Many of the names and dates have begun to fade from the memories of those who once performed there, and even from the memories of those who ran the shows. But they still remember how much the place meant to them, to the artists, to the families, and to the community.
That feeling is forever recorded on the hundreds of faces in the photographs, images that show people dancing their way through one of the most turbulent times in American history.
In the late 1960s, legendary musicians from B.B. King to Bobby Moore & The Rhythm Aces heated up the nights at Montgomery’s Laicos Club that’s “social” spelled backward while playing to Black crowds who spent their days struggling against the boot of Jim Crow. For west Montgomery, it was a place to unwind. For Black performers, it was a goal.
A Penny Drive record and a plan for restoring UT athletics Madalyn Hoerr, Nashville Tennessean
Good morning, and welcome to your Sunday Daily Briefing! You are receiving this expanded edition because you are a Tennessean subscriber. Thank you for your support.
Popular Searches
The fundraiser netted $711,788.65 last year, which will provide about 2.8 million meals.
Most of the money came from an unexpected $300,000 donation from retired Nashville businessman Bill Yeaman and his Sumpter Yeaman Charitable Foundation, and anonymous donors who matched that gift.
Still, regular Penny Drive donors gave $111,788 less than $2,000 shy of the previous record of $113,500 raised in 2019, officials pointed out. That amount is particularly impressive as it came during a pandemic year, they said.