A couple of quick Janis Threadgill's stories. When Janis would come and sing on open mic nights with her UT musician friends, not everyone was a fan of her powerful voice. As a goof one night, Ken offered her two free Lonestar beers if she wouldn't get up and sing! They became great friends. He let her play his joint when no one else in town would, thus giving her the confidence in herself and her talent to move to San Francisco.

She helped Ken out in some positive directions as well. “Mr. Threadgill was very dear to Janis because, for one reason, he was her source of beer when she was underage!” laughed Eddie Wilson, the most recent owner of Threadgill’s. “My version of his turnaround from being a redneck to a cultural icon was her sittin’ on his knee and whispering in his ear that if he wouldn’t use the n-word anymore, he would always have a pretty girl sittin’ on his knee.” What a gal. What a force of nature.

RIP Janis, Kenneth & Threadgill's. Goddamn they had great southern comfort food. And Janis had a thing for Southern Comfort, didn't she?. Here's how it looked in the early 80s. 👇

Same as it looked in the 60s, afaik. Threadgill's opened as a gas station in 1933 and former bootlegger Kenneth Threadgill was the first business owner in Austin to obtain a beer license immediately following the repeal of prohibition. He modified the gas station he had just bought on North Lamar - the far outskirts of Austin at the time - to include a bar with beer on tap. Over time, live music and great food also became staples.

Another casualty of the plague years, Threadgill's closed on Nov. 1, 2021.