Treasure
Philly!
Treasure Philly!
music
at
BG&E
Right: The Strand Theater, 3601 Germantown Avenue, 8/29/1960. Photo: Blanck. Photo courtesy of PhillyHistory.org, a project of the Philadelphia Department of Records.
FEELIn' good at the cadillac club
The Cadillac Club at 3736 Germantown Avenue hosted a star-studded line up of musicians like Aretha Franklin, Olatunji, and Nina Simone. Benjamin L. Bynum opened the Cadillac Club in 1965 with his wife, Ruth Bynum. Bynum and his family operated numerous jazz and blues venues, including the Starlite Supper Club. These venues provided an important platform for both touring performers and talented local musicians like Billy Paul, who recorded, “Feelin’ Good at the Cadillac Club,” in 1968. Local legend cites it as the location where Kenny Gamble first met Leon Huff. In the late 1970s, the Cadillac Club became Impulse Discotheque.
the arcade ballroom and the mighty burner
The Arcade Ballroom is both culturally and architecturally significant. Located at 3650-3654 North Broad Street, the entertainment venue occupied the second floor of the former Northern Central Trust Co. building in the mid- to late twentieth century. Architect Alexander Mackie Adams designed the structure, which was built c. 1922 and featured both residential and commercial space. By the 1950s, the site was home to performances and social events.
Record Hops hosted by Harold “Sonny” Hopson aka “The Mighty Burner” drew thousands of young people to the Arcade Ballroom on Sunday evenings in the 1960s and 1970s. A popular DJ at WHAT and WHPL-TV, Hopson was also an activist in the Civil Rights movement. He energetically promoted local music on the airwaves and at venues like the Uptown Theater in North Philadelphia and the Arena in West Philadelphia. BG&E residents remember his catch phrases, including "Make no mis-take-a, Jake-a."
Right: Sonny Hopson During Radio Show. 1/10/1970. Photo: Owens. Courtesy of the Special Collections Research Center. Temple University Libraries. Philadelphia PA.
“Muslim Bazaar at Venango Ballroom,” Philadelphia Tribune, Jan. 12, 1963. Clipping courtesy of the Philadelphia Tribune, Philadelphia PA.
the venango ballroom
The Venango Ballroom is a significant site in the constellation of local and citywide entertainment venues active in the mid to late twentieth century. The Ballroom hosted dances, weddings, performances, and community events, such as the 1963 African-Asian Bazaar. A popular social space for Black Philadelphians, a 1962 public conflict over the Venango Ballroom illuminates mid-twentieth century racial tension in the BG&E area. Neighbor and Republican Committeewoman Mrs. Betty Gross led neighbors and police in an effort to revoke the venue’s permit, charging that Venango Ballroom patrons engaged in disorderly conduct. During the ensuing permit dispute, Owner Al Berkhoff argued that efforts to shut down the Ballroom were rooted in racial prejudice. Neighbors and other venue operators organized to support Berkhoff and the Venango Ballroom, which ultimately remained open.
“Board’s Refusal of Venango Ballroom Permit Triggers Meet,” Philadelphia Tribune, Nov. 17, 1962. Clipping courtesy of the Philadelphia Tribune, Philadelphia PA.
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