Trude Heller's

Trude Heller's was a club 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 Dali, 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 have appeared there through the years have been the Beastie Boys in their early days,^[11] Frankie Paris and the Purple Haze,^[12] Funk Steady,^[13] Goldie and the Gingerbreads that featured 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

Coordinates: 40°44′03″N 73°59′56″W / 40.734043°N 73.999025°W / 40.734043; -73.999025