History of the Swingin' Door

The Swingin' Door swung open its doors in December 1971 in what is now a part of the Ozark Brew Pub at the corner of Dickson and West Street. Prior to that time, the building housed Bill & Lil's Steakhouse. When Bill & Lil's decided to move out to Highway 71, an enterprising bartender of theirs asked if he could take over the lease. That bartender, David Barrow, opened the Swingin' Door in late 1971. The infamous two story cowboy that graced the exterior of the building and guarded the door was erected shortly thereafter. The first group to play at the Swingin' Door was a duo know as "No Strings Attached" featuring Chris Basore and Gary Brockway. They simply set up on bar stools and passed the hat for tips after their shows. They caught on, started a following of sorts, and within months were playing to full houses.

In 1974, David Barrow sold the Swingin' Door to David Reese and Marilyn Reese Sorrells. David Reese was a Vietnam veteran with a passion for live music and the foresight to see the potential of the saloon. With Marilyn's business sense, the couple took the Swingin' Door to new heights. The following is a partial list of performers who graced the Swingin' Door's hallowed stage: Traci Nelson, Willis Allen Ramsey, Kevin Welch, Alvin Crow, Ray Wylie Hubbard, The Tennessee Hat Band, Rusty Wier, David Allan Coe, Asleep at the Wheel and Zorro and the Blue Footballs.

In 1979, the Reese's sold the bar. The new owners from Little Rock took down the cowboy and renamed the saloon the Whitewater Tavern and the era ended.