Surf Ballroom, Clear Lake, IA
Iowa Ballroom Project
Iowa Ballroom Project
• Active Ballrooms • Past Ballrooms • The People • Home •
• web site • 460 North Shore Dr, Clear Lake, Iowa •
above photos by m kelleher (mar 2003)
above photos by m kelleher (mar 2003)
from the IRRMA web site (1998)
above photos by m kelleher (mar 2003)
The Surf has a
fabulous music history from the big bands of the 30's and 40's, to big
name rock artists of the 50's through the 90's, the Surf has had them
all.
The original Surf was built as a wooden frame structure and prospered as one of the most popular ballrooms in the Upper Midwest until an untimely fire caused her demise in 1947.
The community of Clear Lake and dancers throughout the Midwest got behind the ownership of the Surf and it was rebuilt at its current location in 1948.
In the 30's and 40's in order for a big band to make it's reputation nationally, it had to play the Surf. The likes of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, The Dorsey's all made regular stops at the Surf.
The 1950's saw the dawning of rock and roll and then manager Carrol Anderson was quick to book into the Surf the hottest names in the business. This was the case on February 2, 1959 when Anderson brought in the famed Winter Dance Party featuring Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper, and Dion.
There isn't anyone who doesn't know the rest of the story as the fateful plane crash after the show took the lives of Holly, The Bopper and Valens.
During the 50's and 60's the name rock acts kept playing the Surf. artists such as Link Wray, Sam the Sham, Dion, The everly Brothers, Jan and Dean, and Conway Twitty all took the stage at the Surf. In the early 70's, the Surf brougth in the likes of Santanna, REO Speedwagon and Kansas, quite an impressive line-up.
In 1975 the management of the ballroom was taken over by the colorful Darrel Hein, then later by Bruce Christensen.
During the 90's the ballroom has undergone significant renovation by it's new owners, the Snyder family of Clear Lake.
Today, Scott Anderson manages the Ballroom and has done a remarkable job of reestablishing the ballroom as the place to dance in the five state region.
The original Surf was built as a wooden frame structure and prospered as one of the most popular ballrooms in the Upper Midwest until an untimely fire caused her demise in 1947.
The community of Clear Lake and dancers throughout the Midwest got behind the ownership of the Surf and it was rebuilt at its current location in 1948.
In the 30's and 40's in order for a big band to make it's reputation nationally, it had to play the Surf. The likes of Count Basie, Duke Ellington, The Dorsey's all made regular stops at the Surf.
The 1950's saw the dawning of rock and roll and then manager Carrol Anderson was quick to book into the Surf the hottest names in the business. This was the case on February 2, 1959 when Anderson brought in the famed Winter Dance Party featuring Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper, and Dion.
There isn't anyone who doesn't know the rest of the story as the fateful plane crash after the show took the lives of Holly, The Bopper and Valens.
During the 50's and 60's the name rock acts kept playing the Surf. artists such as Link Wray, Sam the Sham, Dion, The everly Brothers, Jan and Dean, and Conway Twitty all took the stage at the Surf. In the early 70's, the Surf brougth in the likes of Santanna, REO Speedwagon and Kansas, quite an impressive line-up.
In 1975 the management of the ballroom was taken over by the colorful Darrel Hein, then later by Bruce Christensen.
During the 90's the ballroom has undergone significant renovation by it's new owners, the Snyder family of Clear Lake.
Today, Scott Anderson manages the Ballroom and has done a remarkable job of reestablishing the ballroom as the place to dance in the five state region.
above photos by m kelleher (mar 2003)
from the Surf web site:
photo from Surf web site
American music was changed forever following the Surf's original Winter Dance Party on February 2, 1959. A plane on it's way to another performance crashed five miles north of Clear Lake, killing the pilot and rock-and-roll legends Buddy Holly, J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, and Ritchie Valens.
Located just outside the main entrance, the memorial to the late rockers commemorates their music, their style, and their unforgettable contribution to the music world.
scan of the original poster
To many, the Surf
Ballroom is an American cultural icon as well as an important
historical landmark. The original Surf Ballroom (pictured above) was
built in 1933 and destroyed by fire in 1947. The Surf Ballroom was
rebuilt in 1948, across the street from the original location.
The Surf Ballroom has a capacity of 2,100 and accomodates visitors with 30,000 square feet of entertainment area, including a 6,300 square foot dance floor. It is often filled to capacity with the music of internationally known performers.
The Surf got its name (and motif) from the desire of the original owners to create a ballroom that resembled an ocean beach club. The murals on the back walls were hand-painted to depict pounding surf, swaying palm trees, sailboats and lighthouses. The furnishings were bamboo and rattan and the ambience that of a south sea island. The stage is surrounded by palm trees and the clouds overhead make it seem as if you were dancing outside under the stars.
On January 27, 2009, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (Cleveland, Ohio) dedicated the Surf Ballroom as a historic rock and roll landmark as part of the Museum's ongoing Landmark Series, which identifies locations in America that are significant to the origins and development of rock and roll.
The plaque reads: "There are few buildings in existence today that represent a complete shift in our musical history. As the last concert venue for Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, the Surf is the bedrock of where the sound and attitude of rock and roll changed forever."
The Surf Ballroom has a capacity of 2,100 and accomodates visitors with 30,000 square feet of entertainment area, including a 6,300 square foot dance floor. It is often filled to capacity with the music of internationally known performers.
The Surf got its name (and motif) from the desire of the original owners to create a ballroom that resembled an ocean beach club. The murals on the back walls were hand-painted to depict pounding surf, swaying palm trees, sailboats and lighthouses. The furnishings were bamboo and rattan and the ambience that of a south sea island. The stage is surrounded by palm trees and the clouds overhead make it seem as if you were dancing outside under the stars.
On January 27, 2009, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (Cleveland, Ohio) dedicated the Surf Ballroom as a historic rock and roll landmark as part of the Museum's ongoing Landmark Series, which identifies locations in America that are significant to the origins and development of rock and roll.
The plaque reads: "There are few buildings in existence today that represent a complete shift in our musical history. As the last concert venue for Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, the Surf is the bedrock of where the sound and attitude of rock and roll changed forever."
photo from Surf web site
Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. 'Big Bopper' Richardson Memorial
American music was changed forever following the Surf's original Winter Dance Party on February 2, 1959. A plane on it's way to another performance crashed five miles north of Clear Lake, killing the pilot and rock-and-roll legends Buddy Holly, J.P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, and Ritchie Valens.
Located just outside the main entrance, the memorial to the late rockers commemorates their music, their style, and their unforgettable contribution to the music world.
scan of the original poster