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The Louisiana Hayride: Where Legends Were Born
On April 3, 1948, something extraordinary began broadcasting from Radio Station KWKH in Shreveport, Louisiana. "The Louisiana Hayride" was not just another country music show—it was a revolution waiting to happen, a stage where unknown talents would transform into household names, and where the very sound of American music would be reinvented.
The Cradle of the Stars
While the Grand Ole Opry showcased country music's established elite, the Louisiana Hayride dared to be different. Both shows boasted powerful 50,000-watt broadcasts that reached across the South, but the Hayride made a bold choice: it opened its doors to rising stars still chasing their dreams, artists with raw talent and hunger but not yet the hit records to prove it.
The difference went even deeper. When the tradition-bound Opry banned electric guitars, the Hayride embraced them with open arms. That decision would prove prophetic—those electric guitars became the very instruments that transformed "hillbilly music" into rock and roll, changing the course of music history forever.
A Stage for Giants
The Louisiana Hayride launched the careers of artists who would define American roots music: Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Faron Young, George Jones, Kitty Wells, and Elvis Presley—just to name a few. Many, including Webb Pierce, Faron Young, and Jim Reeves, used the Hayride as their springboard to Nashville and eventual Opry stardom.
By 1953, the show's influence had exploded beyond Louisiana. With syndication on the CBS radio network reaching 198 affiliates nationwide and regular broadcasts on Armed Service Radio, the Hayride entertained audiences from coast to coast and troops stationed around the globe.
The Night That Changed Everything
The Hayride gave Hank Williams his first wide radio audience in 1949, then welcomed him back with open arms after the Opry fired him in 1952. But perhaps its most legendary discovery came on an October night in 1954, when a 19-year-old Elvis Presley stepped onto the Hayride stage.
His electrifying performances of "That's All Right (Mama)" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky" sent shockwaves through the audience—and the music world. Elvis became a Hayride regular, performing every Saturday night for eighteen months as he rocketed to international stardom.
After signing with RCA Records, Elvis negotiated his release from his Hayride contract for $10,000 and a promise: he would return within a year for a benefit concert supporting the Shreveport YMCA. That farewell performance created pandemonium. Thousands of screaming fans bolted from their seats, while the live broadcast continued. Following Elvis’ performance, Hayride manager Horace Logan grabbed the microphone and uttered words that would echo through music history: "Please, young people… Elvis has left the building… please take your seats."
A Cultural Phenomenon
The Louisiana Hayride was not just a radio show—it was an event. Every Saturday night, approximately 3,300 fans (tickets were just 60 cents for adults, 30 cents for children) packed the Municipal Auditorium, often pushing capacity to 3,800, especially when Elvis was performing.
Country music enthusiasts traveled from across the Ark-La-Tex region and beyond, filling Shreveport's hotels and restaurants. The city leased the Municipal Auditorium to the Hayride for only $75 per Saturday night—an incredible bargain considering the economic impact.
"If we had depended on Shreveport attendance alone, the show would have folded after three or four weeks," Logan recalled in 1976. "Financially it was excellent for the city, and city officials recognized that."
Evolution and Revival
Ironically, the very revolution the Hayride helped spark—rock and roll—ultimately led to its decline. As rock dominated the music landscape, the country-focused Hayride saw its audience dwindle. On August 27, 1960, the weekly broadcasts ended, though KWKH continued using the Louisiana Hayride name for touring shows throughout the 1960s before ceasing operations in 1969.
In August 1974, businessman David Kent created a new show, Hayride U.S.A. (later renamed Louisiana Hayride), operating from a dinner theater in Bossier City. This incarnation, syndicated on radio, ran until 1987, and introduced new talents including Branson fiddle sensation Shoji Tabuchi, country artists Linda Davis, and Micki Fuhrman.
The Legacy Continues
The Shreveport Louisiana Hayride LLC acquired the assets of the Louisiana Hayride. Under the guidance of managing partner, the late Margaret Lewis Warwick, herself a performer during the mid-1950s Hayride era— continued to honor its legendary past while creating new musical moments. Maggie produced numerous Hayride shows. Performances have featured icons like Willie Nelson and Levon Helm & the Band, Tony Jo White, Deana Carter, Doug Kershaw, John Anderson, the Cox Family, Jeannie C Riley and Shreveport native Kenny Wayne Shepherd, the multi-Grammy nominated blues-rock star.
What's Next
The Shreveport Louisiana Hayride LLC :
• Kenny Wayne Shepherd Blues from the Backroads Festival returns in 2026
• Louisiana Hayride Festival launches in 2027.
• Louisiana Hayride Records will release several previously un-released Louisiana Hayride performances from the 1960’s plus new music albums in 2026.
The Louisiana Hayride has always been more than a show—it is where musical history happened, where unknowns became legends, and where the impossible became inevitable.