One of my favorite trips through Minnesota was hitting a spot that Silver Laughter performed often during my time with them. It was a club in Shakopee (outside of Minneapolis) called Doc Hollidays, and that was where Silver Laughter played my first weekend with them.
This time we were backing up a band known as Ruby Starr and the Grey Band. Ruby’s style reminded me of a cross between Tina Turner and Janis Joplin, and her stage costume looked a bit like Dee Snyder (of Twisted Sister… who was a man!), but better looking. She had stiletto heels on that made this lady tower over me at 6′, or so it seemed. She had a personality that was larger than life, and she was on #10 all the time.
I remember one of her roadies invited me back stage to meet her and the other band mates. Now I had heard of Ruby Starr years earlier knowing she backed up a band of the times called “Black Oak Arkansas”. As an even younger teen I must have listened to their album “Raunch and Roll” a thousand times and remembered one of their songs called “Jim Dandy”. Ruby did her version of that song, even when playing with Black Oak, and at times she and the lead singer of Black Oak would do it as a duo.
Playing Doc Holidays was one of my favorite spots to play with Silver Laughter. Not only did I get to meet Ruby Starr there, I also met The Ozark Mountain Dare Devils, who had a hit in the mid 70’s called “Jackie Blue”. The club was big, had a large stage, and had that gunslinger old west saloon atmosphere. It no longer exists, and would not be far from where Mall of America now stands. It was just one of the many cool places Silver Laughter played, and the best thing was… I got to be a part of it.
Glenn
Doc Holliday’s Tavern
Note from Mick: Did they change the name from Doc Holliday’s to Doc’s Landing? I searched the Internet for photos of the nightclub and found several. However, I do not remember what the place looked like (surprise, surprise!) so these photos may not be of THE Doc Holliday’s in Shakopee, but I thought they were cool. Some time ago I did an interview for the Pop Geek Heaven and was asked if Silver Laughter had ever backed up any big bands. At the time I could only remember opening for Tiny Tim in Clear Lake, IA.
Doc Holliday’s – I suspect this saloon exists in Arizona, not Minnesota… but the photo is cool!
Note from Paul who still lives in the Twin Cities: I do think that Doc Holliday’s still exists. We drive by it in Delano, Minnesota whenever we go there. It is about 20 minutes west of where we live in Long Lake. (Or it is another establishment that took the name for itself.)
Categories: History
Were you aware that Ruby Starr is now deceased, having died of cancer at age 44?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby_Starr
Thank you for the update. No, I wasn’t aware she had passed away so young. It’s very sad and a loss to the music community.
Yes I was aware that Ruby Starr had passed and was saddened when I read that. I was web searching for anything Silver Laughter and typed in Ruby Starr, hoping I might get a lead that mentioned Silver Laughter. To my dismay I found the story of Ruby Starr and her untimely passing. It is very sad, and a loss to our musical community. She had a dynamic presence on and off the stage. She like so many others will be missed. Thank You for the information.
Doc Hollidays had a stagecoach on a huge post out front. It’s long gone…torn down to make room for the interstate
Unfortunately, I do not remember that much about the venue, but there are not a lot of places left for bands to play that were around in the 1970’s… if there are any at all!
Mick