The Prom Ballroom was a dance hall in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States.

History

The Prom Ballroom opened in 1941 with a performance by

Glenn Miller Alton Glen Miller (March 1, 1904 – December 15, 1944) was an American big band founder, owner, conductor, composer, arranger, trombone player and recording artist before and during World War II, when he was an officer in the United States Arm ...

. The club played a diverse array of acts, ranging from rock to polka and jazz, and included acts like Count Basie and Lawrence Welk. The house orchestra was called the Jules Herman Orchestra. It was considered one of the most prestigious clubs in the Midwest. Performers at the venue included Bobby Vee, The Trashmen, The Beach Boys, and the Everly Brothers. It was also one of the most important venues for the burgeoning rock-music scene in Minnesota in the 1950s and 1960s. The ballroom was one of the final stops (January 28, 1959) on the infamous, ill-fated " Winter Dance Party", the

Buddy Holly Charles Hardin Holley (September 7, 1936 – February 3, 1959), known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer and songwriter who was a central and pioneering figure of mid-1950s rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texas ...

-led tour which ended in the plane crash that killed Holly,

The Big Bopper Jiles Perry "J.P." Richardson Jr. (October 24, 1930 – February 3, 1959), known as The Big Bopper, was an American singer, songwriter and disc jockey. His best-known compositions include "Chantilly Lace" and " White Lightning", the latter of wh ...

and Ritchie Valens. The performance drew an overcapacity crowd of more than 2,000 people. Prince celebrated his 27th birthday at the Prom with a masquerade party and live concert; he and the Revolution had been scheduled to play songs from his then-new album ''

Around the World in a Day ''Around the World in a Day'' is the seventh studio album by American recording artist Prince, and the second release where his backing band The Revolution is billed. It was released on April 22, 1985, by Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. Re ...

'', but instead played a selection of as-yet-unreleased songs including " Sometimes It Snows in April." It was torn down in 1987.

References

External links

Minnewiki

Prom Ballroom photos
at the

Minnesota Historical Society The Minnesota Historical Society (MNHS) is a nonprofit educational and cultural institution dedicated to preserving the history of the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was founded by the territorial legislature in 1849, almost a decade before statehoo ...

Former music venues in the United States Minnesota culture Music venues in Minnesota Demolished buildings and structures in Minnesota Buildings and structures demolished in 1987 {{music-venue-stub