Skip town: Owner of iconic local music venue decides to cash out

It might not be the equivalent of the Feb. 3, 1959, plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper, but for many Tampa Bay area music fans, Sept. 25, 2020, is the day the music died. 

That’s when Skipper’s Smokehouse, a beloved eatery and music venue, announced it was up for sale. Tom White, who’s owned and operated the Tampa institution for 40 years, announces in a press release, cheekily titled “Goin’ Fishin’,” that it’s time to cash out.