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The legacy of the Myriad in downtown Oklahoma City
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — Oh, the memories.
The Myriad brings back a MYRIAD of them.
The Myriad was the anchor of a new downtown after dozens of buildings were demolished in the urban renewal movement of the 1960s and early 70s.
Complete with underground parking, convention space, and a 15-thousand-seat arena, the complex played host to millions over its 50-plus years.
The biggest events happened at The Myriad.
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The state's 75th anniversary gala, F-F-A conventions, and rodeos. The 'King' Elvis Presley, played three shows there, and the 'Queen' Tina Turner, took the stage, as did scores of the biggest country and rock acts.
The Myriad hosted entertainment's legendary stars.
Many were highlighted during Channel Four's 'Stars and Stripes' shows hosted by Bob Hope that aired on the Fourth of July nationwide on NBC in the 1970s.
Thousands of sporting events were hosted at the Myriad, from indoor track championships to college basketball NCAA tournament games.
And oh yes… HOCKEY.
Doug Sauter coached the Oklahoma City Blazers to a championship in the heyday of hockey at The Myriad.
Even before he got here, he knew about OKC's passion for hockey. 'They've got great fans. They've got great attendance. Everything fit my lifestyle. The western way sort of thing,' Sauter told us.
And those fans led the league in attendance for 17 years, averaging more than 9 thousand people per game. And it wasn't only success in the rink for Blazers players. A lot of them traded Canada and the northern states for Oklahoma to start a family.
'I believe there were 32 Blazers married Oklahoma girls. We can start our own little cult,' Sauter laughed.
The Myriad became the Cox Convention Center after a renovation in the late 90s and later was used as soundstages for movies and TV shows as Prairie Surf Studios.
But the memories remain. 'I saw Billy Graham here,' Coach Sauter told us. 'I never dreamed in my life I would go to a Billy Graham meeting. It was quite interesting, and it gets to your soul a little bit.'
'It's going to be really sad…for me to see it go,' Ted Faulkinberry said. Spending over half my life here.'
With the many events and changes in technology, the 'Incomparable Myriad' has seen its last performance, as the building meets the wrecking ball.
It's being replaced by a nearly one-billion-dollar arena complex.
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So, now the curtain falls on a building that served a 'myriad' of functions and left as many OKC memories to all who entered its doors.
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