KC Opry founder passes
Fred Black, who opened the KC Opry in 1978, passed away on August 3rd.
Black and his wife Ruby operated the KC Opry in the historic Englewood Theater until musician and band leader Tuffy Williams took over the venue when the Blacks relocated to Oregon.
“We worked very hard to make it a place for everyone to gather and have a lot of fun at the Englewood Theatre on Saturday night,” Ruby commented in a note about the passing of her spouse. “All the customers became family to us and were very sad to see us move on.”
Who played at the theater
The Englewood Theater was a live music venue for over a decade and known as the KC Opry. We recently researched musicians who performed at KC Opry.
There are 30 musicians who performed at the KC Opry who have been inducted in the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, TN. Here’s the list.
We have produced video segments about some of the performers which are available on our YouTube channel.
Let the good times roll …
Friends of Englewood Theater will be the 2027 beneficiary of the Rotary Club of Independence Mardi Gras event.
Here’s what the Rotary Club of Independence said in making the announcement.
“By supporting the restoration of the Englewood Theater, we are helping preserve local history, strengthen a neighborhood, create opportunities for learning and the arts, and invest in a space where people can gather, connect, and be inspired for generations to come.”
The Mardi Gras event will be Feb. 6th, 2027. Stay tune for more details. If you want to be involved, let us know.
Library captures the history of KC Opry
The Midwest Genealogy Library collected stories about KC Opry and published it online. Here’s a description.
“While Kansas City is world-renowned for its jazz, this is not the only rich music scene the metro boasts. From 1978 through 1989, the KC Opry, a Nashville-style country music venue featuring local and big-name musicians alike, operated out of the historic Englewood Theater … the theater was owned and operated by Tuffy Williams, a local musician and entertainer.”
Theater gets listed on National Register
The Englewood Theater has been officially approved for listing on the National Register of Historic Places
It is important to get the Englewood Theater listed on the National Register of Historic Places because it can make financial incentives available to renovate the theater
Englewood joins historic theater group
Englewood Theater has joined the League of Historic American Theaters. There are about 400 theaters in the US and Canada.
Garth Brooks connection
Some of the television stories have highlighted Garth Brooks connection to the Englewood Theater when it operated at the KC Opry.
Brooks came to Kansas City in August 2023 to announce Tailgate Radio and talked about his KC Opry experience. Here’s the Channel 41 story.
Watch KC Opry videos
We are happy to share videos from Tuffy Williams and the KC Opry.
This treasure trove was provided by Karen Williams - Tuffy’s wife and collaborator in operating the live music venue in the Englewood Theater for over decade.
Read editorial about Englewood
The Englewood Theater project is getting lots of local media attention.
Watch/read the media coverage. Click here.
Here’s the key paragraph from a recent editorial in The Examiner.