“Don’t forget about me when you’re famous!“ is the saying that came to mind when I found out that Lady Gaga revisited a popular Texas gay western bar that gave her a chance, and took a leap-of-faith on Gaga, before she became a world-famous icon.
Over the weekend, Lady Gaga gave The Round-Up Saloon a surprise visit after her Friday show at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
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Before Lady Gaga showed up to the bar, the owners Alan Pierce and Gary Miller had no idea that Lady Gaga was going to actually visit the bar. I spoke with Alan Pierce, and he said that Gaga did mention Round-Up while she was talking to the audience at both of her shows-Thursday night and Friday night. Alan said that Gaga told the crowd one night that she had written a song with Round-Up in mind, then, she dedicated her song “Boys, Boys, Boys” to Round-Up. Alan also said that he and the boys at Round-Up had a bouquet of flowers sent to Gaga’s hotel, and not to her dressing room at the concert venue, because there was a “no gifts and no flowers” policy at the venue. Maybe Gaga gave Round-Up a couple of shout-outs at her shows not only because they gave her a chance at performing her act at their bar before her world fame, but also because the Round-up guys sent her a charming bouquet of flowers! How sweet!
Back in Summer 2008, The Round-Up Saloon got a call from Lady Gaga’s manager and said Gaga was in town, and he wanted to book her at the saloon for a gig. Her manager said she was going to be the next “Madonna”. Alan said that the bar didn’t normally book Gaga type of acts, but they decided to let her perform 2 songs at the bar. “At that time, Lady just ordered water to drink. This time she came in (2 yrs. later), she told me “I’m here to party”” said Alan.
I then told Alan that I just had to know how this all went down. How she arrived-who she was with-what she said!???…
At 11:00 pm on Friday night, Alan said that he, his partner Gary and the Round-Up manager Bob Pritchard, were all standing at the entrance when a security guard guy came up and asked them if they had any tables open. Alan and the boys told the man that Round-Up didn’t have tables-it’s a regular stand up bar. They asked the man who he was asking for, and the man showed them his Lady Gaga tour badge. The man said to keep quiet about her! Alan and the boys decided that their “loft” area would be the best place for Gaga to hangout. The security man, who is one of Gaga’s bodyguards, then went to fetch Gaga.
Gaga arrived around 11:30 pm that night. She came in a limo, and was escorted by 2 policeman. Alan said they let her in the bar through the back office, which “was her dressing room in 2008”, and she trailed in with an entourage of about 15 people, including her Mother.
Lady Gaga and her people went up to the loft, and ordered drinks. They hung out over the balcony and watched all of the people crowd in. The bar holds 850 capacity and there were more people than that who wanted to come in when they heard word of who was there!
At first, Lady Gaga said that she didn’t want a microphone, but soon after she did want one! She told the crowd that she “wanted to go to the Round-Up herself, not because they asked her to come”. Soon after, a wild female fan scaled the wall up to Gaga’s loft, and asked for an autograph on her arm. Gaga didn’t mind, and signed her arm.
After 45 minutes of hanging out and 2 “Jamesons and water” later for Gaga, the group then made their way downstairs, and towards the back office. Alan said that he and the Round-Up boys presented her with an official “30 years of business” belt buckle. She modeled the buckle and they took pictures of her. She promised that she would wear it sometime. She took tons of photos with the staff and Alan kept telling me that “Gaga was so nice”. Alan also said that she is “as nice and wonderful now, as she was before she became a big star”.
I guess Lady Gaga didn’t forget about them when she got famous! Yee-ha!
Interview by Lisa Mason Lee with Alan Pierce. Special thanks to Robert Stahl.