Black History at the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium
By: Alex Cerda
Updated: February 27, 2012
Larger than life icons naturally associated with the Municipal Auditorium.
For some, it's the only thing the auditorium is known for.
But in reality.....
"The black musicians, black entertainers had a huge part in making this building so famous."
In 1968, Jimi Hendrix graced the stage of the auditorium and packed the house.
He was just one of many major black artists ranging from B.B. King, to Aretha Franklin to Otis Redding who were once forgotten memories in the building....that is until the Friends of the Municipal Auditorium began curating a room dedicated the artists.
"Each and every time that you take the time to come here and visit, you find a memory of some sort."
"If these walls could talk, you'd, i'd never leave here....never."
"Back in the 1950's and 60's, artists who performed were rarely advertised with pictures on the page; it was just their names. So when Charlie Pride came out on stage here at the Municipal Auditorium, the crowd was shocked....not because he was black, but because he was playing country music."
"You could hear a pin drop. Not a sound in the entire arena. He started to sing, I mean, the place erupted. People standing on chairs, going crazy."
As the memorabilia slowly comes in and the musical past as a whole is recreated, maybe Shreveport will go crazy once more
Alex Cerda NBC 6 news.
