I would LOVE to hear you guys tell some more stories about working at the Bird.

I've got some funny stories about my time working at Holicks and Loupots but that stuff is like Baptist choir practice compared to great stories about Don and the antics of NG late at night.

I remember a lot more Hank Jr and Hank Sr being played than what's been mentioned

Tear in my beer - the original
Dixie on my mind
Texas women
Cherokee Maiden

Good times!

[This message has been edited by Big Al 1992 (edited 11/6/2012 2:28a).]

Don't forget to add in some Rusty Wier

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Duncan...we were probably under a tighter leash...we never knew when Don would show up...if he came in and Alabama or George Strait was playing, he'd get real pissed.

My only real run-in with Don in the four years I worked for him involved "Marina del Ray" playing when he came in early one Friday night. A really cute girl I was chasing after had asked me to play it and in comes Don...I about shat! He chews on me, I explain, he asks where the girl is, he goes over and chews on her (with a grin on his face), she blushes and laughs, he comes back over and chews on me some more, tells me "...if you have to play that new crap, at lesat play 'Amarillo by Morning' or 'Blame it on Mexico'...", tells me I better get laid to make it worth the risk, then stomps on up to the office.

The object of my lust comes over and tells me Don was very nice and told her she needed to be very nice to me since I knowingly risked my job for her.

As someone else said, I never had so much fun at such a crappy job, and I do miss Don. As hard as it may be to believe, I've had a lot of worse boss since him.

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Great thread! I'm by myself laughing right now and people are looking at me funny.

How many people had to go upstairs and write a letter to our congressmen/senators?

I knew Don Ganter from my Corps days (1983-87) and my grad school days (1993-95). I never worked for him so I have no idea what that would be like. He was fun to talk to. He told me he was bitten by rattle snakes over 100 times. If you saw his hands and arms you would probably believe him. Don was an original. The Dixie Chicken has changed some over the years, but it is still a legendary bar. To me there are very few places I am more nostalgic about than The Chicken. Our SEC visitors loved The Chicken and were jealous they didn't have a bar like that back home to be nostalgic about.






[This message has been edited by Old Main (edited 3/2/2013 4:40p).]

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Steve earle is by far my favorite living singer songwriter.

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Sux.

Going to the ranch with some fellas next weekend . . . tagging this for playlist.

Just published it on Rhapsody.

Seven Spanish Angels

Just found this thread. I've had a spotify chicken playlist for a while... I just added a few of the songs mentioned here. Here is a link to my updated playlist.

http://open.spotify.com/user/1270356924/playlist/1PyaSYW4HzZVpjYDErRipQ

[This message has been edited by skiag (edited 6/27/2013 3:02p).]

Was anyone there the night that folks got on the roof of the Chicken and the police failed to get them down by their threats? Don shows up and says if they don't get down immediately they'd be banned from the establishment for life. People started bailing off the rooftop left and right.

I can't remember if it was after a football game or what, but I've always laughed that Don had more pull in that town than the local law at that time

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I've always laughed that Don had more pull in that town than the local law at that time

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Only worked for him for 7 or 8 months before he fired me, but I can believe it.

"I can get off on you" by Willie was on the rotation too.

Great thread!

Great thread. What does it mean above when it is said that a song was part of "Don's stacks" and therefore couldn't be played?

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Great thread. What does it mean above when it is said that a song was part of "Don's stacks" and therefore couldn't be played?

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Great thread. What does it mean above when it is said that a song was part of "Don's stacks" and therefore couldn't be played?

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Don used to use vinyl as his music. Front bar tenders would choose what platters to spin. There were, however, some albums off limits to the front bar tenders to play. Only Don was allowed to play those.

In his office he had an Elvis on Sun LP that was being "displayed" on a book shelf. I noticed in and said, "Elvis on Sun. Nice!" He grunted "what do you know about that?" I told him that my dad was a record collector.

It turns out that I hit a sore spot with him unknowingly. That was one of his prized possessions. They are very rare. Well a couple of his "bud crew" guys were moving things around up there, it fell off and got stepped on and cracked. He sent everyone home for the day and sat in his office. His wife told me that after Don shot holes through me with his eyes. She cringed in the other room when I said something.

A bit late, but I have the answer for you and even a YouTube playlist. The album was put together by a good buddy of mine, and it was called The Dixie Chicken Collection. Here is the playlist:

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL9pkn741EAk8FEVpmezZSO3Q7vW4G8hhS

And, here is the track list:

01-Robert Earl Keen _ The Road Goes On Forever
02-Roger Miller _ Chug-a-Lug
03-Jerry Jeff Walker _ Up Against the Wall Redneck Mother
04-Jimmy Buffet _ Why Don't We Get Drunk
05-Jerry Jeff Walker _ Sangria Wine
06-Waylon And Willie _ Luckenbach Texas
07-David Allen Coe _ You Never Called My By My Name
08-Hank Williams Jr _ A Country Boy Can Survive
09-Jimmy Buffet _ Margaritaville
10-Johnny Cash _ Ring of Fire
11-The Statler Brothers _ Flowers On the Wall
12-Hank Williams Jr _ Family Tradition
13-Willie Nelson _ Whiskey River
14-Robert Earl Keen _ The Front Porch Song
15-Highway 6 _ The Aggie Song

Bump. Googled Dixie Chicken favorite songs and this thread showed up

pilgrim82 said:

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I worked at the Chicken from 1979-82...need to add some of the following:

* Guy Clark...Texas 1947, Let Him Roll, Rita Ballou, Instant Coffee Blues
* Coe...If That Ain't Country
* Hank Jr....A Country Boy Can Survive

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Drank a lot beer, played a lot of pool and 42 at The Chicken in the early 80's and there should definitely be a Hank Jr song or 3 on any Dixie Chicken Greatest Hits playlist.

pilgrim82 said:

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Duncan...we were probably under a tighter leash...we never knew when Don would show up...if he came in and Alabama or George Strait was playing, he'd get real pissed.

My only real run-in with Don in the four years I worked for him involved "Marina del Ray" playing when he came in early one Friday night. A really cute girl I was chasing after had asked me to play it and in comes Don...I about shat! He chews on me, I explain, he asks where the girl is, he goes over and chews on her (with a grin on his face), she blushes and laughs, he comes back over and chews on me some more, tells me "...if you have to play that new crap, at lesat play 'Amarillo by Morning' or 'Blame it on Mexico'...", tells me I better get laid to make it worth the risk, then stomps on up to the office.

The object of my lust comes over and tells me Don was very nice and told her she needed to be very nice to me since I knowingly risked my job for her.

As someone else said, I never had so much fun at such a crappy job, and I do miss Don. As hard as it may be to believe, I've had a lot of worse boss since him.

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WELL?! Did it work out for you??

h1ag said:

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pilgrim82 said:

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Duncan...we were probably under a tighter leash...we never knew when Don would show up...if he came in and Alabama or George Strait was playing, he'd get real pissed.

My only real run-in with Don in the four years I worked for him involved "Marina del Ray" playing when he came in early one Friday night. A really cute girl I was chasing after had asked me to play it and in comes Don...I about shat! He chews on me, I explain, he asks where the girl is, he goes over and chews on her (with a grin on his face), she blushes and laughs, he comes back over and chews on me some more, tells me "...if you have to play that new crap, at lesat play 'Amarillo by Morning' or 'Blame it on Mexico'...", tells me I better get laid to make it worth the risk, then stomps on up to the office.

The object of my lust comes over and tells me Don was very nice and told her she needed to be very nice to me since I knowingly risked my job for her.

As someone else said, I never had so much fun at such a crappy job, and I do miss Don. As hard as it may be to believe, I've had a lot of worse boss since him.

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WELL?! Did it work out for you??

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I too want an answer. This story has some very "Mother Blues" vibes and I'm curious as to the resolution.

I have bought several of the Northgate Noise 4 cd sets, but have been looking for the dominos that were available forever with no luck.

I worked at the chicken from 96-2000. I was there the last time or two that Don came in and played music from upstairs.

One morning we had a meeting about music and he came in later that week with a new 100 disk CD player and all new CDs. We still had the tapes and some loose CDs but almost everything we played after that came off the new CDs.

By the time I met Don he was old and his tough ego was just annoying and silly. He didn't do much to us or for us. He did help me out one time when I needed it which I appreciated. I learned a lot to do and a lot more not to do as a boss while working for Don.

Still about once a month with too much alcohol I will play all Dixie Chicken music in the backyard.


Also, one of our former coworkers has a lead role in a show coming out called Death in Texas. Check it out.

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Also, one of our former coworkers has a lead role in a show coming out called Death in Texas. Check it out.

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Man, I don't even remember Ronnie working at the Chicken (and was there often enough in those years). But I did see his posts and was gonna start a thread about the movie a little closer to the date. But feel free to beat me to it.

agsalaska said:

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I worked at the chicken from 96-2000. I was there the last time or two that Don came in and played music from upstairs.

One morning we had a meeting about music and he came in later that week with a new 100 disk CD player and all new CDs. We still had the tapes and some loose CDs but almost everything we played after that came off the new CDs.

By the time I met Don he was old and his tough ego was just annoying and silly. He didn't do much to us or for us. He did help me out one time when I needed it which I appreciated. I learned a lot to do and a lot more not to do as a boss while working for Don.

Still about once a month with too much alcohol I will play all Dixie Chicken music in the backyard.


Also, one of our former coworkers has a lead role in a show coming out called Death in Texas. Check it out.

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I'm class of 2000 and probably bought a TON of beer from you.

Chris Hessler put it together. Great guy, great Ag.

Still down in Victoria, I believe.

So...I'd forgotten about Ronnie working there too. I knew a couple of guys that worked there off and on during that stretch and I lived in the dorm with Ronnie for 4 years but I don't remember him working at the bird at all.

You youngsters, no mention of My Girl is Red Hot

So much Hank Sr. missing from this list.

And anytime I hear Tammy Wynette's 'Stand by your Man', I practically time warp back to the Chicken and everything else just melts away for two minutes.

Mexican Blackbird -ZZ Top
Ramblin' Man -Waylon Jennings
Fraulein - Bobby Helms
Seven Spanish Angels - Ray Charles & Willie Nelson
Battle of New Orleans - Johnny Horton
Tennessee Birdwalk - Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan
Girl on The Billboard - Del Reeves

Vernada said:

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I read this as 'Dixie Chicks Greatest Hits' and was all WTF when I started reading.

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Would be a mighty short list, and consist of only pre-Natalie songs.

I worked there in the late 80s. Don was always fair to me but I saw so much crap that it was hard to for me to like the place. But I did a couple of "Bud Crew" projects, and it was easy to see how you could fall in love with the lifestyle. I try to tell my kids what is was like working the door on ring night, and no one believes the stories. No one on earth could ever imagine that much puke in one building.

pilgrim82 said:

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I worked at the Chicken from 1979-82...need to add some of the following:

* Guy Clark...Texas 1947, Let Him Roll, Rita Ballou, Instant Coffee Blues
* Coe...If That Ain't Country
* Hank Jr....A Country Boy Can Survive

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Guy Clark, Lone Star, tamales and or crackers and tabasco sauce... great memories. Only place - time I heard Guy Clark back then was the Chicken.

Let Him Roll - classic.

I remember playing Gold mine and the shaft just to get back at Don after he went on one of tirades. He always treated us like ***** That was the mid 90s

Cheeseburger in Paradise…Jimmy Buffett