There was a time not too long ago when Tucson's Maverick Live Country Club was on the radar of Nashville's power players.
The little club in the faraway cow town hosted Tammy Wynette, Willie Nelson, Ernest Tubb, the Bellamy Brothers and Blake Shelton, among other country stars of note.
And when the big guns from Nashville weren't on the stage, the club hosted a full-time house band.
Over the past 50 years, the club has also launched modest careers for a number of Tucson country crooners, including Troy Olsen, who has made big strides in recent years to launch a national career.
Olsen, who has lived for several years in Nashville, comes home on Sunday to help the Maverick celebrate its 50th anniversary. The party is the first of several events to mark the milestone.
The Maverick opened in 1962 and has had several owners over the years. In 2002, a devastating fire prompted its move from the southeast corner of 22nd Street and Columbus Road to its current home on East Tanque Verde Road.
The Maverick remains the place to go to learn line dancing, and then to show off those lessons while wearing urban-cowboy finery - pressed Wranglers, Western button-down shirts and cowboy boots with a hint of distress.
The Maverick has planned several anniversary events this month, including a free concert with Vince Moreno on Oct. 16.
Mark Wills ("Jacob's Ladder," "I Do (Cherish You)," "19 Somethin' " and "Don't Laugh at Me") takes the stage the next day. His Oct. 17 concert is $15 in advance, $20 at the door.
There's a Halloween Party and Costume Contest on Oct. 27. Cover is $5 after 8 p.m.
If you go
• What: Maverick Country Night Club 50th Anniversary Party, featuring Troy Olsen.
• When: Sunday, doors open at 6 p.m.
• Where: The Maverick Live Country Club, 6622 E. Tanque Verde Road.
• Admission: Free.
• Details: www.tucsonmaverick.com or 298-0430.
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