Story and Photos by
Mickey Raphael
When Willie played it was always an event not to be missed, and few within a hundred miles did. There were hand-painted signs in front of the building that said WILLIE NELSON EVERY SAT. NIGHT. This gave Willie the opportunity to just show up whenever he felt like picking for the friends and neighbors. Geographically located a half hour north of San Antonio before present-day urban sprawl swallowed up the place, Helotes felt like it was in the middle of nowhere, which it was. The country store had a unique history all its own. Part dance hall, part general store, serving tamales and housewares. Lines in the Willie song, “Shotgun Willie” say “John T. Floores was working for the KU KLUX KLAN. Six-foot five John T was a hell of a man.
Made a lot of money selling sheets on the family plan.”
The first time I saw Helotes, Texas was from the front seat of Willie Nelson’s 1970 Mercedes-Benz. The year was 1973 and we were on our way to a gig at John T. Floore’s country store smack dab in downtown Helotes. I guess you’d call it downtown, situated right in the middle of a half-mile strip that was all there was to the town, a place so dusty and remote that if it weren’t for Willie on a Saturday night, the place might not exist at all. There were couple of antique stores that were antiques themselves, and lots of pasture parking for John T’s.
We pulled up and parked the car right in front and Willie got out, grabbed his guitar, Trigger, and walked to the stage which was out back of the store on a huge patio with the tiny stage at one end. Once you walked outside you passed more hand-painted signs, warning “hundred dollar fine for fighting.” I saw a fight break out one night, and a cowboy pulls out a hundred dollar bill, held it high in the air and says, “Let ’em fight.”
The Town of Helotes was synonymous with John T. Floores. When someone said Willie’s in Helotes, it meant we were playing John T’s. It was the only game in town. Other country artists played, but none as famous and well-loved as Willie, except for John Phillip Sousa, a past alumni of the dance hall. If only that stage could talk. I could gaze at the stars from the stage. On a clear summer night the Milky Way filled the sky with millions of stars. Maybe Helotes was the beginning of the Milky Way.
