The Diamond Ballroom is a historic music venue and dance hall located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The building was opened on November 21, 1964. Oklahoma City attorney Ralph Russell, Sr. and several local business partners opened the venue wanting to provide a place for local and traveling country swing bands to perform in Oklahoma City.The building was originally advertised as “The Largest Dance Floor in the Southwest” with a 50-by-150-foot maple floor. The Diamond Ballroom continues to provide Oklahoma City with a place to see live music and touring musicians.
History
The original concept of The Diamond was to emulate the “ranch dances” that became popular in the 1940s and 1950s. The room was created with the facade of a farmhouse and the stage looked like a large patio. It was similar to the Grand Ole Opry and other popular programs of the time. Elements of the original design can still be seen in the room today. In the early years, the building was known as the Diamond Entertainment Center. The Diamond Ballroom was originally home to a house band called Perry Jones and His Diamondairs, which performed original songs and classic country music of the time. The band performed at the grand opening in 1964 and was featured weekly for the next 10 years, having Friday and Saturday nights.
In 1974, Ralph Russell Sr. purchased the building from his original business partners. Ralph Sr. became the first sole owner of the Diamond Ballroom. Shortly after the purchase, Russell retired from his legal career and turned Diamond Ballroom into a family business. He hired his son and son-in-law as full-time employees, and his wife kept the books. Famous acts in the 1960s and 1970s included: Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Loretta Lynn, George Jones, Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, Wanda Jackson, Conway Twitty, Charlie Pride, Buck Owens, Hank Williams Jr, David Allan Coe, Jerry Lee Lewis and many others.
In the mid-1980s, Ralph Russell Sr. entrusted the ownership and management of the Diamond Ballroom to his son Ralph Russell Jr. Ralph Russell Jr. expanded the Diamond Ballroom’s business days by opening its doors on weekdays. Ralph Russell Jr. also began bringing more types of music to the venue. Being a traditional home for country western music, the Diamond began to connect with local promoters who booked the famous rock and roll and metal artists of the time. Among the performers: Pantera, Slayer, Megadeth, White Zombie, Sepultura, The Cramps, Alice In Chains, Steve Vai, Stone Temple Pilots and countless others.