This Week in Texas Music History, we’ll meet a monster who terrorized Fort Worth but also inspired some local garage bands.
On July 10, 1969, stories began surfacing about a half-man, half-goat creature that was on the prowl near Lake Worth. The mysterious beast reportedly made horrible noises and frightened young couples who were making out in parked cars by the lake. After multiple sightings, the monster achieved near mythical status among local teens. A Fort Worth garage rock band, known as Larry and the Blue Notes, even recorded a song about the Goatman, titled “Night of the Sadist.”
Sightings of the Goatman eventually grew less frequent, and some local teens later admitted that they were responsible for the hoax, having dressed up in a gorilla suit to scare their friends. However, the song “Night of the Sadist” ensured that this teenage prank would live on in Texas music lore.
Next time on This Week in Texas Music History, we’ll hear from a jazz player who helped pioneer the Texas tenor sound.
