Phil Brady's

History

Phil Brady, a New York City native, opened Phil Brady’s in Baton Rouge in 1979 and sold it in 1982. The Government Street building dates to the early 1940s and once housed Michael’s Bar, in a small strip that also included Angelo’s Grocery and Pharmacy. The club became a proving ground for blues players, and in 1986 Shannon “Bayou” Williford started the Thursday-night blues jam that remains its signature. Joe Hall, who bought Phil Brady’s in 2003, kept the jam and added other live music on weekends.