The 20 Grand was one of
Detroit
Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...
's most famous
night club
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 ...
s. It was located at the intersection of 14th Street and Warren Avenue. It opened by
Bill Kabbus and
Marty Eisner in 1953. It was destroyed by fire in 1958, at which point it was transformed into a multiplex facility for
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
audiences.
The 20 Grand was a place where people could go to dance, and see live performances on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. There was also a club night for youths.
On the first floor of The 20 Grand there was a
bowling alley
A bowling alley (also known as a bowling center, bowling lounge, bowling arena, or historically bowling club) is a facility where the sport of bowling is played. It can be a dedicated facility or part of another, such as a Meetinghouse, clubhous ...
and a fireside lounge that was used as a
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a major ...
room. On the upper floor there was a room called the Gold Room, which consist of a large banquet and a cabaret hall which could seat up to 1,200 people.
There was a studio inside The 20 Grand built for
Ernie Durham, a famous Detroit
radio personality
A radio personality (American English) or radio presenter (British English) is a person who has an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality who hosts a radio show is also known as a radio host, and in India and Pakistan as a rad ...
. There was also the Driftwood Lounge which was located next to the Golden Room, which was where most of the performances and shows took place.
The Supremes
The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful ...
,
Chuck Jackson
Chuck Jackson (born July 22, 1937) is an American R&B singer who was one of the first artists to record material by Burt Bacharach and Hal David successfully. He has performed with moderate success since 1961. His hits include "I Don't Want to ...
,
Parliament-Funkadelic
Parliament-Funkadelic (abbreviated as P-Funk) is an American music collective of rotating musicians headed by George Clinton, primarily consisting of the funk bands Parliament and Funkadelic, both active since the 1960s. Their distinctive fu ...
,
Florence Ballard
Florence Glenda Chapman (''née'' Ballard; June 30, 1943 – February 22, 1976) was an American singer and a founding member of the Motown vocal female group the Supremes. She sang on 16 top 40 singles with the group, including ten number-o ...
, The Utopias, and
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris ( Judkins; May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, who is credited as a pioneer and influence by musicians across a range of genres that include rhythm and blues, Pop musi ...
performed there. Mick Jagger first saw B.B King perform here in 1964.
There was a motel located next door where couples would check in after a long night out at the club. The name of the motel was Twenty Grand Motel but it was not owned by the owner of The 20 Grand; it was owned by a man named Ed Wingate.
In Pop Culture
David Lasley's ''Missin' Twenty Grand'' album was named after The 20 Grand.
References
See also
*McDougal, Weldon. The 20 Grand Story.
nlinevailable http://www.soulfuldetroit.com/forum/index.html
*McMurray, Clay. The 20 Grand Story.
nlinevailable http://www.soulfuldetroit.com/forum/index.html
*Meikle, David. The 20 Grand Story.
nlinevailable http://www.soulfuldetroit.com/forum/index.html
*Street, Cal. The 20 Grand Story.
nlinevailable http://www.soulfuldetroit.com/forum/index.html
* Mick Jagger's comments at 2012 "Red, White and Blues" pbs white house performance
Culture of Detroit
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