Club Paradise (nightclub)

Last updated

The Club Paradise was a nightclub at 645 E. Georgia Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee. It was a stop on the "Chitlin' Circuit," a selection of venues considered safe and acceptable for African-American entertainers in the era of racial segregation in the United States. [1]

Contents

The Club Paradise was owned and operated by Sunbeam Mitchell from 1965 until 1985. In 1985, Mitchell retired and the nightclub opened under new ownership as the New Club Paradise. The New Club Paradise closed in 1999.

History

In 1965, Sunbeam Mitchell took out a six-year lease for a 42,000-square-foot building at 645 E. Georgia Avenue in Memphis. [2] The 2,500-seat capacity venue had originally been built as a bowling alley but it was never used. [3] Mitchell said he "just felt Memphis had grown so much it was time for 'a fabulous club with big seating.'" [3] At the time, Mitchell was already operating the Club Handy and had previously owned the Mitchell Hotel in Memphis. [3]

The Club Paradise was one of the few establishments in the city for which the authorities approved a public dance hall license. [2] The nightclub had valet parking, a private room for special parties, a dining room that could be rented, and a club room with oak paneling and wall-to-wall carpeting. The dance floor could fit approximately 250 people. [3] Mitchell's wife Ernestine Mitchell worked as a hostess, and Bryant T. Williams Sr. of the Tri-State Defender handled the public relations. [3]

Bobby "Blue" Bland's revue with Joe Scott's orchestra performed at the opening of the Club Paradise on March 21, 1965. [3]

The Intercollegiate Chapter of NAACP—with members from MSU, CBC, LeMoyne, Owens, Southwestern, Henderson and Griggs Business—sponsored a benefit at the Club Paradise on April 15, 1965. The performers included Rufus Thomas, David Porter, Wendy Rene, Charles James, Sam & Dave and the Club Handy Band. [4]

In 1966, the Memphis City Commission attempted to purchase the club with federal funds and convert it into a recreation center. [5] Mitchell entered a lease-to-own agreement and eventually purchased the venue. [1]

From its heyday until its closure, soul, blues, and funk musicians performed at the Club Paradise. Singer Merk Harris was a regular headliner along with R&B singer Big Ella and Irvin Reason's Big Band in the 1960s. [6]

Mitchell also rented the club out to fraternities such as Kingsmen, Social Gents, Gay Cavaliers, and Ebonett Social club. [1]

The Club Paradise sponsored a Ray Charles concert at Ellis Auditorium on June 5, 1966. [7] Although the show was highly anticipated, Mitchell took a loss. [8] "It cost me $8,000 to bring him in, and I only took in $6,000, so I lose $2,000. I should have had him at the paradise instead of the Auditorium, and I'd have made money," he said. [9]

In 1985, Mitchell sold the nightclub to Willie Moore and Paul Jordan. [10] They renamed the club the New Club Paradise, which remained in operation until 1999. [11]

In 2016, the New Club Paradise reopened as a community center, the Paradise Entertainment Center. [11]

Notable performers

Notable performers who performed at Club Paradise include:

Related Research Articles

The Chitlin' Circuit was a collection of performance venues found throughout the eastern, southern, and upper Midwest areas of the United States. They provided commercial and cultural acceptance for African-American musicians, comedians, and other entertainers following the era of venues run by the "white-owned-and-operated Theatre Owners Booking Association (TOBA)...formed in 1921." The Chitlin Circuit sustained black musicians and dancers during the era of racial segregation in the United States from the 1930s through the 1960s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al Grey</span> American jazz trombonist

Al Grey was an American jazz trombonist who was a member of the Count Basie orchestra. He was known for his plunger mute technique and wrote an instructional book in 1987 called Plunger Techniques.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Count Basie Orchestra</span> American big band

The Count Basie Orchestra is a 16- to 18-piece big band, one of the most prominent jazz performing groups of the swing era, founded by Count Basie in 1935 and recording regularly from 1936. Despite a brief disbandment at the beginning of the 1950s, the band survived long past the big band era itself and the death of Basie in 1984. It continues under the direction of trumpeter Scotty Barnhart.

Arthur Prysock Jr. was an American jazz and R&B singer best known for his live shows and his deep baritone, influenced by Billy Eckstine. According to his obituary in The New York Times, "his heavy, deep voice projected a calm, reassuring virility."

Albert Aarons was an American jazz trumpeter.

Charles Chalmers is an American saxophonist, backup vocalist, songwriter and producer. He has written several hit songs for many recording artists, and has also arranged and performed on many Grammy winning recordings. Seven of those recordings are in the Grammy Hall of Fame: Al Green's "Let's Stay Together"; Aretha Franklin's "Respect," "Chain of Fools" and "Natural Woman"; Dusty Springfield's "Son of a Preacher Man"; and Wilson Pickett's "Mustang Sally" and "Land of a Thousand Dances." He also holds an Album of the Century award for his work on Aretha Franklin's, I Never Loved a Man the Way I Love You.

Henry Coker was an American jazz trombonist.

Henderson Chambers was an American jazz trombonist.

Robert C. Plater was an American jazz alto saxophonist.

WBBP is a non-commercial radio station licensed to Memphis, Tennessee, featuring a gospel format. Owned by Bountiful Blessings, an extension of the Temple of Deliverance Church of God in Christ, the station serves the Memphis metropolitan area. WBBP's studios are located at the Temple of Deliverance's headquarters in Memphis, while the transmitter is located in the city's southeastern side. In addition to a standard analog transmission, WBBP is available online.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WLOK</span> Radio station in Tennessee, United States

WLOK is a commercial radio station licensed to Memphis, Tennessee, carrying a gospel music format. Owned by the Gilliam family doing business as WLOK Radio, Inc., the station serves the Memphis metropolitan area. WLOK's studios are located in Downtown Memphis and the transmitter resides in Memphis's Glenview Historic District. In addition to a standard analog transmission, WLOK is relayed over low-power Memphis translator W285FI and is available online.

<i>A Black Mans Soul</i> 1969 studio album by Ike Turner

A Black Man's Soul is an instrumental album by musician Ike Turner & the Kings of Rhythm. It was released on Pompeii Records in 1969. The album earned Turner a Grammy nomination for Best R&B Instrumental Performance.

"Where Are You?" is a popular song composed by Jimmy McHugh, with lyrics by Harold Adamson. The song was written for the 1937 film Top of the Town and was originally performed by Gertrude Niesen. Niesen also made a commercial recording of the song for Brunswick Records and this was popular.

Evelyn "The Whip" Young was an American saxophonist from Memphis, Tennessee, United States.

Hamilton High School is a public high school in Memphis, Tennessee, located at 1363 E Person Avenue. Enrollment is 646 as of the 2019–2020 school year and the school is part of the Shelby County School District.

Andrew "Sunbeam" Mitchell was a Memphis-based businessman. He operated the Mitchell Hotel which lodged well-known musicians, and soon he began operating nightclubs on the Chitlin' Circuit such as the Club Handy, Club Ebony, and the Club Paradise. Mitchell ran nightclubs for 40 years until selling off his holdings in the 1980s.

Ervaella "Big Ella" Tate, was an American R&B singer and songwriter based in Memphis, Tennessee. She grew up singing in church and became a nightclub singer. Big Ella was known as "Queen of Club Paradise" and she released a few solo records in the late 1960s.

The Club Handy was a nightclub at 195 Hernando Street in Memphis, Tennessee. Originally called the Domino Lounge, the venue was owned and operated by Sunbeam Mitchell. He renamed the nightclub in honor of composer W.C. Handy in 1958. The Club Handy was a stop on the "Chitlin' Circuit," a selection of venues considered safe and acceptable for African-American entertainers in the era of racial segregation in the United States.

The W. C. Handy Theatre was a movie theater at 2355 Park Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee. The venue was built for the African-American community during segregation. The theater was opened in 1947 and it also served music venue. The building was demolished in 2012.

The Hippodrome was a music venue at 500 Beale Street in Memphis. The venue was opened in 1950 as a skating rink for African-Americans and later became a nightclub. In 1955, the Hippodrome was reopened as the Club Ebony. In 1961, under new owners, it went back to being called the Hippodrome until its closure in 1968.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lauterbach, Preston (2006-07-01). "Chitlin' Circuit". Memphis magazine. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
  2. 1 2 "City Andy Operator Disagree On Future Of Club Paradise". The Commercial Appeal. March 23, 1966. p. 21.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Johnson, Robert (March 18, 1965). "Good Evening!". The Memphis Press-Scimitar. p. 21.
  4. 1 2 Johnson, Robert (March 31, 1965). "Good Evening!". The Memphis Press-Scimitar. p. 33.
  5. ↑ "City's Move Rocks Boat Of Paradise". The Memphis Press-Scimitar. March 23, 1966. p. 8.
  6. ↑ "Memphis After Dark: Merk Harris Has Sunbeam Mitchell Beaming". The Memphis Press-Scimitar. October 20, 1967. p. 17.
  7. ↑ Burk, Bill E. (June 2, 1966). "Memphis After Dark". The Memphis Press-Scimitar. p. 27.
  8. ↑ "Ray Charles' Likely Selloue". The Memphis Press-Scimitar. June 4, 1966. p. 12.
  9. ↑ "Lost—But No Regrets". The Memphis Press-Scimitar. June 9, 1966. p. 21.
  10. ↑ Buser, Lawrence (July 3, 1985). "Nightclub sales pushes boss into early retirement at 78". The Commercial Appeal. pp. D12.
  11. 1 2 Donahue, Michael (January 22, 2016). "Memphis' Club Paradise to reopen as community center". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved 2023-09-23.
  12. ↑ Johnson, Robert (May 19, 1965). "Good Evening!". The Memphis Press-Scimitar. p. 33.
  13. 1 2 3 Burk, Bill E. (August 26, 1965). "Memphis After Dark". The Memphis Press-Scimitar. p. 19.
  14. 1 2 3 4 5 Burk, Bill E. (February 24, 1966). "Memphis After Dark". The Memphis Press-Scimitar. p. 19.
  15. ↑ Burk, Bill E. (March 10, 1966). "Big Ella: 'I Like to Sing, Period!'". The Memphis Press-Scimitar. p. 16.
  16. ↑ Evans, Bill (April 12, 1966). "Count Basie's Artistry Weaves Its Spell: 1,500 Were One O'Clock Jumping". The Memphis Press-Scimitar. p. 23.
  17. ↑ "Lou Rawls Scores Carnegie Sellouts". The Commercial Appeal. October 2, 1966. p. 2.
  18. ↑ "Club Paradise Brings You ... Aretha Franklin, Sunday - Nov. 27 (Advertisement)". The Commercial Appeal. November 27, 1966. p. 172.
  19. ↑ "Sam and Dave and their 1969 All Star Review, Sunday Nite - Sept. 28 (Advertisement)". The Memphis Press-Scimitar. September 26, 1969. pp. Showtime 14.
  20. ↑ Dawson, Walter (July 27, 1975). "34 Years of Music- From Beale Street To Club Paradise". The Commercial Appeal. p. 3.

35°07′42″N90°02′25″W / 35.1284°N 90.0402°W / 35.1284; -90.0402

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.