Haw, Haw, Haw, Haw!

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Yes, the ol’ music geek had to make another stop on the endless road that is Texas. This time, it was in that little ol’ Texas town that the little ol’ band from Texas sang about. La Grange! For those of you who might not know, ZZ Top’s classic “La Grange” is about the town that was home to an infamous brothel known as the “Chicken Ranch,” which was still open when the song was released in July 1973. It closed on August 1, 1973 after a crusading TV “investigative reporter” from Houston named Marvin Zindler did an “exposé” on it…as if everyone in Texas didn’t already know about it. The brothel was also the subject of the play and film The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. Although the book/script took liberties with the facts, it’s basically a true story. (And, in a funny post-script, Zindler later in life lamented that the play and movie became such big hits while he floundered in relative obscurity.) There’s nothing left of the Chicken Ranch’s building anymore, thanks to dismantling when it first closed followed by nearly 50 years of the Texas weather. But the song by ZZ Top will live forever! PHOTOS: (Top) Welcome sign (Bottom) Old train station Here’s the ZZ Top song!