Hussong’s all prepared for a their Prettiest Lady competition. Photo courtesy of Carrie Donovan
LAKE HAVASU CITY – If you put yourself in a time machine in Lake Havasu City dating back to about 45 years ago, the town may look a little unrecognizable to the newer residents. Rather than making a stop at the Aquatic Center for a swim, the lake was the swimming pool and aside from the bowling alley, the drive-in movie theater, and having only one video arcade, there really was not much of a nightlife. It wasn’t until the opening of the historically famous restaurant bar and nightclub, Hussongs, that residents finally had something to look forward to on the weekends.
The idea of Hussongs came from Lancaster, California business owner L. J. Lewis who owned Casa de Miguel. Without really being able to pinpoint what sparked the owners inspiration to launch another business venture in Arizona, current resident of Lake Havasu Larry Berglof, was a former employee of Lewis, and remembers the proprietor managing several restaurants and bars in Lancaster. It is speculated by some of Havasu’s pioneers that Hussongs was built sometime between the mid to late 1970s. The disco era was in full swing and according to Berglof, the famous mural painting seen on the front of Hussongs, was painted by Arizona artist Rick Foust.
Local radio host of KNTR’s Havasu Pioneers talk show Dan Delasantos, distinctly remembers what the small beach town was like before the Hussongs era. “Back then, Havasu primarily only consisted of bars and churches. Hussongs was the first two story restaurant and bar built here. It was actually modeled after the original Hussongs in Mexico.”
The upstairs portion of the venue was the restaurant called Casa de Miguel for tasty and authentic Mexican entrees. The legal age for drinking back then was 19, and the crowd of attendees were people from all over like Californians and visitors from Alaska who purchased property and boats in Lake Havasu for the exchange of the bitter cold to warmer temperatures. Delasantos maintains that the many friendships he formed there still remain to be his close companions even today. Downstairs was the dance floor with a live DJ, and Hussongs quickly became the staple for exciting nightlife happenings of the town. “I remember Hussongs had some of the most delicious foods and margaritas I had ever tasted. Seven days a week, there was always lines out the door, and the staff was always very friendly and welcoming,” Delasantos said.
One of those staff members was Havasu teen Carrie Donovan. She wasn’t old enough to serve alcohol so they hired her as a bus girl. Donovan stayed at Hussongs and worked her way up from bus girl to hostess, and was eventually promoted to a management role. Their uniforms were traditional Mexican styled dresses and Donovan vividly remembers the jam-packed parking lot and that their busiest season was definitely spring break. College students from all over would flock there for the nightclub’s ongoing energetic events like Chip N Dale dancers and prettiest lady competitions. Rumors of the venue having their fair share of celebrity visits is also a favorite topic amongst Havasu pioneers. It is said to be that General Hospital and Full House actor John Stamos, frequently spent his nights there and Hussongs music man DJ Robbie Rob, remembers celebrity personalities like Mr. Freeze of the 1980s film Flashdance making an appearance there from time to time. But Donovan emphasized that restaurant and nightclub wasn’t just all about adult themed happenings. One of Donavan’s most favorite memories about working there was the field trip tours Hussongs gave to the grade school students and that the venue would provide a free lunch and give information about the history of the original Hussongs in Mexico. Donovan eventually got her mother Dody Lee-Hietpas to become an employee there as a hostess. It was a position that Lee-Hietpas rembembers being very physical due to the building’s flight of stairs. Lee-Hietpas stayed there for three years and especially remembers loving how the staff would sing to customers in Spanish for birthday celebrations. She and even recollects seeing a few fashion shows there.
The exciting and uplifting vibes of Hussongs probably would not have existed without the music of Robert Mitchell (DJ Robbie Rob). Mitchell was discovered by the owner’s son, who spotted Mitchell performing at Roman’s Italian Restaurant. According to Mitchell, Romans was the business in place before it was renovated into Hussongs. Mitchell remembers filling up the ambience with the famous music of the era with groups like The Rolling Stones, The Bee Gees, and Duran Duran. The famed Havasu DJ even got married at Hussongs and had his wedding celebration there.
What Hussongs regulars were not prepared for was the mysterious fire that destroyed the venue. Delasantos who regularly used to travel from Hawaii to Lake Havasu in those days, was absolutely horrified when he learned of the club’s demise. Donovan and her mother were also devastated, and Donovan remembers hearing the news from her brother who was working as a firefighter at the time. Looking back, she misses the relationships she formed over the years while working there, and considered her coworkers family rather than just colleagues. She recalls that the building had outdoor fountains where people tossed in their loose change and made wishes. These are fountains that Donavan says survived the fire and the money that remained in them was donated to local nonprofit, New Horizons. Decades later, it is difficult to find out the exact year when the fire incident occurred. Some say it happened sometime in the mid 1980s while others speculate that the fire occurred in the early 1990s.
Hussongs is gone, but the treasured memories of the vibrant nightclub that awakened a then very quiet small town, remains in the hearts and minds of the people who were there to experience it. Hussongs will go down in Havasu history for being a magical time period for dreams, invigorating music, and dancing the night away with old and new friends. Will there ever be a Hussongs reboot? In remembrance of their times spent there, Donovan spoke of a Hussongs reunion with Lake Havasu pioneers. It may sound like a dream now, but you never know when a dream may someday become a reality.
Phaedra Veronique
