AUSTIN, Texas — Antone’s in Austin celebrates 50 years of blues this year. To mark the momentous occasion for the legendary nightclub, a SXSW panel of icons in the club's history took to the stage to discuss memories from the past half century that made the club what it is today.

“You heard about blues music, you heard about Antone’s, you just knew,” said Eve Monsees, guitarist and co-owner of Antone’s Record Shop. Monsees got her start at Antone’s at just 14 years old.

Monsees went to Austin High School with Gary Clark Jr., another Austin music legend. The two started as students of the club, learning from the greats that performed there, until they eventually went on to play their own shows.

Port Arthur, Texas, native Clifford Antone opened Antone’s in 1975. At a time when disco was in, Antone’s was a place to preserve the magic of blues music.

Common acts in the early years included Muddy Waters, BB King, Jimmy Reed and Buddy Guy, along with developing acts that later came along like Stevie Ray Vaughn, Jimmie Vaughan, Bob Schneider and Clark Jr.

Another legend from that time at the panel was Grammy-nominated musician John Primer, who was the guitarist for Muddy Waters. He and CJ Chenier both performed at Antone’s during the venue's early days.

Chenier is the son of Grammy award-winning artist and zydeco legend Clifton Chenier, who was the club’s inaugural performer. CJ performed with the Red Hot Louisiana Band and recalls his first time at Antone’s falling on his 21st birthday.

“I had the best time of my life turning 21 at Antone’s on Sixth Street,” Chenier said.

As co-owner of the record shop, where she has worked since 2001, Monsees is able to show the younger generations what classic blues is all about.

When asked if there’s a future for blues, CJ responded confidently, “the blues will never die.”

Primer jumped in, adding: “Blues is always alive, it will never go away. It’s not asleep. And it’s not sad music. Blues tells a story — if something good happened to you or something bad, it’s all about life,” he said. “Don’t let nobody tell you that blues is dead.”

A celebration for the venue’s 50th anniversary takes place Friday. The day party is from noon to 5 p.m., and a showcase for SXSW badgeholders continues from 7 p.m. to past midnight.

See the full lineup here.