About the Speakeasy

Johnny Williams was a special education school teacher. For the past 30 years he has also opened his home to hundreds of musical acts and thousands of friends, old and new, without ever taking a dime of the donations collected for the performing artists. In fact, just the opposite. Johnny went to great lengths at his own expense to turn the Speakeasy, a unique rathskeller-type structure built in the 1830’s that has hosted music since the 1920’s, into one of the best places to see live music anywhere.

Johnny’s Speakeasy has been a coveted stop for veteran Folk-Americana musicians from all over the US and beyond. It is where new musicians would make important connections and receive learning opportunities, where young people with an interest in music and arts would mingle with older generations, finding enthusiastic and supportive teachers and audiences. It was a welcoming environment for many first-timers to this storied genre of music and has featured many other genres including: Jazz, Pop, Blues, Country, Techno, Singer-Songwriter, Dance, and High School Bands.

Tragedy struck when a devastating fire destroyed Johnny’s home in 2022. He had paid AAA Insurance for a premium replacement policy for 30 years, but AAA was not there for him. So now, after 2 years in court and being unceremoniously kicked off the temporary housing rider he is entitled to, Johnny still lives in a partially heated old schoolhouse 220 miles from his hometown.

We are working to restore this historic venue and bring back the music and the life Johnny’s Speakeasy embodied. Please help support this venture and the man who has spent his life giving to others.

“There is no other venue like Johnny’s Speakeasy. As soon as you walk in the room, you know you have entered a magical musical space. The walls are lined with old and new instruments of every kind – a giant wooden guitar that is bigger than I am, the old wood sign from The Ark when it lived on Hill Street, a huge print of George Washington in a filigreed gold frame and the infamous Johnny’s Speakeasy sign in the upper corner of the stage – all of it offset by string lights accenting the memorabilia. There are photos galore, all signed lovingly to Johnny by the countless artists who have played in that treasured room. You can feel its history, and when the artist or band hits their first chord of the night you can hear how the music immediately resonates off the walls like the room itself is a well-seasoned instrument.

The audience is always warm and appreciative, listening closely to the music, not chatting over it. There’s a reverence to the way they listen and the feeling in the room.

All of this is due to the careful, persistent care and curating of Johnny Williams, the owner. He never takes a dime from these shows. All the money goes to the artists. Johnny sits in his chair near the leather strip of sleigh bells hanging next to the beam by his chair, waiting for Johnny’s tug when a song is played that he thinks deserves a hearty jingle of the bells. Johnny insists on “no talking” during the shows. It is a listening room, through and through.

He also enforces the Golden Rule of the Speakeasy, “Don’t be an asshole, and don’t bring an asshole”. It has preserved an atmosphere of respectful good times and out-of-this-world musical experiences in that intimate space for over 30 years.

– Judy Banker

Save The Speakeasy is a nonprofit organization. 100% of donated funds will be used to rebuild the Speakeasy and to help with legal fees. All personal efforts for Save The Speakeasy are through the use of donated time. More information is available on the Legal & Financial page.

Directors: Doug Selby, President; Annie Capps, Vice President; Judy Banker, Treasurer; Chiara Barbier, Secretary

Contact: SaveTheSpeakeasy@gmail.com