Dallas International Guitar Festival
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Dallas, Texas
United States
Last Login: 6/25/2008
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| Status: | Single | | Hometown: | Dallas, Texas | | Zodiac Sign: | Aries | | Occupation: | Musicians |
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Dallas International Guitar Festival in your extended network Posted at 1:25 PM Feb 21, 2008
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About me:
HISTORY OF THE GUITAR SHOW
HISTORY : 1978 - 2008 From its humble beginnings in a small meeting room of a Dallas hotel in 1978, to
140,000 square feet of display space at Dallas Market Hall today, the Dallas International Music Festival
celebrates 31 years of bringing musicians, guitar makers, collectors, celebrities and music enthusiasts
together. Today there are more than 2,000 guitar shows and festivals staged around the world, but the
guitar show phenomenon actually began in Texas with the vision of Dallas guitar shop owner Charley Wirz.
Charley conceived the idea of establishing and promoting a vintage guitar show similar to other
collectible shows, with booths leased to dealers and collectors. Build it and they will come, he thought.
And they did. In partnership with John Brinkmann and Danny Thorpe, he staged the first Dallas guitar
show. The partnership was dissolved after the 1981 show, and Charley continued to stage the Dallas show
until his untimely death in 1985. That first show – the Greater Southwest Vintage Guitar Show - was a
modest success for the 10 exhibitors who leased booth space to show off and sell their prized vintage
guitars. Each year, the Show attracted more exhibitors and attendees, changing venues to accommodate the
growing crowds. But in 1985, show founder Charley Wirz died unexpectedly. Charley's Guitar Shop and the
rights to the Guitar Show were then purchased by Mark Pollock, one of Charley's closest friends, a good
customer and a touring musician himself. Mark had some ideas about the show’s size and location, so he
began a series of changes that have led to its’ prominence today. Mark's first big change was to expand
the show by moving its location to the Dallas Convention Center. He envisioned bringing together both
guitar purists and everyday music fans, so he hosted a party on Saturday night and hired some outstanding
musicians to entertain. Thus, the annual Saturday Night Jam was born. In 1989, Mark initiated a second
major change by bringing guitarist and 1978 Show exhibitor Jimmy Wallace in as his partner. A record
10,000 attendees moved through the gates the following year, and Mark and Jimmy were onto something. The
Dallas show kept growing larger, and Mark and Jimmy moved the location to Dallas’ Fair Park in 1996. In
1997, the 20th annual show was expanded to include Music Fest, a celebration of local, regional and
national bands performing on two stages throughout the weekend. This was Mark and Jimmy’s third major
change and it added even more appeal to the general public. In 2004 Mark and Jimmy moved the show to
Market Hall, the largest privately-owned exhibition hall in the USA. This new venue features a larger,
more flexible exhibit hall, easy access, and plenty of free parking. The layout of the Hall easily
accommodates the variety of displays and live music that make up the Dallas International Guitar
Festival. For 2008, there will be more artists in attendance, performing and mingling with the attendees
throughout three days of guitar heaven. This is the original guitar show, the first of its kind in the
nation, and 2008 promises even more innovation and surprises for all. Please join us for THE guitar event
of the year.
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