AUSTIN, Texas — Walking into the Broken Spoke is like walking into a Texas time machine.
For 58 years, the iconic Austin dance hall has created incredible memories for many, as some pretty big names have helped to move boots across the dance floor.
James White, an Austin native, was a man with a vision. He built up the Broken Spoke as a honky-tonk dance hall in a dusty lot on South Lamar Boulevard, under a large live oak tree.
James White's youngest daughter, Ginny White, said throughout her childhood, she remembers her dad bringing in a wide range of talented musicians who helped to pave country music as we know it.
"The first time my dad brought me out here, I was 11 days old – it was 1975," Ginny White said. "Ernest Tubb was playing – member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, godfather of country music. He wrote 'Waltz Across Texas.'"
Never seen without a bright, big smile across his face, James White had a presence that is dearly missed following his death a few years ago.
"He is the heart of this place. You can still feel him here. You know he's watching over us. He gives us little signs sometimes. My mom always says we have to do a good job for him," Ginny White said.
In recent years, Ginny White also had health issues from a rare complication. She had to have both of her legs and some fingers amputated, and she now uses a wheelchair.
"My dad always used to say laugh instead of cry," Ginny White said.
Now her husband, Mike Peacock, helps run the dance hall every day. Peacock is originally from Manchester, England – a fact that has led to some interesting conversations.
"When I answer the phone, people sometimes hang up because they don't think it's the Broken Spoke when they hear my accent," Peacock said.
Peacock said that between Ginny White's illness, James White's death and the COVID-19 pandemic, it's been a challenging few years.
"It was hard for us and, as a family, we've just all got to keep the place open. And that's what I did," Peacock said.
Ginny White's older sister, Terri, still gives dance lessons several nights a week and was even featured on an episode of the Netflix series "Queer Eye."
Now, on what would have been James White's 84th birthday, April 12, the Broken Spoke received a historical marker.
"Getting this historic marker on the place is a massive honor for us and for the Broken Spoke," Peacock said. "I just feel sorry that my father-in-law isn't here to see it."
During a time when the Austin skyline is ever changing, the Spoke lives on.
The historical marker celebration was held at 5:30 p.m. on April 12 at the Broken Spoke. James White's wife, Annetta White, and his daughters, grandchildren and son-in-law were all there. Additionally, Gov. Greg Abbott and his wife, Cecilia, were also in attendance.
