Gazzarri's

Last updated
Gazzarri's
Antix Gazzarris.JPG
Gazzarri's nightclub, 1986
Address9039 Sunset Boulevard
Location West Hollywood, California 90069
OwnerBill Gazzarri
Type Nightclub
Genre(s) Rock and roll
Seating typedownstairs: Standing room only
upstairs: balcony seating
Construction
OpenedJune 1, 1965
Closed1993
Demolished1995

Gazzarri's (also known as Gazzarri's Hollywood a Go Go) was a nightclub on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California. The venue was a staple of the Los Angeles music scene from the 1960s until the early 1990s. The Doors and Van Halen were featured house bands there before being signed to major record labels. Another prominent local band, L.A. Rocks, was also the house band there in the early 80s. It was the backdrop for Huey Lewis and the News' short form promotional music video for their 1984 hit The Heart of Rock and Roll.

Contents

History

Gazzarri's Hollywood a Go Go opened with performances by the Sinners, who became the house band, the Vendells and the Gazzarri dancers on June 1, 1965. [1] The nightclub's early history is closely associated with the Los Angeles-based television show Hollywood a Go Go, which would feature the Sinners and the Gazzarri dancers. [2] [1]

In 1965, KHJ disc jockey Roger Christian made weekly appearances at Gazzarri's Hollywood a Go Go. [3] Performers at the nightclub in 1965 and 1966 include the Turtles, [4] Billy Peek, [3] Ike & Tina Turner, [5] and Pat & Lolly Vegas. [5] The nightclub also featured actor Edward James Olmos, with his band Eddie James and the Pacific Ocean as the house band in 1966.

Gazzarri's reached its peak of popularity in the late 1960s, featuring Jim Morrison's young new group, along with other talent such as ? and the Mysterians, The Bobby Fuller Four, Buffalo Springfield and The Walker Brothers. It then achieved major L.A. relevance again in the late 1970s, featuring the David Lee Roth-led Van Halen nightly for months on end, and then into the 1980s through the early 1990s as one of the top L.A. glam metal nightclubs. It was owned and operated by Bill Gazzarri, who was known for dressing up as a Chicago-style gangster and frequenting the club on performance nights.

Located near the corner of Doheny and Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, and just several dozen yards from both the Rainbow Bar and Grill and The Roxy Theatre, Gazzarri's became famous as a launching pad for future rock and roll stars. Along with the Roxy Theatre, the Whisky a Go Go, the Troubadour, the Starwood and other nearby nightclubs, Gazzarri's was a staple of the Los Angeles music scene. Some other bands that played at Gazzarri's either prior to or during their mainstream success include Johnny Rivers, Van Halen, ? and the Mysterians, NEWHAVEN, SouthGang, Sonny and Cher, Ratt, Cinderella, Chicano rock band Renegade, Victor Flamingo, Quiet Riot, Stryper, Mötley Crüe, Poison, Guns N' Roses, Warrant, and Faster Pussycat. Other notable local Los Angeles area bands to play there included Redd Kross, Brunette, Shark Island, Nightwatch and Hurricane (band). Some of the bands to play Gazzarri's were featured in The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years , such as Salute, Shocktop and Broken Cherry. Many giant hand-painted pictures of these bands adorned the side of the club's outside wall for many years. Actress-singer Mamie Van Doren even did her 1985 comeback show there.

late 80's ticket for Gazzari's show featuring the bands.....Soldier, Halo, Urban Kaos, Witnesses Gazzaris ticket (late 1980's).jpg
late 80's ticket for Gazzari's show featuring the bands.....Soldier, Halo, Urban Kaos, Witnesses

The 90-yard stretch of sidewalk on Sunset Boulevard that runs from the front steps of Gazzarri's (now 1 Oak, 9039 West Sunset Blvd.) to the parking lot between the Rainbow Bar and Grill (9015 West Sunset Blvd.) and the Roxy Theatre (9009 West Sunset Blvd.) was the national center of the 1980s glam metal movement that spawned dozens of MTV bands and radio hits. Aspiring bands and musicians from around the world, coming to Los Angeles to make it big, eventually found themselves on this street passing out their flyers, watching the competition in the clubs or enjoying the scene packed with thousands of other musicians, famous rock stars, porn stars, groupies and Los Angeles teenagers.

The nightclub also moonlighted variously over the years a stage-dance venue, and Gazzarri's would often feature the strip-club style dancing of attractive, young girls between live band performances. The "Miss Gazzarri's Dancers" included future Playboy Playmate and Hugh Hefner girlfriend Barbi Benton as well as future television star Catherine Bach. The club became a favorite hangout for teen dancers who loved live music, which was not lost on the neighboring television studios. Gazzarri's was acknowledged by TV executives as the real-life inspiration for music-based TV shows such as Don Kirshner's Rock Concert , The Monkees and The Partridge Family .

Gazzarri's was also featured in the 1974 pilot of The Rockford Files and was the location for the Crazy Horse West strip club in the 1976 film The Killing of a Chinese Bookie and the 1987 MGM film Number One With A Bullet .

Pay-to-play

The club was part of the controversial "pay-to-play" concept in the 1980s, along with other major Hollywood nightclubs that showcased bands with original songs. As many as four bands per night would each buy 100 to 200 tickets from the club at around $5, handing over in advance hundreds of dollars to the owner for a 45-minute slot on the famous stage. Soon, many bands were spending as much time promoting, handing out flyers, advertising in local magazines and building mailing lists as they were on songwriting, practicing and actually gigging live. Young, hungry bands such as Poison, Mötley Crüe, Van Halen and Guns N' Roses became early masters of self-promotion as a result, developing street-smart business skills that would serve them even as world-renowned superstars. Axl Rose stated several times in interviews that the "L.A. scene was so competitive, if half the bands in the Top 40 right now had tried to get their big break in L.A. instead of somewhere else, they never would have made it."

After

Bill Gazzarri died in 1991 [6] and the club closed down in 1993. In 1994, the building suffered irreparable damage from the Northridge earthquake. It was torn down in 1995 and a new club called Billboard Live opened at the former Gazzarri's site in 1996. [7] [8] Billboard Live became The Key Club in 1998. The Key Club held its final show on March 14, 2013 [9] and was replaced by the nightclub 1 Oak later that year. [10] 1 Oak operated until 2022 when new owners announced a new yet-to-be-named club was under development [11] but had yet to open by spring 2024. [12]

Live at the Key Club

Related Research Articles

Glam metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that features pop-influenced hooks and guitar riffs, upbeat rock anthems, and slow power ballads. It borrows heavily from the fashion and image of 1970s glam rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunset Boulevard</span> Thoroughfare in Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and Los Angeles, United States

Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, United States, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades east to Figueroa Street in Downtown Los Angeles. It is a major thoroughfare in the cities of Beverly Hills and West Hollywood, as well as several districts in Los Angeles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunset Strip</span> West Hollywood portion of Sunset Boulevard

The Sunset Strip is the 1.7-mile (2.7 km) stretch of Sunset Boulevard that passes through the city of West Hollywood, California, United States. It extends from West Hollywood's eastern border with the city of Los Angeles near Marmont Lane to its western border with Beverly Hills at Phyllis Street. The Sunset Strip is known for its boutiques, restaurants, rock clubs, and nightclubs, as well as its array of huge, colorful billboards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whisky a Go Go</span> Nightclub in West Hollywood, California

The Whisky a Go Go is a historic nightclub in West Hollywood, California, United States. It is located at 8901 Sunset Boulevard on the Sunset Strip, corner North Clark Street, opposite North San Vicente Boulevard, northwest corner. The club played a central role in the Los Angeles music scene from the 1960s through the 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roxy Theatre (West Hollywood)</span> Nightclub

The Roxy Theatre is a nightclub on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California, owned by Lou Adler and his son, Nic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Go-go dancing</span> Form of nightclub entertainment

Go-go dancers are dancers who are employed to entertain crowds at nightclubs or other venues where music is played. Go-go dancing originated in the early 1960s at the French bar Whisky a Gogo, located in the town of Juan-les-Pins. The bar's name was taken from the French title of the Scottish comedy film Whisky Galore!  The French bar then licensed its name to the West Hollywood rock club Whisky a Go Go, which opened in January 1964 and chose the name to reflect the already popular craze of go-go dancing. Many 1960s-era nightclub dancers wore short, fringed skirts and high boots which eventually came to be called go-go boots. Nightclub promoters in the mid‑1960s then conceived the idea of hiring women dressed in these outfits to entertain patrons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Viper Room</span> Nightclub in West Hollywood, California US

The Viper Room is a nightclub and live music venue located on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California, United States. It was established under its current name on August 14, 1993, being co-owned by actors and 21 Jump Street co-stars Johnny Depp and Sal Jenco. The Viper Room has undergone several changes in ownership, with the present owner being Viper Holdings, Ltd CEO James Cooper. It continues to host music of multiple genres, including metal, punk, and alternative rock. While predominantly known as a music venue, the Viper Room also has a lower level which is home to a large whiskey bar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hollywood Palladium</span> Theater in Los Angeles, California

The Hollywood Palladium is a theater located at 6215 Sunset Boulevard in the Hollywood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. It was built in a Streamline Moderne, Art Deco style and includes an 11,200-square-foot (1,040 m2) dance floor including a mezzanine and a floor level with room for up to 4,000 people. The theater was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2016. The Palladium was designated Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument No. 1130 on September 28, 2016.

Elmer Valentine was the co-founder of three famous nightclubs on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California: the Whisky a Go Go, The Roxy Theatre and the Rainbow Bar & Grill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rainbow Bar and Grill</span> Bar and restaurant/grocery store in California, United States

The Rainbow Bar and Grill is a bar and restaurant on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California, United States, adjacent to the border of Beverly Hills, California. Its address is 9015 Sunset Boulevard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Starwood (nightclub)</span> Nightclub and music venue in California

The Starwood was a popular nightclub and music venue in West Hollywood, California from early 1973 to 1981. Many punk bands and heavy metal bands, including Van Halen, started their careers playing at the club. The Starwood was located on the northwest corner of Santa Monica Blvd. and Crescent Heights Blvd.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Fog (nightclub)</span> 1960s nightclub in California, United States

The London Fog was a 1960s nightclub located on the Sunset Strip in what was then unincorporated Los Angeles County, California. It is most notable for being the venue where The Doors had their first regular gigs for several months in early 1966 before becoming the house band at the nearby Whisky a Go Go.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Los Angeles</span> Overview of music traditions in Los Angeles, California, United States

As well as being one of the most important cities in the world in the film industry, Los Angeles, California, is also one of the most important places in the world for the recorded music industry. Many landmarks in Los Angeles – such as Capitol Records, whose headquarters resembles a stack of albums – are representative of this. A&M Records long occupied a studio off Sunset Boulevard built by Charlie Chaplin. The Warner Bros. built a major recording business in addition to their film business.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rodney Bingenheimer</span> American radio disc jockey

Rodney Bingenheimer is an American radio disc jockey who is best known as the host of Rodney on the ROQ, a radio program that ran on the Los Angeles rock station KROQ-FM from 1976 to 2017. In the early 1970s, he also managed a Los Angeles nightclub called Rodney Bingenheimer's English Disco.

Cory Wells & The Enemys are best remembered as a group fronted by Cory Wells before he joined up with Danny Hutton and Chuck Negron to form Three Dog Night.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thee Experience</span>

Thee Experience was a psychedelic nightclub in Hollywood, California, United States. It was located at 7551 Sunset Boulevard, on the Sunset Strip.

Scream was an underground music club in Los Angeles, CA from the mid-80s and into the 90s focusing on glam rock, death rock and industrial rock. Founded by Dayle Gloria, the "Queen of the Sunset Strip" and Michael Stewart, Scream hosted many of the larger rock bands, such as Guns N' Roses, Jane's Addiction, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sisters of Mercy, 45 Grave, TSOL and Human Drama. It was considered one of the more influential clubs/outlets in L.A./Hollywood due to the signing of many of its of local musical group bookings to major label record companies and its hosting of many of the larger touring acts of the goth/industrial scene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pandora's Box (nightclub)</span>

Pandora's Box was a nightclub and coffeehouse on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles, California. It was at the center of the Sunset Strip curfew riots in 1966.

Edward Donald Rubin was an American jazz and rock drummer, and composer. His repertoire included rock, jazz, pop, R&B, folk, and blues, although he had a preference for jazz drumming. Rubin is best known for his performances and recordings during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s with artists Neil Diamond, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Johnny Rivers, Dexter Gordon, Ornette Coleman, Paul Revere & The Raiders and Don Randi.

References

  1. 1 2 Greenberg, Belle (1965-05-28). "Hollywood Go Go Gets The Premiere Treatment". Valley Times. p. 23. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  2. "GAZZARRI DANCERS. COM". www.gazzarridancers.com. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  3. 1 2 "Billy Peek / Rodger Christian at Gazzarri's Hollywood a Go Go (Advertisement)". Valley Times. 1965-08-13. p. 11. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  4. Greenberg, Belle (1965-07-09). "Around Our Town". Hollywood Citizen-News. pp. B-6. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  5. 1 2 "Gazzari's Hollywood a Go-Go - Ike & Tina Turner Revue with the Ikettes and Pat & Lolly Vegas - 5 Days Only Starting Sun., Feb 6. (Advertisement)". The Los Angeles Times. 1966-02-07. p. 20. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
  6. Myrna Olivier: Bill Gazzarri, ‘Godfather’ of Rock in L.A., Dies, Los Angeles Times, March 16, 1991
  7. Billboard Live sets new club standard, dailybruin.com, August 4, 1996
  8. Heidi Siegmund Cuda: A Club Sure to Stop Traffic, Los Angeles Times, August 3, 1996
  9. Key Club to close this month", laweekly.com, March 5, 2013
  10. Sunset Strip Club 1 Oak to Replace Key Club, wehoville.com, April 2, 2013
  11. Encore coming for historic rock-n-roll hotspot on the Sunset Strip, wehoonline.com, December 11, 2022
  12. h.wood Group’s new nightclub will open this spring at 9039 Sunset Blvd., wehoonline.com, April 10, 2024