Cleveland Arena
Encyclopedia
Cleveland Arena was an arena in Cleveland, Ohio
. It was built and privately financed by local businessman Albert C. Sutphin during the height of the Great Depression in 1937 as a playing site for Sutphin's AHL
team, the Cleveland Barons. Later it hosted Sutphin's BAA
's Cleveland Rebels
and Nick Mileti
's NBA
's Cleveland Cavaliers
and the WHA
's Cleveland Crusaders
. The arena was located at 3717 Euclid Avenue, and seated 9,900 in the stands and 12,500+ for events such as boxing where floor seating was available.
The arena was also the site of the Moondog Coronation Ball
, considered the first rock and roll
concert
on March 21, 1952, organized by Alan Freed
. The concert was shut down by the fire authorities due to overcrowding after the first song - it was estimated that 20,000 individuals were either in the arena or trying to enter it, when the capacity was roughly half that.
While the arena was a showpiece when it opened
, by the time it closed in 1974 it had become decrepit and lacked adequate parking. It was replaced by the Coliseum at Richfield
. It was demolished in 1977. The headquarters of the Cleveland Chapter of the American Red Cross now occupies the site.
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
. It was built and privately financed by local businessman Albert C. Sutphin during the height of the Great Depression in 1937 as a playing site for Sutphin's AHL
American Hockey League
The American Hockey League is a 30-team professional ice hockey league based in the United States and Canada that serves as the primary developmental circuit for the National Hockey League...
team, the Cleveland Barons. Later it hosted Sutphin's BAA
Basketball Association of America
The Basketball Association of America was a professional basketball league in North America, founded in 1946. The league merged with the National Basketball League in 1949, forming the National Basketball Association ...
's Cleveland Rebels
Cleveland Rebels
The Cleveland Rebels were a Basketball Association of America team based in Cleveland, Ohio.-Franchise history:The Rebels were an inaugural franchise in the BAA's first season...
and Nick Mileti
Nick Mileti
Nick James Mileti was, during the 1970s, the owner of the Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Crusaders hockey team, the Coliseum at Richfield and radio station "3WE" WWWE AM/1100 ....
's NBA
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
's Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
and the WHA
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
's Cleveland Crusaders
Cleveland Crusaders
The Cleveland Crusaders were a professional ice hockey team from Cleveland, Ohio. The Crusaders were founded by Nick Mileti, and played in the World Hockey Association from 1972 to 1976...
. The arena was located at 3717 Euclid Avenue, and seated 9,900 in the stands and 12,500+ for events such as boxing where floor seating was available.
The arena was also the site of the Moondog Coronation Ball
Moondog Coronation Ball
The Moondog Coronation Ball was a concert held at the Cleveland Arena in Cleveland, Ohio on March 21, 1952. It is generally accepted as the first major rock and roll concert....
, considered the first rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
on March 21, 1952, organized by Alan Freed
Alan Freed
Albert James "Alan" Freed , also known as Moondog, was an American disc-jockey. He became internationally known for promoting the mix of blues, country and rhythm and blues music on the radio in the United States and Europe under the name of rock and roll...
. The concert was shut down by the fire authorities due to overcrowding after the first song - it was estimated that 20,000 individuals were either in the arena or trying to enter it, when the capacity was roughly half that.
While the arena was a showpiece when it opened
, by the time it closed in 1974 it had become decrepit and lacked adequate parking. It was replaced by the Coliseum at Richfield
Coliseum at Richfield
The Coliseum at Richfield was an arena located in Richfield Township in Summit County, Ohio, roughly halfway between Cleveland and Akron...
. It was demolished in 1977. The headquarters of the Cleveland Chapter of the American Red Cross now occupies the site.
External links
- Cleveland Arena (Encyclopedia of Cleveland History)
- Arenas by Munsey & Suppes