George's Majestic Lounge
George's was opened in 1927 by George Pappas who ran not only a restaurant and bar from the location, but also a general store. In 1947, George sold the business to Mary & Joe Hinton. Mary ran the business until she sold it to Dr. & Mrs. Bill & Betty Harrison in 1987. For the Harrison's, George's perhaps was a special place- the place where they had their first date while in college in the late 1950's. They maintained ownership until January 2004 when they sold the business and property to George's current co-owners, Brian Crowne and Suzie Stephens.
George's Majestic Lounge is the oldest and longest-running club and live music venue in Arkansas. Although live shows on a regular basis began in the early 70's, many loyal locals recall social events, dances, and music out on the old patio as far back as the 1930's. George's was the first bar to integrate in the late 50's, the first bar in Northwest Arkansas to offer color television, and the first pizza delivery service in Northwest Arkansas. We house an extensive library of University of Arkansas Yearbooks dating back to 1911, and often askng patrons to sign our yearbooks.
George's is perhaps best known for the incredible musicians that have graced our stages, bringing the best in local, regional, and national acts through our doors. Some artists of note that have performed at Georges through the years include Robert Cray, Leon Russell, Little River Band, Delbert McClinton, Eddie Money, Pat Green, Derek Trucks, Sam Bush, Tower of Power, Leftover Salmon, Bob Margolin, Chubby Carrier, Tommy Castro, Coco Montoya, Anthony Gomes, Bernard Allison, Michael Burks, Charlie Robison, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Jason Boland, Dark Star Orchestra, Steve Kimock, Martin Fierro, North Mississippi Allstars, Robert Randolph, David Lindley, Big Smith, Cate Brothers, Oteil Burbridge, and so many more.
The history of George's continues to be written every day with every act that sets up on our stages. Stay tuned for old photos from the archives as well as more tidbits of history, stories from the locals, and MORE!
GEORGE'S KUDOS:
Voted one of the Top 100 College Bars in the USA in Playboy Magazine
Voted in the Top 20 Favorite Fayetteville Memories by University Alumni from the last 50 years, surveyed a few years ago.
In April 2006, George's was featured in the New York Times travel section in the
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