Trude Heller's

Trude Heller's
Interactive map of Trude Heller's
Location6th Avenue and West 9th Street, New York City, New York, U.S.
Coordinates40°44′03″N 73°59′56″W / 40.734043°N 73.999025°W / 40.734043; -73.999025
TypeNightclub
EventsRock and roll, rock music
Construction
Openedlate 1950s
Closed1980s

Trude Heller's was a nightclub in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, New York City and located at 6th Avenue and West 9th Street and operated from the early 1960s to the early 1980s.[1] It has been described as the only truly "in" spot in Greenwich Village.[2] Some of the acts that got their starts there were Duane and Gregg Allman of the Allman Brothers, Cyndi Lauper,[3] and The Manhattan Transfer.[4]

History

The club began its days in the early 1960s as a swinging Greenwich Village discothèque, run by a tough entrepreneur named Trude Heller.

In the 1960s, go-go dancers could be seen dancing along the walls. Some of the people that danced on the floor there were Salvador Dalí, George Hamilton and Lynda Bird Johnson.[5]

The end of the disco craze in the early 1980s spelled the end of the club.[6] Nowadays, Lenny's sandwich chain is in the premises.[7]

Acts

Two of the house bands there were Barry and the Remains[8] and Benny Gordon and the Soul Brothers.[9] Some of the headlining acts were Ben E. King, Otis Redding, and Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs.[10]

Other acts who appeared there include The Lovin' Spoonful, who played, rushed off to perform on television on the The Ed Sullivan Show and returned; the Beastie Boys in their early days;[11] Frankie Paris and the Purple Haze;[12] Funk Steady;[13] Goldie and the Gingerbreads (featuring Genya Ravan);[14] The Scoundrels;[15] Artie Stewart;[16] and Marion Taylor and the Reggie Moore Trio.[17] Jazz singer Anita O'Day and jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal also appeared there.

References