Editing Franco's Lounge

'''Franco's Lounge''' was a live rock and roll music nightclub located at 5060 Bayou Boulevard, near the southwest end of the Cordova Mall parking lot. For more than five years, Franco's had been Pensacola's largest freestanding, live entertainment venue. This was due in part to the facts that the civic center had not yet been constructed, and the Municipal (later Bayfront) Auditorium had been under alternating management between the City of Pensacola, and Escambia County authorities, therefore limiting the number of events it hosted.  

During the years Franco's was in business, many 'B' and 'C' circuit entertainers performed there. They included Elvin Bishop, Iron Butterfly, Vince Vance and The Valiants, Bebe Buell, The Back Doors, Clevelend, Truc Of America, and others. Most notably was The Producers, who performed several separate concerts there. Their list of original songs included radio hits such as "What She Does To Me", "I Love Lucy (She Don't Care)", "She, Sheila", and "What's He Got (That I Ain't Got"). A few more of the popular bands that performed more than once at Franco's were Midnite Special, 24K, Momentum, Baghdad, The Pilots, Four In Legion, Saint Savage, also Pensacola's own Exodus, Slayer, X-Statics, and Flame and The Heaters.  

The Sept 17, 1984 closing of Franco's Lounge left a longtime void in the accessibility of a large venue for local fans of live rock and roll music, and it was many years before a comparable-sized venue was locally available, and utilized.