In May 1982, the Orlando Sentinel reported that crews were putting the finishing touches on Church Street Station's new $3.5 million Cheyenne Saloon and Opera House so it could open in time for a concert by country music legend Marty Robbins. The newspaper noted that the 1,000-seat venue would showcase the "Robbins type of Western music."
"It's the great American music," Church Street Station founder Bob Snow told the Sentinel. "The Europeans like it because that's what they think America is going to be like when they visit here."
Over the years, however, the Cheyenne would become much more than a western-themed showroom. It welcomed every corner of country music—from legendary hall of famers to artists just beginning their careers. I watched a young Derek Trucks play guitar during a political fundraiser, danced to Texas swing, and did my best to two-step during the Cheyenne Stampede. I wasn't very good, but that never stopped me from getting out on the dance floor.
Today, discussions about preserving the Cheyenne often focus on the building itself. But what makes it historically significant isn't simply its architecture or the year it was built. Its importance comes from what happened inside its walls.
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| Orlando Mayor Bill Frederick and Bob Snow at the opening of the Cheyenne Salon in June, 1982. Image: Orange County Regional History Center. |
Showtime for the Showroom
The Cheyenne Saloon quickly became one of country music's premier television venues.
Many of the biggest names in country music performed there as part of the Church Street Station television series, broadcast nationally on The Nashville Network (TNN). The fledgling cable network launched in March 1983—less than a year after the Cheyenne opened. Owned by Gaylord Entertainment, which also operated the Grand Ole Opry and Opryland USA, TNN had the industry relationships needed to bring country music's biggest stars to Orlando.
The partnership proved transformative for both organizations. Church Street Station gained national exposure, while TNN acquired a distinctive venue unlike anything else on television.
Orange County Regional History Center historian Jeremy Hileman observed in a 2020 article that the Cheyenne's architecture gave the show an atmosphere no television studio could duplicate. The nostalgic western setting became part of the program's identity, arriving just as Orlando was trying to establish itself as "Hollywood East" through expanding television and film production.
Originally, producers planned to syndicate the concert series independently, but instead chose to grow alongside the new cable network, which already reached approximately 10 million households. Shows were recorded during Monday through Thursday evening concerts, and audience members paid no additional admission beyond the regular cover charge. CSS members got in free!
Church Street Station aired from 1984 through 1987 before returning from 1989 through 1992. In 1985, the series received an ACE Award nomination—the cable television equivalent of an Emmy.
By 1990, TNN executives were still praising the Orlando venue.
"We keep coming back because of the energy and excitement that we have always found at Church Street Station," one programming executive explained. "There's no place like it that we've found—the combination of the people and the surroundings."
Many of those performances survive today on YouTube.
Hileman described the show's memorable opening sequence:
"The opening segment for the series used footage showing various downtown landmarks, welcoming viewers to 'The City Beautiful.' This was often followed by a shot of the featured performers arriving at Church Street Station in a lavish car, or in some cases, a horse-drawn carriage or hot-air balloon. They would then be rushed inside, heading directly to the stage before the waiting audience."
Western film legend Rex Allen Sr. served as the show's master of ceremonies, introducing a rotating lineup of performers who collectively represented a remarkable cross-section of country music history.
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| Orlando Sentinel image of Church Street during a TNN event. |
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| 1983 article announcing the Cheyenne concert series |
Naming names
One of my jobs in Church Street Station's art department was helping create commemorative plaques for every artist who performed in the Cheyenne.
The musicians would autograph publicity photographs with black Sharpies, but those signatures often disappeared into the dark areas of the images when the photos were reproduced on brass plaques. Our solution was painstakingly simple: we hand-painted around every signature with White-Out so it would reproduce clearly. The finished plaques lined the staircase to the third floor, creating an informal Country Music Hall of Fame within the Cheyenne itself.
I'm not sure what became of those plaques after the attraction closed. If they still exist, they would be an invaluable historical record.
Instead, I've combed through the Orlando Sentinel, comparing advertisements, entertainment listings, and news stories to reconstruct who performed there. It hasn't been easy. Artists frequently changed right before taping, special guests were added at the last minute, and broadcast dates can be confused with recording dates.
The list I've assembled is very much a work in progress:
1983
AUGUST 23: REX ALLEN SR./ REX ALLEN JR.
AUGUST 24: RAZZY BAILEY T. G. SHEPPARD
AUGUST 25: DAVE ROWLAND & SUGAR
AUGUST 29: NICK NIXON
AUGUST 30: GARY MORRIS
AUGUST 31: GAIL DAVIES AND KENNY ARLEDGE
SEPTEMBER 1: GENE WATSON
SEPTEMBER 5: FREDDY FENDER
SEPTEMBER 6: BARBARA FAIRCHILD AND HEARTBREAK MOUNTAIN
SEPTEMBER 7: DANNY DAVIS AND THE NASHVILLE BRASS STARLIGHT EXPRESS
SEPTEMBER 8: TANYA TUCKER*
1985
JAN. 21: RONNY ROBBINS AND CON HUNLEY
JAN. 22: KATHY MATTEA AND ATLANTA
JAN. 23: MEL MCDANIEL AND DAVID FRIZZELL WITH H. MCMILLAN
JAN. 24: THE HAGERS AND JERRY REED*
JAN. 27: LEON EVERETTE & BERTIE HIGGINS WITH KAREN TAYLOR GOOD AND KEN CROMIER
JAN. 28: JOHNNY TILLOTSON WITH THRASHER BROTHERS AND LEROY VAN DYKE
JAN. 29: BOXCAR WILLIE WITH DENISE PRICE AND STARLITE EXPRESS
JAN. 30: KENNY PRICE WITH FRENCHIE BURKE STAGE BAND, WADE "PAPPY" RAY
JAN. 31: MEL TILLIS* WITH KIERAN KANE AND WADE "PAPPY" RAY
FEB. 1: SPECIAL GUEST STAR WITH DENISE PRICE & LORRIE MORGAN
FEB. 3: HELEN CORNELIUS WITH LLOYD DAV. FOSTER
FEB. 4: EARL THOMAS CONLEY AND FARON YOUNG WITH PINKARD / BOWDEN
FEB.5: MOE BANDY, JOE STAMPLEY, AND JIMMY DEAN
FEB. 6: BELLAMY BROTHERS WITH DENISE PRICE AND KELLY LONG
FEB. 7: OSMOND BROTHERS WITH DENISE PRICE AND PINKARD/BOWDEN
1986
JAN. 20: TOM WOPAT (OF THE DUKES OF HAZARD) AND THE DIAMONDS
JAN. 21: STELLA PARTON AND ED BRUCE
JAN. 22: BOBBY BARE*
JAN. 23: MICKEY GILLEY WITH BILLY "CRASH" CRADDOCK AND DENISE PRICE
JAN. 27: PORTER WAGONER*, ROCKIN’ SIDNEY AND THE FORESTER SISTERS
JAN. 28: JUDY RODMAN, PATTI LOVELACE, R.C. FINNIGAN, JOHNNY RODRIGUEZ
JAN. 29: GENE WATSON, TAMMY WYNETTE*, WILLIAMS AND REE
JAN. 30: DOTTIE WEST*, TOM T. HALL*, THE JORDANAIRES*
FEB. 3: FREDDY WELLER, SWEETHEARTS OF THE RODEO, SOUTHERN PACIFIC, RONNIE MCDOWELL
FEB. 4: EDDY RAVEN, JEANNIE C. RILEY, JOHNNY RUSSELL, DWIGHT YOAKAM
FEB. 5: CARL PERKINS**, GUS HARDIN, NITTY GRITTY DIRT BAND, WADE "PAPPY" RAY, DARRELL MCCALL
FEB. 6: MARK GRAY, BECKY HOBBS, RAZZY BAILEY
FEB. 7: HOYT AXTON AND LANE BRODY
Exact dates unknown: Jerry Lee Lewis** and George Jones*
1990
JAN. 29: CANYON, VINCE GILL*
JAN. 30: ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL, SKIP EWING
JAN. 31: LORRIE MORGAN, DESERT ROSE BAND, EDDIE RABBITT
FEB. 1: TO BE ANNOUNCED
FEB. 2: LIONEL CARTWRIGHT, BOBBY GOLDSBORO
FEB.5: DANIELE ALEXANDER, HANK THOMPSON, WILLIAMS & REE, ALAN JACKSON*
FEB. 6: MEL TILLIS, DANA MCVICKER, JIM STAFFORD, LARRY BOONE.
FEB. 7: DESERT ROSE BAND, JONATHAN EDWARDS, BECKY HOBBS, GIRLS NEXT DOOR, BUTCH BAKER
FEB. 8: SHELBY LYNNE, LIONEL CART WRIGHT AND JOHNNY RODRIGUEZ
FEB.9: LEE GREENWOOD, O'KANES, DAVID SLATER, REX ALLEN JR. AND REX ALLEN SR.
FEB. 12: BAILLIE &THE BOYS, DOUG KERSHAW, MICKEY GILLEY, EDDIE RAVEN
FEB. 13: GARTH BROOKS*, THE GATLIN BROTHERS, JANIE FRICKE
FEB. 14: LACY J. DALTON, EXILE
JAN. 21: CANYON
JAN. 22: MARTY STUART AND MCBRIDE AND THE RIDE
JAN. 24: MOE BANDY, ROY CLARK*, B.J. THOMAS
JAN. 28: LITTLE JIMMY DICKENS, DEAN DILLON, JAMES HOUSE, MEL MCDANIEL AND THE FORESTER SISTERS
JAN. 29: ROGER MILLER*, JIMMY DEAN*, LITTLE JIMMY DICKINS*, JOE DIFFIE AND DONNA MEADE
JAN. 30: SUSI BEATTY, BILLY DEAN, LINDA DAVIS, AND JO-EL SONNIER
JAN.31: ROBIN LEE, PAM TILLIS, JOHNNY RUSSELL, RAY KENNEDY, KEVIN WELCH, DIXIE HARRISON
FEB. 1: LEE ROY PARNELL, CHARLEY PRIDE*, BERTIE HIGGINS, AND TISH HINOJOSA
FEB. 4: MARK CHESTNUTT, SUZY BOGGUSS, AND DAN RILEY
FEB. 5: PIRATES OF THE MISSISSIPPI AND JOHN CONLEE
FEB. 6: TRAVIS TRITT, BILLY JOE ROYAL AND HOLLY DUNN
1993
JAN. 20: TIM MENSY
JAN 21: RADNEY FOSTER
JAN. 22: JOHNNY RODRIGUEZ
JAN. 23: ROBERT ELLIS ORRALL
JAN. 24: BELLAMY BROTHERS, JOHN MICHAEL MONTGOMERY
*Member of the County Music Hall of Fame
**Member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Photos courtesy Marilyn Davis
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| Mickey Gilley |
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| Jim Stafford |
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| Eddie Rabbit |
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| Garth Brook |
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| Lee Greenwood |
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| Apopka's John Anderson |
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| Juice Newton |
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| Lori Morgan |
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| Vince Gill |
Beyond the Nashville Network
The management of Church Street Station also put together an impressive list of shows in addition to the stellar line-ups created for the Nashville Network. A few of the artists performed multiple times on the Cheyenne stage; some were new to the industry and wouldn't last. There were even a few rock bands, plus country swing, and jazz.
Here's what I've been able to compile so far by going through newspapers:
1982
Marty Robbins* • Ray Price* • Ronnie Prophet • Eddie Raven • Razzy Bailey • Gail Davies • Bobby Bare* • John Anderson • Hank Laughlin
1983
Billie Jo Spears • Ronnie Prophet • Joe Stampley • Moe Bandy • Steve Wariner • Leon Everette • Charlie McCoy • Earl Thomas Conley • Mack Vickerey • The Burrito Brothers • Razzy Bailey
1984
Jim Stafford • Steve Wariner • Shelly West • Terri Gibbs • Lynn Anderson • Helen Cornelius • David Frizell • Tammy Wynette* • Johnny Tillotson • Sons of the Pioneers • Gabriel Cornelius • David Frizell • Tammy Wynette* • Johnny Tillotson • Sons of the Pioneers • Gabriel
Eddie Reasoner • Jerry Jeff Walker • T. Graham Brown • The Vega Brothers
1987
Jerry Reed* • Bellamy Brothers • Razzy Bailey
1988
Juice Newton • Sawyer Brown • Charlie Daniels Band* • Forester Sisters • Sawyer Brown • B.J. Thomas
1989
Merle Haggard* • Marie Osmond • Bellamy Brothers • Southern Pacific • Tanya Tucker • John Anderson • Bellamy Brothers • Marshall Tucker Band
1990
Stephen Stills/Allman Brothers (Fundraiser for Lawton Chiles) • BJ Thomas • Lori Morgan • Juice Newton • Charlie Daniels Band*• Susi Beatty
1991
Mark Chesnutt • Juice Newton • Pam Tillis • Jennifer McCarter and the McCarter Sisters • Marie Osmond • Pam Tillis
1992
John Anderson • Pirates of the Mississippi • Bo Travis • Suzy Bogguss • Marshall Tucker Band • Hank Thompson
1993
Triple Play: John Brannen, Toby Keith*, and Shania Twain • Confederate Railroad
1994
Greg Holland • Kenny Chesney • Bob Woodruff • Rodney Crowell
1995
Bryan White • Asleep at the Wheel
1996
Bellamy Brothers • James Bonamy
1997
Shenandoah • Buffalo Club • Gene Harris (Jazz) • Highway 101 • Diane Schuur (Jazz)
1998
Dirty Dozen Brass Band (Jazz) • Jerry Mulligan All-Star Tribute Band (Jazz)
The Cheyenne Saloon deserves protection not because it is one of Orlando's oldest buildings—it isn't. It deserves protection because, for almost two decades, it was one of the country's premier country music venues and played an important role in Orlando's emergence as a national entertainment destination.
That doesn't mean the site lacks history. Quite the opposite. The corner of Church and Garland traces its roots to Orlando's pioneer era, and long before Bob Snow built the Cheyenne, the property was already home to an establishment that catered to fans of country and apparel. In my next post, we'll explore the deeper history of this corner of downtown and the surprising story of what stood there before the Cheyenne Saloon.
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| From the State Archives of Florida |
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