THROWBACK THURSDAY

#TBT: Corpus Christi's Texas Sky Festival Park attracted popular concerts in late '90s

Allison Ehrlich
Corpus Christi

An unassuming plot of land on the edge of Corpus Christi was the site of some raucous – and eventually righteous – concerts.

A concert goer is grabbed by security guards at the barrier after being carried across the top of the crowd at Texas Sky Festival Park during the Toadies concert on July 6, 1996. Photo by David Pellerin 7-6-96

The Texas Sky Festival Park on Jurica Road played host to a surprisingly wide range of events in less than two decades of its existence. What started as a venue for a Tejano legend to film his show became the spot to see big-name rock and alternative acts before an act of God changed its direction again.

A concert goer is carried over the crowd toward a security guard at Texas Sky Festival Park in Corpus Christi during the Toadies concert on July 6, 1996. Photo by 7-6-96

Johnnyland

Johnny Canales and attorney Albert Huerta opened the festival grounds on Jurica Road off Saratoga Boulevard between Greenwood Drive and Old Brownsville Road in 1994. A special “sneak preview” taping of an episode of The Johnny Canales International Show attracted nearly 6,000 people in March 1994.

The venue hosted everything from rock to reggae and country-western, but the big draw was Tejano acts. In May 1995, Tejano Fest — featuring performances by Roberto Pulido, Ram Herrera, Pete Astudillo and the group Culturas — attracted almost 10,000 fans. On April 16, 1995, about 3,000 people attended a Mass honoring what would have been Selena Quintanilla Perez’s 24th birthday at the festival grounds. The superstar was murdered on March 31 that year.

In September 1995, the venue announced they would be parting ways with Johnny Canales, who was making changes to the taping of this show. Albert Huerta and his son, Joseph Huerta, held a contest to rename the park to highlight the expansion of the acts that would be performing.

Texas Sky Festival Park

The venue started 1996 with a new name: Texas Sky Festival Park. But this wasn’t the winning contest entry. The winning submission from about 600 entries was from Ricardo C. Martinez. His suggestion was Crossroads. But when the Huertas began the process of changing the name, it was discovered that Crossroads was legally copyrighted and not available for use. Brainstorming by the employees led to the Texas Sky name.

The venue began drawing big names. Texas Sky hosted concerts with Pantera, Coolio, Ozzy Osbourne, La Mafia, David Lee Garza, Butthole Surfers, Hank Williams Jr. and Merle Haggard. Lollapalooza '97 made only two stops in Texas that year – Dallas and Corpus Christi. On Aug. 3, 1997, Corpus Christi was host to headliners Prodigy, Tool, Korn and Snoop Doggy Dogg.

Texas Sky was the location of one of the more infamous stories involving the Corpus Christi concert scene. During a Butthole Surfers concert appearance on July 6, 1996, lead singer Gibby Haynes was hit in the hand by a wristwatch hurled onstage from the audience. Earlier in the concert, Toadies singer Todd Lewis was also hit by flying debris.

Butthole Surfers' lead singer belts out a song during the Butthole Surfers' concert at Texas Sky Festival Park in Corpus Christi on July 6, 1996. Photo by David Pellerin 7-6-96

Haynes was furious, instructing the crowd to inflict punishment on anyone they saw throwing objects. He then called Corpus Christi a city of "white trash," saying he didn't care if people refused to buy the band's newest album.

"We've got your money already," Haynes yelled into the microphone.

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He stayed onstage for one more song, but refused to sing, then made an obscene gesture before leaving early. The audience reacted with obscene gestures of their own before taking up a synchronized chant of an expletive (my records are silent on what the expletive was), then heading to their cars.

My Father’s House

Texas Sky remained a popular concert spot despite the rowdy crowds and injuries from body surfing.

Then in March 1998, Joseph Huerta suffered a skull fracture while skiing in Colorado. He was in a coma for 12 days, but awoke and began the slow process of rehabilitation. Albert Huerta, who suffered a severe heart attack seven years earlier, saw his own and his son’s miraculous recoveries as a sign to rededicate his life to God.  

Albert Huerta (left), tries to heal Esperanza Anderson, of Corpus Christi, as others add their support during a revival meeting at Our Father's House, formerly the Texas Sky Amphithearter, on Tuesday, June 25, 2002. Huerta believes the Holy Spirit and God speak through him, and with their grace he can heal people who are physically sick.

In August 1998, Albert Huerta once again changed the venue’s direction. A few previously booked concerts were allowed to perform, but new bookings were limited to Christian groups and other religious events with its main purpose as a house of worship, known as My Father’s House.

In 2000 he added the St. Jude Trade Center, a religious flea market that included play areas, a moonwalk, carnival games and a petting zoo. Huerta continued to lead services and faith healings at My Father’s House for nearly a decade before he died in July 2009.

Allison Ehrlich is the archive coordinator for the Caller-Times. Contact her at allison.ehrlich@caller.com and follow her on Twitter @CallerArchives.