Golden Gate Ballroom

Ballroom in Harlem

Golden Gate BallroomAddress| New York City
United States

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The Golden Gate Ballroom, originally named the "State Palace Ballroom",[1] was a luxurious[2][3][4] ballroom located at the intersection of Lenox Avenue and 142nd Street[5][3][6][note 1] in Harlem in New York City.[2] It was allegedly the largest public auditorium in Harlem, with 25,000 square feet and a capacity of about 5,000 people on the dance floor in addition to several thousand spectators.[1][8][7]

## History[edit]

The serial entrepreneur Jay Faggen led the project to open the Golden Gate Ballroom, which took place in October 1939.[1][4] The site had formerly been the Douglas Theater.[9] By mid-1940, it was taken over by the same owner and manager as the Savoy Ballroom.[10][11] It was one of many Harlem jazz clubs located on Lenox Avenue[3] and competed intensely with the Savoy Ballroom.[12]

The Golden Gate closed around 1950.[3]

Notable performers at the Golden Gate included Les Hite, Harlan Leonard, Claude Hopkins, Milt Herth, Jimmie Lunceford,[12] Count Basie, Hot Lips Page,[9] Josh White, Art Tatum, Billie Holiday, Hazel Scott,[7] and Coleman Hawkins.[13][9] The opening night stars were the Cotton Club Parade, Stepin Fetchit, and Louis Armstrong.[14] The Teddy Wilson orchestra was the house band.[4]

The ballroom was the first site used by pastor Alvin A. Childs' ministry in Harlem.[15]

The Golden Gate Ballroom also hosted community events such as political rallies[7] and the "Miss Fine Brown Frame" beauty pageant[16][17][18] and served as a roller skating rink.[1]

## Notes[edit]

1. ^ Korall says it was on 135th Street.[4] Kernodle says 140th street.[7] Perhaps it spanned all of these?

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b c d DeVeaux, Scott Knowles (1999). The Birth of Bebop: A Social and Musical History. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press. p. 138\. ISBN 0520205790.
2. ^ a b Polatnick, Gordon (October 6, 2015). "Historic Lenox Ave. Harlem Jazz Clubs". Big Apple Jazz Tours. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
3. ^ a b c d Fletcher, Tom (March 18, 2014). "The Cotton Club". New York Architecture. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
4. ^ a b c d Korall, B. (2004). Drummin' Men: The Heartbeat of Jazz, The Swing Years. Oxford University Press. p. 51\. ISBN 978-0-19-534651-0. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
5. ^ Driggs, Frank; Haddix, Chuck (January 1, 2006). Kansas City Jazz: From Ragtime to Bebop--A History. Oxford University Press. p. 192\. ISBN 9780195307122.
6. ^ "The New York Age from New York, New York on May 15, 1943 · Page 4".
7. ^ a b c d Kernodle, T.L. (2004). Soul on Soul: The Life and Music of Mary Lou Williams. Northeastern University Press. p. 101\. ISBN 978-1-55553-606-0. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
8. ^ Fast, Howard (1951). Peekskill USA. New York, NY: Civil Rights Congress. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
9. ^ a b c Gill, J. (2011). Harlem: The Four Hundred Year History from Dutch Village to Capital of Black America. Grove/Atlantic, Incorporated. p. 323\. ISBN 978-0-8021-9594-4. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
10. ^ Chilton, J. (1990). The Song of the Hawk: The Life and Recordings of Coleman Hawkins. The Michigan American music series. University of Michigan Press. p. 175\. ISBN 978-0-472-08201-8. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
11. ^ Manning, F.; Millman, C.R. (2007). Frankie Manning: Ambassador of Lindy Hop. Temple University Press. p. 68\. ISBN 978-1-59213-563-9. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
12. ^ a b Feather, L. (1987). The Jazz Years. Da Capo paperback. Perseus Books Group. pp. 58–59. ISBN 978-0-306-80296-6. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
13. ^ O'Neal, H. (2009). The Ghosts of Harlem: Sessions with Jazz Legends. The Ghosts of Harlem: Sessions with Jazz Legends. Vanderbilt University Press. ISBN 978-0-8265-1627-5. Retrieved March 29, 2017.
14. ^ "Golden Gate Million Dollar Ballroom opening night ad". New York Age. October 21, 1939. p. 12. Retrieved May 1, 2021.
15. ^ "Bishop Alvin A. Childs Dies; Former Mayor of Harlem, 64". The New York Times. August 16, 1973. p. 38. Retrieved December 15, 2016.
16. ^ Glenn, Evelyn (2009). Shades of Difference: Why Skin Color Matters. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. p. 81\. ISBN 9780804759984.
17. ^ Bailey, Eric J. (2008). Black America, Body Beautiful: How the African American Image is Changing Fashion, Fitness, and Other Industries. Westport, CT: Praeger. p. 45\. ISBN 9780275995959. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
18. ^ "Miss Fine Brown Frame". Ebony. 2 (7): 47. May 1947. Retrieved January 2, 2017.[dead link]

## Further reading[edit]

* Image of Charlie Christian playing guitar at the Golden Gate Ballroom
* "Religion: Second Front in Harlem". Time. December 21, 1942. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
* Fast, Howard (1951). Peekskill USA. New York, NY: Civil Rights Congress. Retrieved January 2, 2017.
* Determeyer, E. (2010). Rhythm Is Our Business: Jimmie Lunceford and the Harlem Express. Jazz Perspectives. University of Michigan Press. p. 178\. ISBN 978-0-472-02630-2. Retrieved March 29, 2017.

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