Before there was George Jones

If you attended our Rooftop Solar Eclipse party on Saturday, October 14, you were standing in the very venue that regularly hosted the great country music singer George Jones during the 1950s and 1960s. But years before “The Possum” first crooned from the Hermann Sons rooftop, local “Musical Cowboy” Adolph Hofner and his band were staples of this lively scene.

The winsome, curly haired Hofner was born in Shiner, Texas but adopted San Antonio as his home. During the 1940s he had relative success in Los Angeles performing under the name Dolph Hofner and His San Antonians, but he eventually returned to Texas. Thereafter he dependably entertained audiences throughout San Antonio and claimed to have performed in every Texas town. A regular spot on the KTSA radio station made him a household name. Favoring the Hermann Sons stage, Hofner and his crew were the rooftop house band for nearly twenty years.

The Hermann Sons “Rooftop Garden” was formally dedicated on Saturday, May 14, 1949 with a public Exhibition Weekend featuring open bowling, ceremonies, and door prizes. Hofner and his band provided Saturday night dance music. Admission was 75 cents, and beers were 20 cents. From then on Hermann Sons hosted a weekly lineup of dances and concerts ‘neath the stars. Square dancing was a regular Saturday night event, and country swing dances were held Wednesdays and Sundays. Annual festivals and ceremonies also took place. Most events were open to the public.

In its heyday, the rooftop also offered front row seats to downtown development in interesting times, even a bird’s eye view as the Tower of the Americas and grounds for HemisFair ‘68 were constructed. Regular visitors to the Hermann Sons rooftop witnessed the city transform around them in those momentous years.

Rooftop events finally ceased at least three decades ago, and only a handful of private events have occurred there since. The Solar Eclipse party was a rare treat for those who came, and reignited hope that the rooftop could once again host star-studded events under starry skies.

Check out this 1942 recording of Adolph Hofner & His San Antonians ‘Swing With The Music’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWaYPrzVmz0

If you have any photos of the rooftop, or stories about rooftop shows, please share! We especially love to hear stories about parents and grandparents who met at a rooftop dance.