Detroit Clubs Of The Sixties

**terryh** · January-19-11, 10:34 PM

Browsing my Detroit Scope magazine collection some ads for and articles about nightclubs for the hip set-jumped out at me. The Attache on East Jefferson; BRUCE'S SOUND A GO-GO DISCOTEQUE Cocktail Lounge A Pshychadelic Happening Nightly located at 15763 Livernois.Menjos was a supper club at that time.

There was an article about a downtown discoteque,cant recall the name of the dancery-but there was some alledged discrimination against black patrons, several white females alledgedly complained about black customers asking them to dance and complaints about race mixing [[this was 1968 I believe).

Where did one go to dance to Motown then? Wasnt there a club called the 20 Grand? Were most of the clubs racially mixed? Memories?

**EastsideQT** · January-19-11, 11:18 PM

My favorite dance clubs of the 60's

Greystone Ballroom
20 Grand
Dancery
Lafayette Orleans
Climaxx
Grandy Ballroom
Mr. Kelley's
Latin Quarter
Palldium

**terryh** · January-20-11, 12:32 AM

Great list. I think you meant to write Grande Ballroom. The Latin Quarter on East Grand Blvd.? What kind of music was played at the spot? Mixed crowd?

**daddeeo** · January-20-11, 10:31 AM

20 Grand had a lot of Motown groups there.

**EastsideQT** · January-20-11, 03:36 PM

Originally Posted by terryh

Great list. I think you meant to write Grande Ballroom. The Latin Quarter on East Grand Blvd.? What kind of music was played at the spot? Mixed crowd?

Yes you're right it was the Grande Ballroom...The Latin Quarter featured a lot of big band singers like Lena Horne, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Sarah Vaughn, Count Basie, etc. It was a beautiful place. It had a mezzanine like the one at the downtown Hudson's where you could see everything that was going on in the main floor. If I'm not mistaken the first Ebony Fashion Show in Detroit took place the the Latin Quarter. By the time it closed the name had been changed to Grand Quarters and the format was mostly rock.

**buildingsofdetroit** · January-20-11, 04:07 PM

The Graystone Ballroom was owned by Berry Gordy at one point in the '60s, so there were a lot of Motown acts booked there.

Mr. Houdini · January-20-11, 04:21 PM

I saw Nine Inch Nails play at the Latin Quarter in the early 90's. I think the LQ was torn down a few years ago.

I remember my parents saying there was a Playboy Club in Detroit.

**EastsideQT** · January-20-11, 04:33 PM

[QUOTE=buildingsofdetroit;216968]The Graystone Ballroom was owned by Berry Gordy at one point in the '60s, so there were a lot of Motown acts booked there.[/

The Motown Revue started out at the Graystone but within a couple of years it was moved to the Fox Theater.

**Chuck** · February-03-11, 12:11 PM

add The Duchess Lounge on Van Dyke
Also, didn't Jamie and the Gigolos perform at the Gay Haven?

**dkbradley** · February-04-11, 10:42 AM

Yes Chuck, that was the La Fontaine, on Hamilton, between, I think, Grove and North. I lived on Hamilton just a few blocks South of that block. You should see that area now...shocking! Here's another fascinating - and hard for me to believe now - but quite true fact - by 1970 or so the few blocks on Hamilton south of McNichols [[6 Mile) had become a bohemian district of 10 or more antique/resale stores which briefly gave the area a sort of Plum Street flair [[I would love to see photos of it). It almost seems to me now that I must have dreamed it [[given what the area devolved to), but I remember being shocked to see it some time around '71 - we moved from the area in '65 and I had been away [[Army) from '69 - to '71 so I hadn't seen it develop, but it was there! The "Tick Tock Shop" still remains - not open - but the sign painted on the side of the building remains, or did at least a couple of years ago.

**Chuck** · February-17-11, 05:17 PM

Now I am confused. I thought it might have been the Paradise Supper Club on Hamilton and Elmhurst.
I drove past it last week, still there.
LaFoutaine makes more sense because there was a large fountain in the middle of the dining room.Dorothy Ashby, jazz harp, played there regularly.
Thanks for the input.

**Zacha341** · February-23-11, 05:05 PM

Seems I was a kid when this stuff was hay day. Hamilton south of six mile is horrible now. Much needing to be razed with a back hoe. What is was sounds like it was nice. There were some spots on Dexter and Linwood too. All gone.

Originally Posted by dkbradley

Yes Chuck, that was the La Fontaine, on Hamilton, between, I think, Grove and North. I lived on Hamilton just a few blocks South of that block. You should see that area now...shocking! Here's another fascinating - and hard for me to believe now - but quite true fact - by 1970 or so the few blocks on Hamilton south of McNichols [[6 Mile) had become a bohemian district of 10 or more antique/resale stores which briefly gave the area a sort of Plum Street flair [[I would love to see photos of it). It almost seems to me now that I must have dreamed it [[given what the area devolved to), but I remember being shocked to see it some time around '71 - we moved from the area in '65 and I had been away [[Army) from '69 - to '71 so I hadn't seen it develop, but it was there! The "Tick Tock Shop" still remains - not open - but the sign painted on the side of the building remains, or did at least a couple of years ago.

**Zacha341** · February-23-11, 05:00 PM

Wow that list brings back memories. What was the name of that bar/ club up on Woodward near the Lodge by Palmer? Not too far from Dalgliesh Cadillac dealership....? They used to feature reggae music... it was torn down...

Originally Posted by EastsideQT

My favorite dance clubs of the 60's

Greystone Ballroom
20 Grand
Dancery
Lafayette Orleans
Climaxx
Grandy Ballroom
Mr. Kelley's
Latin Quarter
Palldium

**Zacha341** · February-23-11, 05:23 PM

Hmmm, just did some digging online and I think it was called the Serengeti Ballroom during the 70's-80's but what was it before that?

Originally Posted by Zacha341

Wow that list brings back memories. What was the name of that bar/ club up on Woodward near the Lodge by Palmer? Not too far from Dalgliesh Cadillac dealership....? They used to feature reggae music... it was torn down...

**Wingnatic** · February-23-11, 05:27 PM

I used to hang out at Club Polski's on 6 Mile and Conant in the late 60's - early 70's when it was just a neighborhood rock n roll bar . Enter disco and the bar turned into disco and thats when I stopped going to that bar . Didn't a DJ for WABX have a burn disco records somewhere and caused a riot ..Chicago maybe lol

**pgn421** · January-20-11, 05:27 PM

Playboy Club,was at Rivard and E.Jefferson

**Chuck** · February-03-11, 10:30 AM

Originally Posted by pgn421

Playboy Club,was at Rivard and E.Jefferson

and before The Playboy Club opened it was The Stockholm, Swedish Restaurant/ Smorgesbord
chuck

**EastsideQT** · January-20-11, 08:55 PM

[QUOTE=terryh;216742]Browsing my Detroit Scope magazine collection some ads for and articles about nightclubs for the hip set-jumped out at me. The Attache on East Jefferson; BRUCE'S SOUND A GO-GO DISCOTEQUE Cocktail Lounge A Pshychadelic Happening Nightly located at 15763 Livernois.Menjos was a supper club at that time.

There was an article about a downtown discoteque,cant recall the name of the dancery-but there was some alledged discrimination against black patrons, several white females alledgedly complained about black customers asking them to dance and complaints about race mixing [[this was 1968 I believe).

Where did one go to dance to Motown then? Wasnt there a club called the 20 Grand? Were most of the clubs racially mixed? Memories?

[/QUO

The Attache club was about three block from the Playboy club on E. Jefferson

**terryh** · January-20-11, 09:19 PM

I just spotted an ad for the Adlib club at 9510 Michigan at Wyoming.

'shower bunnies'

These lovely gals do a revealing dance in the shower, it's the "Cleanest Show in Town". Enjoy great sandwhiches, and drinks served by our lovely mini-skirted waitresses.

The same Detroit Scope features an article on Taxi Dance clubs, on Woodward. The Moulin Rouge, the Three Sisters and the Artison Ballroom provided female dancing partners for men of all ages at $2.90 for twenty minutes. At the Artison a 'gentleman'
meaning pervert, lol could get a very close waltz and maybe two hugs and a peck on the ear. For extra tips the customer could buy time for 'dances' in a dark corner.[[ The Detroit Vice Bureau reported 14 contacts with prostitutes at the Artisons address) the article mentioned that the place wasn't asked to close down[[someone probably got paid in money and dark corner dances)

**Chuck** · February-03-11, 10:37 AM

I would also consider the Roostertail to be a supper club. I saw the Supremes there in the mid-60's.

**Left_For_Texas** · January-21-11, 01:02 AM

There was a blind pig that was pretty popular - at least for one night - somewhere around 12th Street and Clairmount Avenue.

**EastsideQT** · January-21-11, 07:59 AM

Originally Posted by Left_For_Texas

There was a blind pig that was pretty popular - at least for one night - somewhere around 12th Street and Clairmount Avenue.

Does this alleged "blind pig" have anything to do with the riots of 1967...

**Chuck** · February-03-11, 10:43 AM

Does anyone remember a supper club on Hamilton around McNichols. Had a large fountain in the middle of the dining room.
Dorothy Ashby played harp there on occasion.