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The ROXY: 50 and Still Rockin'

The ROXY: 50 and Still Rockin’

On view until May 2024. Free and open to the public. On view during regular Library operating hours.

For five decades, the ROXY Theatre has been one of the world’s most revered nightclubs, an intimate 500-seat venue whose history, mystique, and memorable performances by artists ranging from Bob Marley to Bruce Springsteen, Prince to Linda Ronstadt, Cheech & Chong to the Clash, and Guns N’ Roses to Jay-Z, continue to draw artists and audiences eager to experience its magic.   

In 1973, two friends, Lou Adler (a record label owner, producer, and cultural tastemaker) and Elmer Valentine (owner of the nearby Whisky a Go Go and partners with Adler and Mario Maglieri in the Rainbow Bar & Grill), decided the Los Angeles region needed a new rock club, and decided the perfect spot would be on the Sunset Strip, the famous 1.7 mile stretch of Sunset Boulevard that ran through then unincorporated LA County land and later became a part of the City of West Hollywood.

They envisioned a 1940s-era nightclub with a timeless name that catered to musicians and offered a modern sound system and clear sightlines. To endorse the club, Adler and Valentine enlisted the help of music impresarios Bill Graham, Elliot Roberts, David Geffen, Peter Asher, and Chuck Landis, who owned a burlesque club called Largo on Sunset Boulevard (next-door to the Rainbow), which became the new home of the ROXY Theatre. And then they signed on Neil Young to play the three opening nights. 

It’s been rockin’ ever since.

Organized with the ROXY Theatre and curated by Jasen Emmons of the Grammy Museum.

There will be an associated talk and reception on September 12, 2023. RSVPs are required at https://Roxy50.eventbrite.com. More information on the talk at https://www.weho.org/community/arts-and-culture/about/west-hollywood-artists-icons
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