Chappell Roan's "Pink Pony Club" inspired by the old Springfield club

“I’m gonna keep dancing at the Pink Pony Club,” Chappell Roan says in one of his hit singles that seems to get played on the radio at least once a day.

The single “Pink Pony Club” is featured on Roan’s recently released and widely played album, “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.” As of Thursday, the single was at No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, following “Good Luck, Babe!” from Roan. at No. 4 and “Hot To Go!” at n°15. His single “Red Wine Supernova” also charted at No. 62.

Although the Willard native doesn’t mention her hometown, or neighboring Springfield, on “Pink Pony Club,” it was a Springfield strip club that helped inspire the single. The Pink Pony, the strip club that previously operated in the building that now houses Rumors Cabaret, is what inspired the song, Roan’s team confirmed to the News-Leader via email in September. The rumored location is 1750 S. Glenstone Ave., sandwiched between Coyote’s Adobe Cafe and the Lamplighter Inn & Suites.

More: “HOT TO GO!” » Chappell Roan’s music video features these Springfield locations

Although the building at 1750 S. Glenstone Ave. is the same as at the time of the Pink Pony, the facade is very different. Today, the exterior is gray, blending in with its neighbors on the busy street. But when The Pink Pony was open, the building was bright pink with purple accents. It was hard to miss that.

Since the rise in popularity of the “Pink Pony Club”, several publications have attempted to crack the exact code of the club that inspired Chappell, many without success.

In February 2023, the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau published a Q&A with Roan, in which the pop star was asked about the “Pink Pony Club.”

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Roan replied, “My song ‘Pink Pony Club’ is literally inspired by a strip club in Springfield. It used to be called Pink Cadillac, but now it’s called Centerfolds. The building was all hot pink. They had neon signage and it “It was so beautiful. I remember growing up and passing it because I was going to Hickory Hills (Country Club). I always loved it and wanted to go, but I didn’t know it was a strip club. “

However, this explanation does not really hold water. The now-defunct Pink Cadillac was formerly located at 765 S. Glenstone Ave. and the building has since been demolished. Springfield Centerfold is located across town at 2800 W. Sunshine St., where it has operated for more than 15 years. Hickory Hills Country Club is located at 3909 E. Cherry St., not near any of the clubs. However, depending on the route Roan took to get to the country club, she could have gone through Glenstone Avenue.

Despite the discrepancies, TODAY also published this information in an April article, citing the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau interview.

The News-Leader contacted the Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau for clarification on the published questions and answers but did not receive a response by press deadline.

Greta Cross is the current affairs reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. She has more than five years of journalism experience covering everything from Ozark history to Springfield’s LGBTQIA+ community. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. An idea for a story? Email him at [email protected].