Dallas: Big D Jamboree

In 1949, Ray Price joined the Big D Jamboree on Dallas radio station KRLD-AM. This weekly show broadcast live from the Sportatorium at Cadiz and Industrial in South Dallas. Moreover, when CBS picked up the show for national distribution, Ray Price had his first taste of nationwide exposure. Therefore, Dallas became the city where a local Texas star became a national country music figure.

The Big D Jamboree ran from 1948 through the early 1960s, drawing acts from across the country. Ray Price performed alongside Lefty Frizzell and other artists who would define the era. Furthermore, the show’s 50,000-watt signal reached listeners in forty states every Saturday night. Thus, the Sportatorium stage in Dallas connected Ray Price directly to a coast-to-coast audience.

Dallas and the Birth of Ray Price’s National Career

Price’s time on the Big D Jamboree led directly to a recording contract with Columbia Records. He moved to Nashville shortly after his Dallas breakthrough to pursue his career full-time. In addition, he formed his legendary band, the Cherokee Cowboys, which set the standard for country music road bands. Consequently, the path from Dallas to Nashville began the recording career that produced classics like “Crazy Arms.”

Today, the Sportatorium site has been redeveloped, but the legacy of the Big D Jamboree endures. Moreover, Dallas honors its place in Texas music history as one of the state’s great country radio cities. The Dallas County Courthouse, just blocks from the original Sportatorium, anchors the district where Price made his name. Ultimately, Dallas gave Ray Price the national stage that launched one of country music’s most enduring legacies.