Tramp is a private, members-only

nightclub A nightclub (music club, discothèque, disco club, or simply club) is an entertainment venue during nighttime comprising a dance floor, lightshow, and a stage for live music or a disc jockey (DJ) who plays recorded music. Nightclubs gener ...

located on

Jermyn Street Jermyn Street is a one-way street in the St James's area of the City of Westminster in London, England. It is to the south of, parallel, and adjacent to Piccadilly. Jermyn Street is known as a street for gentlemen's-clothing retailers. Hist ...

in central London,

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. It was founded in 1969 by

Johnny Gold Jesse John Gold (25 June 1932 – 7 October 2021) was a British nightclub owner and operator. After education at Brighton College and National Service with the 6th Royal Tank Regiment Gold worked briefly in his father's bookmakers. He moved to L ...

Bill Ofner Tramp is a private, members-only nightclub located on Jermyn Street in central London, England. It was founded in 1969 by Johnny Gold, Bill Ofner and Oscar Lerman. The club built a reputation for discretion, banning photography and gossip write ...

and Oscar Lerman. The club built a reputation for discretion, banning photography and gossip writers from inside, and is popular with celebrities.

History

Tramp was opened in December 1969 by

. It was owned by Gold,

and Oscar Lerman. The trio positioned Tramp as an alternative to the formal supper clubs which were then popular. They thought the club might survive for two or three years before its clientele moved on to another venue, and were surprised that it remained popular. The club was named after

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...

's tramp persona. The club was outfitted smartly with oak panelling and chandeliers. The club had 300 founder members, all celebrities, who paid an annual fee of 10 guineas. Gold banned all photography within the club and prevented paparazzi and gossip columnists from entering. Anyone who asked a guest for an autograph was also thrown out and Gold cultivated a reputation for discretion. When a newspaper described Tramp as a disreputable club attended by "tarty little pieces" Gold sued and won damages. Despite this, Gold was lenient with his regulars and rarely banned any. The Who's drummer

Keith Moon Keith John Moon (23 August 19467 September 1978) was an English drummer for the rock band the Who. He was noted for his unique style of playing and his eccentric, often self-destructive behaviour and addiction to drugs and alcohol. Moon grew ...

was banned for a month after destroying a chandelier but Gold reduced this ban to 48 hours after Moon sent his chauffeur around with £500 in cash and phoned Gold, in tears, asking where else he would party; members were sometimes permitted to run up large bar tabs, Moon's reached £14,000 at one point. In contrast to rival club

Annabel's Annabel's is a private members club at 46 Berkeley Square in Mayfair, London. It was opened at 44 Berkeley Square in 1963 by Mark Birley and named for his wife Lady Annabel Vane-Tempest-Stewart. It was founded in the basement of the Clermont C ...

, Gold refused to apply a dress code at Tramp;

Tara Palmer-Tomkinson Tara Claire Palmer-Tomkinson (23 December 1971 – 8 February 2017), also known as T P-T, was an English socialite and television personality. She appeared in several television shows, including the reality programme '' I'm a Celebrity...Get Me ...

famously attended her 21st birthday party there wearing only a bikini and fur coat. Men were not allowed entry unless accompanied by women.

Joan Collins Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author and columnist. Collins is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a People's Choice Award, two Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Primetime ...

was a member, and the nightclub scenes in '' The Stud'', a 1978 film adaption of her sister

Jackie Collins Jacqueline Jill Collins (4 October 1937 – 19 September 2015) was an English romance novelist and actress. She moved to Los Angeles in 1985 and spent most of her career there. She wrote 32 novels, all of which appeared on ''The New York Time ...

's 1969 novel '' The Stud'', were filmed inside Tramp. Gold thought he might have been the inspiration for the nightclub manager in the film. Gold established a Los Angeles branch of Tramp in the 1980s. In 1998, British businessman and racehorse owner

Robert Sangster Robert Edmund Sangster (23 May 1936 – 7 April 2004)

was interested in acquiring shares in Tramp. Gold sold his stake later that year to

Caledonian Heritable Caledonian is a geographical term used to refer to places, species, or items in or from Scotland, or particularly the Scottish Highlands. It derives from Caledonia, the Roman name for the area of modern Scotland. Caledonian is also used to refer t ...

, an Edinburgh-based property firm. Gold remained employed as "greeter-in-chief" until 2003 as he was the only person who knew the entire membership personally. There was some concern among members over the 2001 publication of Gold's memoir ''Tramp's Gold'', but he maintained his discretion and it caused no scandal. The book's foreword was by long-time member

Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite; 14 March 1933) is an English actor. Known for his distinctive Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films in a career spanning seven decades, and is considered a British film ico ...

Clientele

Over its history, Tramp has been frequented by many celebrities, socialites, aristocrats and royalty and has developed a "legendary" reputation for the antics of its clientele. Michael Caine said of the club "if you come out and you're not photographed it is either raining or your career is over". Tramp's opening night was attended by Caine, Collins,

Peter Sellers Peter Sellers (born Richard Henry Sellers; 8 September 1925 – 24 July 1980) was an English actor and comedian. He first came to prominence performing in the BBC Radio comedy series ''The Goon Show'', featured on a number of hit comic songs ...

Natalie Wood Natalie Wood ( Zacharenko; July 20, 1938 – November 29, 1981) was an American actress who began her career in film as a child and successfully transitioned to young adult roles. Wood started acting at age four and was given a co-starring r ...

, and

Richard Harris Richard St John Francis Harris (1 October 1930 – 25 October 2002) was an Irish actor and singer. He appeared on stage and in many films, notably as Corrado Zeller in Michelangelo Antonioni's '' Red Desert'', Frank Machin in ''This Sporting ...

. Other members included

Madonna Madonna Louise Ciccone (; ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. Widely dubbed the " Queen of Pop", Madonna has been noted for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, songwriting, a ...

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. Th ...

Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the "Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "''Doll ...

Rod Stewart Sir Roderick David Stewart (born 10 January 1945) is a British rock and pop singer and songwriter. Born and raised in London, he is of Scottish and English ancestry. With his distinctive raspy singing voice, Stewart is among the best-selling ...

and

Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English singer and songwriter who has achieved international fame as the lead vocalist and one of the founder members of the rock band the Rolling Stones. His ongoing songwriting partnershi ...

David Beckham David Robert Joseph Beckham (; born 2 May 1975) is an English former professional footballer, the current president and co-owner of Inter Miami CF and co-owner of Salford City. Known for his range of passing, crossing ability and bending fr ...

took his newly single son

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

to Tramp after Brooklyn's split from

Chloë Grace Moretz Chloë Grace Moretz (; born February 10, 1997) is an American actress. She is the recipient of various accolades, including four MTV Movie & TV Awards, two People's Choice Awards, two Saturn Awards, and two Young Artist Awards. She began actin ...

Kate Moss Katherine Ann Moss (born 16 January 1974) is a British model. Arriving at the end of the "supermodel era", Moss rose to fame in the early 1990s as part of the heroin chic fashion trend. Her collaborations with Calvin Klein brought her to fas ...

sang Happy Birthday to hair stylist

Sam McKnight Samuel McKnight (born 13 May 1955) is a hairstylist known for his work with celebrities including Princess Diana, Kate Moss and Lady Gaga, and for his collaborations with fashion houses like Chanel, Fendi, Balmain and Burberry. Personal life ...

in the club for his 60th birthday. Jackie Collins said that the happenings at Tramp gave her "more research than I can handle" for her racy novels; one of the wedding receptions of her sister

was held at the club.

Mickey Rourke Philip Andre "Mickey" Rourke Jr. (; born September 16, 1952) is an American actor and former boxer who has appeared primarily as a leading man in drama, action, and thriller films. During the star of the 1980s, Rourke played supporting roles i ...

and

George Best George Best (22 May 1946 – 25 November 2005) was a Northern Irish professional footballer who played as a winger, spending most of his club career at Manchester United. A highly skilful dribbler, Best is regarded as one of the greatest pla ...

once had a drinking contest at the club, and Best first met his wife Alex at the club. Gold became close friends with film producer

Dodi Fayed Emad El-Din Mohamed Abdel Mena'em Fayed (; arz, عماد الدين محمد عبد المنعم الفايد, ʿImād ed-Dīn Muḥammad ʿAbd el-Munʿim el-Fāyid , 17 April 1955 – 31 August 1997), better known as Dodi Fayed ( ar, دودى ...

and claimed to have once dragged Fayed away from one young lady. When Fayed complained he told him "I happen to know she's sleeping with your father" (the billionaire

Mohamed Al-Fayed Mohamed Al-Fayed (; arz, محمد الفايد ; born 27 January 1929) is an Egyptian-born businessman whose residence and chief business interests have been in the United Kingdom since the late 1960s. His business interests include ownership of ...

). The James Bond actors

Roger Moore Sir Roger George Moore (14 October 192723 May 2017) was an English actor. He was the third actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond in the Eon Productions film series, playing the character in seven feature films between 19 ...

Sean Connery Sir Sean Connery (born Thomas Connery; 25 August 1930 – 31 October 2020) was a Scottish actor. He was the first actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond on film, starring in seven Bond films between 1962 and 1983. Origina ...

and

George Lazenby George Robert Lazenby (; born 5 September 1939) is an Australian actor. He was the second actor to portray fictional British secret agent James Bond in the Eon Productions film series, playing the character in '' On Her Majesty's Secret Service ...

all attended the club on one night. When on one occasion the club was flooded, Moore and fellow '

The Persuaders! ''The Persuaders!'' is an action-comedy series starring Tony Curtis and Roger Moore, produced by ITC Entertainment, and initially broadcast on ITV and ABC in 1971. The show has been called 'the last major entry in the cycle of adventure serie ...

' star

Tony Curtis Tony Curtis (born Bernard Schwartz; June 3, 1925September 29, 2010) was an American actor whose career spanned six decades, achieving the height of his popularity in the 1950s (Kansas Raiders, 1950) and early 1960s. He acted in more than 100 f ...

got on their hands and knees to help mop up the water. American actress

Shirley MacLaine Shirley MacLaine (born Shirley MacLean Beaty, April 24, 1934) is an American actress, author, and former dancer. Known for her portrayals of quirky, strong-willed and eccentric women, MacLaine has received numerous accolades over her seven-dec ...

used to regularly eat bangers and mash at the club and once fell asleep at her table.

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Considered one of the most influential actors of the 20th century, he received numerous accolades throughout his career, which spanned six decades, including two Academ ...

often stayed until dawn and asked the staff to breakfast with him.

Michael Douglas Michael Kirk Douglas (born September 25, 1944) is an American actor and film producer. He has received numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, the Cecil B. DeMille Award, and the AF ...

Kathleen Turner Mary Kathleen Turner (born June 19, 1954) is an American actress. She has received various accolades, including two Golden Globe Awards, in addition to nominations for an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, and two Tony Awards. Turner became widely k ...

and

Danny DeVito Daniel Michael DeVito Jr. (born November 17, 1944) is an American actor, comedian, and filmmaker. He gained prominence for his portrayal of the taxi dispatcher Louie De Palma in the television series ''Taxi'' (1978–1983), which won him a Gold ...

turned up one night and found the club full, with no seats available. Gold located a stool for Turner and DeVito and Douglas had to sit on the stairs. Tramp was the location where journalist

Andrew Neil Andrew Ferguson Neil (born 21 May 1949) is a Scottish former journalist and broadcaster who is chairman of ''The Spectator'' and presenter of '' The Andrew Neil Show'' on Channel 4. He was editor of ''The Sunday Times'' from 1983 to 1994. He f ...

first met former Miss India

Pamella Bordes Pamela Chaudry Singh (born 1961), known for some years as Pamella Bordes, is an Indian photographer and former Femina Miss India, Miss India. Personal life Singh was born in New Delhi in 1961; her father, Major Mahinder Singh Kadian, was an of ...

. The meeting led to newspaper accusations alleging it was inappropriate for Neil to attend the club and to become involved with Bordes, Neil successfully sued the publishers for libel. Mel Brooks once ran around the club barking like a dog, and Moon became known for stripping naked inside. Upon leaving the club one night,

Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. In many of his films, he played rebels against the social structure. He received numerous ...

kissed a homeless person who asked him for spare change. Gold once threw out footballer

and musician

George Michael George Michael (born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou; 25 June 1963 – 25 December 2016) was an English singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the most significant cultural icons of the MTV generation and is one of the best-selling musici ...

. A young

Princess Anne Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950), is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of K ...

attended one night but excused herself early as she had to attend a

Remembrance Sunday Remembrance Sunday is held in the United Kingdom as a day to commemorate the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in the two World Wars and later conflicts. It is held on the second Sunday in Nov ...

parade the following day.

Princess Margaret Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon, (Margaret Rose; 21 August 1930 – 9 February 2002) was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and the younger sister and only sibling of Queen Elizabeth ...

and Peter Sellers also attended; Sellers, in a discussion with the Princess's husband Lord Snowdon, offered to swap his wife (

Britt Ekland Britt Ekland (; born Britt-Marie Eklund; 6 October 1942) is a Swedish actress, model and singer. She appeared in numerous films in her heyday throughout the 1960s and 1970s, including roles in '' The Double Man'' (1967), ''The Night They Raided ...

) with Margaret, but this was declined. Tramp was the location of

Prince Andrew Prince Andrew, Duke of York, (Andrew Albert Christian Edward; born 19 February 1960) is a member of the British royal family. He is the younger brother of King Charles III and the third child and second son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince ...

's first date with

Koo Stark Kathleen Norris Stark (born April 26, 1956), better known as Koo Stark, is an American photographer and actress, known for her relationship with Prince Andrew. She is a patron of the Julia Margaret Cameron Trust, which runs the museum of the Vic ...

. Later Andrew dated Sarah Ferguson and they became regular attendees; Gold was invited to their 1986 wedding. Later Virginia Roberts, a victim of

Jeffrey Epstein Jeffrey Edward Epstein ( ; January 20, 1953August 10, 2019) was an American sex offender and financier. Epstein, who was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, began his professional life by teaching at the Dalton School in Manhattan, des ...

's sex-trafficking ring, claimed to have danced with Andrew at Tramp, though he denied it, stating that he was at Pizza Express in Woking at the time. Princes

William William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...

and

Harry Harry may refer to: TV shows * ''Harry'' (American TV series), a 1987 American comedy series starring Alan Arkin * ''Harry'' (British TV series), a 1993 BBC drama that ran for two seasons * ''Harry'' (talk show), a 2016 American daytime talk show ...

were also regulars and were allegedly pursued to Tramp by Russian spy

Anna Chapman Anna Vasilyevna Chapman (russian: А́нна Васи́льевна Ча́пман; born Anna Vasilyevna Kushchenko on 23 February 1982) is a Russian intelligence agent, media personality and model who was arrested in the United States on 27 Ju ...

. King

Carl XVI Gustav Carl XVI Gustaf (Carl Gustaf Folke Hubertus; born 30 April 1946) is King of Sweden. He ascended the throne on the death of his grandfather, Gustaf VI Adolf, on 15 September 1973. He is the youngest child and only son of Prince Gustaf Adolf, Du ...

of Sweden attended the club with Queen

Silvia Silvia () is a female given name of Latin origin, with a male equivalent Silvio and English-language cognate Sylvia. The name originates from the Latin word for forest, ''Silva'', and its meaning is "spirit of the wood"; the mythological god of ...

, and requested that the DJ play

ABBA ABBA ( , , formerly named Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Anni-Frid or Björn & Benny, Agnetha & Frida) are a Swedish supergroup formed in Stockholm in 1972 by Agnetha Fältskog, Björn Ulvaeus, Benny Andersson, and Anni-Frid Lyngstad. The group's ...

's "

Dancing Queen "Dancing Queen" is a Europop and disco song by the Swedish group ABBA, released as the lead single from their fourth studio album, ''Arrival'' (1976). It was written by Benny Andersson, Björn Ulvaeus and Stig Anderson. Andersson and Ulvaeus al ...

", which had been played at their wedding.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tramp Nightclubs in London Music venues completed in 1969 1969 establishments in England Buildings and structures in Mayfair