The 20 Grand
Encyclopedia
The 20 Grand was one of Detroit, Michigan
's most famous night clubs. 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
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 and a fireside lounge that was used as a jazz
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
. 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
, Chuck Jackson
, Parliament-Funkadelic
, and Stevie Wonder
performed there.
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.
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
's most famous night clubs. 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
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
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 and a fireside lounge that was used as a jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
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
Radio personality
A radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
. 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
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
, Chuck Jackson
Chuck Jackson
Chuck Jackson is an 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...
, Parliament-Funkadelic
Parliament-Funkadelic
Parliament-Funkadelic is a funk, soul and rock music collective headed by George Clinton. Their style has been dubbed P-Funk. Collectively the group has existed under various names since the 1960s and has been known for top-notch musicianship, politically charged lyrics, outlandish concept albums...
, and Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
performed there.
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.