Bill was an Oak Park house painter in his 20s when got the idea to run a music venue in the former Deer Lodge, at 6615 W. Roosevelt Road. He closed on it March 20, 1980, he recalled, and it evolved into Chicago’s leading American roots music venue, for many years the only place in town where you could see alternative country greats from Austin, Texas, Cajun and zydeco legends from Louisiana, blues giants and, still, on Sundays, the big band jazz that was the club’s heritage.