The Bowery, built in 1944 by Jack Cook and Cooter Jennings and later owned by Dick and JoJo Layer, became a popular honky-tonk where country music, Southern hospitality, live bands, and beer by the mug entertained millions from around the world for decades. Victor Shamah has kept its legacy alive since 1981. Among its colorful figures were long-time server "Scuba" Osborne, who carried 34 mugs at one time without a tray before later becoming road manager for the band Alabama, and "Don't Cry Joe" Shotkus, who poured beer there from the day it opened until his death in 1997. In the 1970s, April May danced on the ceiling, and Bouncin' Betty, a 300 lb Go-Go-Girl, performed in the 1970s and 1980s. Joe and his sister Mary had set a marathon dancing record in the 1930s of 5,295 hours, or 7 months 10 days and 15 hours. From 1973 to 1978, the house band was the country music supergroup Alabama, then known as Wild Country, which signed with RCA Records in 1980 and went on to have 21 consecutive hits. Shirley McPherson was the first female to sing professionally there, performing from 1963 to 1966. Its enduring popularity rested in part on changing little from year to year and decade to decade, living up to the motto, "Ya' Can't Beat Fun!"