My other cousin Ralph Brickey Played Guitar there ( Amazon Lounge) for 20 years . He died around 1985- 1986? . He Played guitar for 60 years . sounded a lot like Chet Atkins, he could pick

with either hand , or pick on neck or body at same time . Had an old red solid body Fender with a bigsby vibrato . I will look for some pics of him and email them to you . Best Regards Jim Bieler

....and here are some great memories from D. Smith:

I was actually just searching for the name of an old “under-21” club near Castlewood State Park that burned down, and while I didn’t find that yet, I did find your site – so happy to see that someone remembers the Amazon in South St. Louis on Christy, at the edge of Venture’s lot.  There was always great live music there.  One band I remember well was Cartoonz.  I also remember a female singer was amazing – I think her name was Terri.  I remember the adorable barmaid, Andrea, who was related to the owners.  I also remember an older, bearded man named Eddie, who had a heart of gold.  The same goes for Carl the cabdriver.  These were real men, good men, who came to your aid if something wasn’t going well, although there was usually no trouble there.  It was a comfortable place that I felt safe going to alone.  I was in my early 30s, tall and blonde, and loved to dance!  I met so many great people there – guys from the St. Louis Weightlifting Club (Joe, George – who recently passed away – and Bill, etc.).  I would often see my cop friend, Steve, there, a fireman named Mike, and so many others.  They were all dear people.  Those were the days!   Thanks for letting me share.    (d.smith711@yahoo.com)