willie Nelson]], [[David Allan Coe]], and [[Billy Joe Shaver]].

==See also==
* [[Dive bar]]
* [[Juke joint]]
* [[List of public house topics]]
* [[Country music]]
* [[Honky]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Bibliography==
{{Commons category|Honky tonk bars}}
{{wikiquote}}
{{Wiktionary|honky-tonk}}
*Abbott, E.C. (2000). ''We Pointed Them North: Recollections of a Cowpuncher''. [https://web.archive.org/web/20040408162226/http://oupress.com/bookdetail.asp?isbn=0-8061-1366-9 Norman: University of Oklahoma Press]. {{ISBN|0-8061-1366-9}}.
*American Dialect Society (2005). "[https://web.archive.org/web/20070329144334/http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0512d&L=ads-l&P=6957 Honkatonk (1900, from wild geese?)]". [http://www.americandialect.org/ American Dialect Society]. Retrieved July 16, 2006.
*Boyd, Jean Ann (1998). ''Jazz of the Southwest: An Oral History of Western Swing''. [http://www.utexas.edu/utpress/books/boyjaz.html Austin: University of Texas Press]. {{ISBN|0-292-70860-2}}.
*Dary, David (1989). ''Cowboy Culture: A Saga of Five Centuries''. [https://web.archive.org/web/20060720182713/http://www.kansaspress.ku.edu/darcow.html University Press of Kansas]. Reprint ed. {{ISBN|0-7006-0390-5}}.
*Hunter, J. Marvin (ed.) (1993). ''Trail Drivers of Texas: Interesting Sketches of Early Cowboys''. [http://www.utexas.edu/utpress/excerpts/exhuntra.html Austin: University of Texas Press.] Reprint of 1925 edition. {{ISBN|0-292-73076-4}}.
*Kienzle, Rich (2003). ''Southwest Shuffle: Pioneers of Honky Tonk, Western Swing, and Country Jazz''. New York: Routledge. {{ISBN|0-415-94102-4}}.
*Lake, Stuart (1994). ''Wyatt Earp: Frontier Marshal''. Pocket. Reprint ed. {{ISBN|0-671-88537-5}}.
*Pierce, Bob; Ashley, Larry (1996). ''Pierce Piano Atlas''. 10th ed. {{ISBN|0-911138-02-1}}.
*Shay, Anthony. ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20060716032724/http://phantomranch.net/folkdanc/articles/boysnite.htm Boys Night Out in Leadville]''. Retrieved July 16, 2006.
*Tennessean Tootsies' [https://www.tennessean.com/picture-gallery/entertainment/music/2016/10/11/photos-tootsies-56th-birthday-bash/91917732/ 56th Birthday Bash] October 2016
*What is a “Honky-Tonk?” The History & Surprising Facts' [url=https://www.countrydancingtonight.com/the-history-of-honky-tonks-surprising-facts-you-need-to-know] January 2025
*Oklahoma Historical Society. "[https://www.okhistory.org/publications/enc/entry?entry=CO072 Country Music]." ''Encyclopedia of Oklahoma History and Culture''. (Author: John W. Troutman)
*TMLIRP (2019). "[https://blog.tmlirp.org/10-legendary-texas-dance-halls-and-honky-tonks 10 Legendary Texas Dance Halls and Honky-Tonks]." Via ''Texas Monthly''. (Author: Christian Wallace)
*World, Our Music (2023). "[https://www.ourmusicworld.com/archives/13028 Honky-Tonk Music: A Full Exploration]."
*University of Texas. "[https://sites.dwrl.utexas.edu/countrymusic/the-history/the-nashville-sound/ The Nashville Sound – The History of Country Music]." Department of Rhetoric & Writing, University of Texas. Accessed April 5, 2025.
*EBSCO. "[https://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/music/nashville-sound-music Nashville Sound – Music Research Starter]." EBSCO Research Starters. Accessed April 5, 2025.
*Visit Bakersfield. "[http://visitbakersfield.com/things-to-do/music-entertainment/bakersfield-sound/ The Bakersfield Sound]." Official Tourism Site for Bakersfield. Accessed April 5, 2025.
*PBS. "[https://www.pbs.org/kenburns/country-music/bakersfield-sound-branches-of-country-music The Bakersfield Sound – Branches of Country Music]." PBS Country Music Series. Accessed April 5, 2025.


{{Drinking establishments}}
{{Country music}}
{{Americanrootsmusic}}

[[Category:Culture of the Western United States]]
[[Category:History of the American West]]
[[Category:Culture of the Southern United States]]
[[Category:Types of drinking establishment]]
[[Category:Country music]]
[[Category:Honky-tonks| ]]