Rodeo ads show how much pop music, and ticket prices, have changed over the years



>>See the big names that have appeared at the rodeo through Chronicle advertisements.... Elvis Presley performs at the 1970 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in the Astrodome.

>>See the big names that have appeared at the rodeo through Chronicle advertisements.... Elvis Presley performs at the 1970 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in the Astrodome. Photo: Fred Bunch, HP Staff Photo: Fred Bunch, HP Staff Image 1 of / 47 Caption Close Rodeo ads show how much pop music, and ticket prices, have changed over the years 1 / 47 Back to Gallery

In 1966, the year the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo moved to the Astrodome, reserved seats topped off at $4.

Back then, singer and sausage king Jimmy Dean, and Ben and Hoss Cartwright from the then-top-rated "Bonanza" were some of the big-name acts appearing that year.

And if you wanted tickets, you could write to the rodeo, go to the Astrodome box office or go to any Foley's store. (Back when there were only three of them.)

OUR WEEKLY ARCHIVE DIVE: Go back in time with photos from the Houston Post and Chronicle

One can glean quite a bit from these rodeo advertisements, pulled from the pages of the Houston Chronicle. More than that, the ads provide a window to who the big names were in pop music at the time. Sure, Cardi B is the pop star of the moment at the rodeo in 2019, but in 1985 it was Billy Ocean. In 1977, the Osmonds performed during one of their four visits to the rodeo stage.

Sometimes it's the little things in these ads that can stir the most memories. Remember Ticketron? How about Sound Warehouse and Blockbuster Music Plus?

As you go through the decades of ads, which rodeo concert did you attend? Let us know in the comments.

Click through the above slideshow to see some of these rodeo advertisements. Click the button at the lower right-hand corner of the slideshow to expand it to full screen for a better view.

J.R. Gonzales, a third-generation Houstonian, covers local history with an eye toward the people and events that have mostly been forgotten to time. Follow him through Bayou City History on Facebook and Twitter. He can be reached at 713-362-6163 or john.gonzales@chron.com.