"Billy Bob's opened April 1, 1981 to national attention with Larry Gatlin & the Gatlin Brothers as the first performers. Other artists who appeared that first week were Waylon Jennings, Janie Fricke & Willie Nelson. Comparisons to Gilley’s Club, located in Pasadena where the movie Urban Cowboy was filmed (starring John Travolta), are frequent. However, Gilley’s Club measures only 44,000 square feet (4100 m²), about a third the size of Billy Bob's 127,000 square feet (12,000 m²). In addition to several dance floors, musical stages, arcade games, and billiards tables, Billy Bob's is the home to a small indoor rodeo arena, in which they have weekend bullriding events. Billy Bob's is still a popular venue for a wide variety of C&W artists, with Willie Nelson making frequent appearances and serving as the host of their Fourth of July celebrations."