Mr. Lucky’s: A look at Phoenix’s legendary country bar over the years

When Arizona country music fans of yesteryear were looking to do some hootin’ and hollerin’ in the Valley, they headed for Mr. Lucky’s. The double-decker Phoenix nightclub and honky-tonk at Grand and 36th avenues was a go-to spot for country tunes and rowdy fun for almost four decades.

First opened in October 1966 by Valley entrepreneur and restaurateur Bob Sikora, Mr. Lucky’s offered country artists in its main room and rock and pop bands in the basement. Outside, its towering 50-foot-tall iconic sign — depicting a jester-like harlequin drenched with neon and twinkling bulbs — beckoned the public.

Mr. Lucky’s was visited by legendary touring artists on the regular starting from the late '60s onward. Willie and Waylon. Cash and Campbell. Wanda Jackson recorded a 1969 live album at Mr. Lucky’s and African-American country singer Charley Pride was also a fixture at the club. Meanwhile, the honky-tonk’s longtime house band, The Rogues, featured a rotating lineup of some of the best country musicians in the Valley, including singers like Virg Warner and J. David Sloan.

In the '80s, Mr. Lucky’s rode the wave of the country music boom. By the ‘90s, Sloan had purchased the place, added an outdoor rodeo arena and made Mr. Lucky’s the gold standard for Arizona country bars. However, the good times didn’t last, and Sloan closed the joint in 2004. In the 19 years since, Mr. Lucky’s has hosted several businesses — including a Latin club, furniture store and restaurant) but has never equaled the success of its original run.

Phoenix New Times has assembled a collection of photos and images, both vintage and otherwise, of Mr. Lucky’s from over the years to provide a glimpse of the rowdy and homespun fun of the Valley’s most legendary honky-tonk.