–by Jesse Miller The New Yorker Cafe was, throughout its life, a hub to countless events, dinners, conferences, dances and most especially, live music in Tacoma. If you wanted music, this was the place. If you wanted to host an event, this was also the place. The New Yorker Cafe announced its grand opening in the Tacoma News Tribune on October 26th, 1946 following an … Continue reading The New Yorker Cafe: A Tacoma Jazz LegacyÂ
–by Liza Svyrydovska Can you imagine a person present at every significant occasion in a small city? Somebody who would be there during town meetings, parent teacher conferences, school events, weddings, and even funerals? A string tying these events together is music. Logically the one present at these events would be a musician. Yet, the one I want to introduce to you today is so … Continue reading She Was There: Lucy Stedman Lamson
— by Isabel Robertson Born on April 4, 1884 on the Puyallup Indian Reservation, William Arquette would become an influential musician in Tacoma and surrounding regions. He was a talented multi instrumentalist playing the trombone, trumpet, cornet and sousaphone. William Arquette’s musical journey began at the Cushman Indian School. The school systems were cruel and demoralizing, yet Arquette found joy in the bands on the … Continue reading “Chief” William Arquette (1884-1943)
— by Maliyah Schiff Imagine my disbelief when I found out that not a lot of people know about incredible singer and actress Helen Grayco. Helen was born here in our wonderful city of Tacoma and was already singing by the age of 4. Two years later she became the six-year-old blues singer for Seattle’s KOL radio station. Then at age 8 she got a … Continue reading Helen Grayco – The Lady in Red
— by Kim Davenport Many Tacomans will remember Juan Perez (1948-2017), who played the piano at the Tacoma Nordstrom store for 27 years. UW Tacoma student Nathan Hiatt was moved by Perez’ story while enrolled in the class “Musical History of Tacoma” this Autumn, and decided to make it his final project in the class to record an episode for our podcast which honored Perez’ … Continue reading Remembering Juan Perez
by Hongying Neubauer I’m sitting here listening to The Robert Cray Band playing their monster hit Right Next Door (Because Of Me). Cray blends his soulful vocals and exceptional guitar skills with traditional blues to tell a story that the protagonist’s guilty feeling of causing the woman next door to be accused of unfaithful to the one who really loves her: “I can hear the … Continue reading The Rise of Robert Cray and His Influence on the Blues
by Jenna Swetz Out of all of the musicians and bands that Tacoma has hosted and raised over its long history, one of the most influential of those bands has to be The Sonics. Known for their loud, wild, and raw sound, The Sonics are considered the progenitors of the grunge subgenre of rock & roll. Founded in 1960 by a teenage Larry Parypa, The … Continue reading Grandfathers of Grunge: The Sonics
by Kelsey Lyons Born in October of 1904 and residing at 1224 North Prospect Street, Viola Wasterlain was a Tacoma-based musician who would make a name for herself through her extraordinary violin skills. Throughout her life, Viola would be recognized for her remarkable talent and would go on to give numerous performances all over the United States, one of which would have the attendance of … Continue reading Visionary, Violin, Viola
by Kim Davenport In 1873, the Northern Pacific Railroad announced Commencement Bay as the western terminus of their transcontinental railroad line, frustrating expectant boosters in Seattle, and forever impacting the growth and development of Tacoma. 2023 marks the sesquicentennial of that momentous event, and Tacoma Historical Society will be celebrating that history throughout the year with our museum exhibit, Dreams & Dispossessions: The Railway Comes … Continue reading The Great Big Baked Potato Song
by Diana Zagorenko The Ventures was a rock and roll ball band that formed in Tacoma, Washington in 1958. As a band, they recently celebrated their 50th anniversary and continue to perform live shows to this day. They are well-known in other parts of the world and particularly popular in Japan. The Ventures experienced many different band members throughout the years. Bob Bogle and Don … Continue reading The Ventures
Tales of Tacoma 