The 20 Grand
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The 20 Grand was one of
Detroit Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...
's most famous
night club A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a Bar (establishment), bar and discotheque (usually simply known as disco) with a dance floor, laser lighti ...
s. It was located at the intersection of 14th Street and Warren Avenue, at 5020 14th St. It opened by Bill Kabbus and Marty Eisner in 1953. The original facility was destroyed by fire in 1958, at which point it was rebuilt into a renowned multiplex facility showcasing
Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...
entertainment. The site was later demolished, and is presently a grass lot. 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 clubhouse or dwelling ...
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. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
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 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 (North American English), radio presenter (British English) or radio jockey. Radio personali ...
. 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 formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959 as the Primettes. A premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful Amer ...
,
Chuck Jackson Charles Benjamin Jackson (July 22, 1937 – February 16, 2023) was an American R&B singer who was one of the first artists to record material by Burt Bacharach and Hal David successfully. He performed with moderate success starting in 1961. Hi ...
,
Parliament-Funkadelic Parliament-Funkadelic (abbreviated as P-Funk) is an American musical collective, music collective of rotating musicians headed by George Clinton (funk musician), George Clinton, primarily consisting of the funk bands Parliament (band), Parliame ...
,
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- ...
, The Utopias, and
Stevie Wonder Stevland Hardaway Morris (; Judkins; born May 13, 1950), known professionally as Stevie Wonder, is an American and Ghanaian singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th c ...
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 {{jazz-club-stub