The Golden Bear was a nightclub in

Huntington Beach Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California, located southeast of Downtown Los Angeles. The city is named after American businessman Henry E. Huntington. The population was 198,711 during the 2020 census, maki ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

, from 1923 to 1986. The Golden Bear was located on Pacific Coast Highway, just south of Main Street. It started out as a restaurant, and eventually hosted such artists as

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and

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Early history

The Golden Bear started as The Golden Lion Cafe at 226 Main Street in Huntington Beach and was founded by Harry Bakre in 1923. The name was changed to The Golden Bear Cafe in 1926 to avoid any legal issues with Bakre's former employer with the same name. It moved to its location at 306 Pacific Coast Highway (then called Ocean Avenue) on June 29, 1929, shortly before the

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. It continued as a restaurant until Bakre retired in 1951. After that the building was the home to various restaurants. After Bakre's death in 1957, the building was vacant except for an art supply store in its front section.

Delbert Kauffman (1963–1966)

In 1963, Delbert Kauffman took over and established the Golden Bear as a folk music club. The first act they hosted was

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, featuring a young

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. Other artists that were booked at the Golden Bear under Kauffman were

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, and

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appeared at a Golden Bear Presents concert at Long Beach Wilson High School in December 1964. During this time

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, later of

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, worked as a dishwasher at the club before becoming famous as a musician. However, by 1966 Kauffman was bankrupt and closed the club. Kauffman has lived in Takilma, Oregon for decades.

George Nikas (1966–1974)

George Nikas reopened the club in 1966, and began booking rock bands as music evolved. Musicians performing during this time period included Janis Joplin,

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, and others.

and

are also reported to have played at the Golden Bear, although other sources indicate that Kauffman and Nikas both stated otherwise. By the early 1970s, Nikas felt he was ready to sell the business.

Babiracki trio (1974–1986)

In 1974, brothers Rick and Chuck Babiracki, and Rick's wife, Carole, purchased the Golden Bear. They continued to book a diverse list of entertainers, such as Jeff Lorber Fusion with Kenny G,

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and comedian

. In 1979 the artist Wyland, who lived next door, painted the outside wall of the building. It showed musical notes and some of the artists that performed at the venue. Wyland later became famous for his Whaling Walls.Carvounas 2009, pp. 127-128.

Closure

The Golden Bear closed because of the costs involved in retrofitting the brick building for seismic compliance and the redevelopment of downtown Huntington Beach. The last performance was on January 29, 1986, by

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Postclosure

In 1990, an attempt was made to resurrect the Golden Bear as "Pepper's Golden Bear" in the new building on the original site. An unknown

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made his stand up comedy debut at the club during this period. However, it closed after six months. In 2010, Joe Daichendt, co-owner of Pierside Pavilion, proposed a new, $2 million, Golden Bear. The venue would be built at the site of movie theaters that closed in 2006. Huntington Beach celebrated memories of the club for the city's centennial celebration in September 2009, with a two-day Golden Bear reunion at the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort, a few blocks from the original location. Honk, David Lindley,

Ray Manzarek Raymond Daniel Manzarek Jr. (né Manczarek; February 12, 1939 – May 20, 2013) was an American keyboardist. He is best known as a member of the Doors, co-founding the band with singer and lyricist Jim Morrison in 1965. Manzarek was induct ...

, the

Nitty Gritty Dirt Band The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band is an American country rock band formed in 1966. The group has existed in various forms since its founding in Long Beach, California. Between 1976 and 1981, the band performed and recorded as the Dirt Band. Constant ...

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and

Herb Pederson Herbert Joseph Pedersen (born April 27, 1944 in Berkeley, California) is an American musician, guitarist, banjo player, and singer-songwriter who has played a variety of musical styles over the past fifty years including country, bluegrass, p ...

were among the performers for the city's 100-year anniversary. In 2014, the city unveiled a commemorative plaque honoring the venue on the wall of the Pierside Pavilion.

Notes

References

*Carvounas, Robert J. (2009). ''A History of the Golden Bear, Huntington Beach''. Westminster Press. Defunct nightclubs in the United States Nightclubs in California Music venues in California Historic Rock and Roll Landmarks Culture of Huntington Beach, California History of Huntington Beach, California Buildings and structures demolished in 1986

External links

* {{Citation , url = http://www.stockteam.com/OldPix/oldpix13.html , title = Huntington Beach Old Photos and Information for Surf City., access-date=8 August 2016. See: "Golden Bear Dining and Concert Hall featured Jack Mack and the Heart Attack and Steve Martin among the hundreds of famous actors, comedians and musicians that enjoyed performing in Huntington Beach, California."