Elmer Valentine (June 16, 1923 – December 3, 2008) was the co-founder of three famous nightclubs on the

Sunset Strip The Sunset Strip is the stretch of Sunset Boulevard that passes through the city of West Hollywood, California. It extends from West Hollywood's eastern border with the city of Los Angeles near Marmont Lane to its western border with Beverly H ...

in West Hollywood, California: the Whisky a Go Go, The Roxy Theatre and the

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

Biography

Early life

Elmer Valentine was born in Chicago on June 16, 1923 as Elmer Alfred Valentino. After serving as an Army Air Forces mechanic stationed in England during World War II, he returned to Chicago and joined the Chicago police force.

Career

Valentine moved to Los Angeles in 1960, where he became co-owner of P.J.'s, a successful West Hollywood restaurant-nightclub. He sold his interest in P.J.’s three years later and took a trip to Europe. While he was in Paris, he visited a discotheque called Le Whisky à Go-Go that was packed nightly with crowds of young dancers. Impressed by the club's success, Valentine returned to Los Angeles and opened his own Whisky a Go Go on January 15, 1964 with three partners: Phil Tanzini, Shelly Davis, and attorney Theodore Flier. In 1965, he launched The Trip, with beginning house bands The Leaves and The Grass Roots. It was a small rock club on the Sunset Strip. In 1972, along with Lou Adler, Mario Maglieri and others, he started the

on the Sunset Strip. A year later, Valentine, Adler and original partners

David Geffen David Lawrence Geffen (born February 21, 1943) is an American business magnate, producer and film studio executive. He co-created Asylum Records in 1971 with Elliot Roberts, Geffen Records in 1980, DGC Records in 1990, and DreamWorks SKG in 199 ...

Elliot Roberts Elliot Roberts (born Elliot Rabinowitz,Tom King, ''The Operator: David Geffen Builds, Buys, and Sells the New Hollywood'', p. 54, Broadway Books (New York 2001). February 25, 1943 – June 21, 2019)''The Guardian'' article:Lady of the Canyon" ...

and Peter Asher opened the Roxy Theatre with a three night appearance by Neil Young and the Santa Monica Flyers as its premiere act. Lou Adler bought into the Whisky in the late 1970s. Valentine sold his interest in the Whisky a Go Go in the 1990s, but retained an ownership in the Rainbow Bar & Grill and the Roxy Theatre until his death. During the 1960s and 1970s the Whisky was one of the most important rock clubs in Los Angeles, hosting acts such as The Byrds, the Doors, the Kinks, the Who, and Buffalo Springfield., Oingo Boingo, The Go-Go's, Tom Petty, The Ramones, New York Dolls, and Blondie. In the 1980s and 1990s, the Whisky was known as a stepping stone for bands such as X,

Guns N' Roses Guns N' Roses is an American hard rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1985. When they signed to Geffen Records in 1986, the band comprised vocalist Axl Rose, lead guitarist Slash, rhythm guitarist Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKa ...

Mötley Crüe Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1981. The group was founded by bassist Nikki Sixx, drummer Tommy Lee, lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil. Mötley Crüe has sold over 100 million albums ...

, Van Halen, Ratt, and many other iconic bands. Both the Whisky a Go Go and The Roxy Theatre remain staples of the Sunset Boulevard club scene.

References

External links

Whisky a Go Go official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Valentine, Elmer 1923 births 2008 deaths American entertainment industry businesspeople Chicago Police Department officers United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II