Doug Weston
Encyclopedia
Doug Weston was an American
nightclub
owner. He established and owned The Troubadour in Los Angeles
, California
, USA, which in the 1960s and 1970s was particularly responsible for promoting many successful singer-songwriters in the early stages of their careers.
Weston founded the club as a coffee house on La Cienega Boulevard in 1957. It moved to its current location at 9081 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood in 1961, and has remained open continuously ever since. The Troubadour played an important role in the careers of Elton John
, Linda Ronstadt
, the Eagles, The Byrds
, Joni Mitchell
, James Taylor
, Carole King
, Bonnie Raitt
, J.D. Souther, Jackson Browne
, Van Morrison
, Buffalo Springfield
and other prominent and successful performers, whose early performances at the club helped establish their future fame. Los Angeles Times
music critic Robert Hilburn
said that Weston was "arguably the godfather of the Southern California
singer-songwriter movement in the late '60s and early '70s".
A charismatic impresario, 6'6" tall with long hair and known for his eccentric dress sense, Weston became known for the agreements he made with new artistes, which stipulated that, after they became famous, they would return to the club to perform at their original fee. According to Hilburn:
In later years, Weston was no longer involved in running the club, but retained co-ownership. He died from pneumonia
in a Los Angeles hospital on February 14, 1999, aged about 72. A memorial was held at the Troubadour with performances and dedications from famous musicians as a tribute to him for his role in the success in so many musicians' careers.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
owner. He established and owned The Troubadour in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, USA, which in the 1960s and 1970s was particularly responsible for promoting many successful singer-songwriters in the early stages of their careers.
Weston founded the club as a coffee house on La Cienega Boulevard in 1957. It moved to its current location at 9081 Santa Monica Boulevard, West Hollywood in 1961, and has remained open continuously ever since. The Troubadour played an important role in the careers of Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...
, the Eagles, The Byrds
The Byrds
The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...
, Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell, CC is a Canadian musician, singer songwriter, and painter. Mitchell began singing in small nightclubs in her native Saskatchewan and Western Canada and then busking in the streets and dives of Toronto...
, James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
, Carole King
Carole King
Carole King is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. King and her former husband Gerry Goffin wrote more than two dozen chart hits for numerous artists during the 1960s, many of which have become standards. As a singer, King had an album, Tapestry, top the U.S...
, Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Raitt
Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...
, J.D. Souther, Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne
Jackson Browne is an American singer-songwriter and musician who has sold over 17 million albums in the United States alone....
, Van Morrison
Van Morrison
Van Morrison, OBE is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and musician. His live performances at their best are regarded as transcendental and inspired; while some of his recordings, such as the studio albums Astral Weeks and Moondance, and the live album It's Too Late to Stop Now, are widely...
, Buffalo Springfield
Buffalo Springfield
Buffalo Springfield is a North American folk rock band renown both for its music and as a springboard for the careers of Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Richie Furay and Jim Messina. Among the first wave of North American bands to become popular in the wake of the British invasion, the group combined...
and other prominent and successful performers, whose early performances at the club helped establish their future fame. Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
music critic Robert Hilburn
Robert Hilburn
Robert Hilburn is a pop music critic and author. As critic and music editor of the Los Angeles Times from 1970 to 2005, his reviews, essays and profiles have appeared in hundreds of publications around the world...
said that Weston was "arguably the godfather of the Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
singer-songwriter movement in the late '60s and early '70s".
A charismatic impresario, 6'6" tall with long hair and known for his eccentric dress sense, Weston became known for the agreements he made with new artistes, which stipulated that, after they became famous, they would return to the club to perform at their original fee. According to Hilburn:
In later years, Weston was no longer involved in running the club, but retained co-ownership. He died from pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
in a Los Angeles hospital on February 14, 1999, aged about 72. A memorial was held at the Troubadour with performances and dedications from famous musicians as a tribute to him for his role in the success in so many musicians' careers.