By the late 1960s, integration had diffused the Dew Drop’s audience, and the club closed around the time of Painia’s death in 1972.įor more on the roots of rock ‘n’ roll in New Orleans click here. For 10 cents they could read the latest gossip from the scene in an illustrated newsletter published by R&B artist Earl King. The lounge attracted some white customers, and the New Orleans Police Department occasionally conducted raids to uphold segregation laws (though Painia challenged this practice in court).īetween performances, musicians gathered at the Dew Drop to eat, socialize, rehearse, and find work: Painia ran a booking agency from the club, sending bands to perform at other venues across the region. Artists from out of town, like Ray Charles and Little Richard, spent time in the hotel.
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If you are looking for some of the top gay bars in New Orleans, Cafe Lafitte in Exile is a good place to start. Anne Streets, affectionately known as the ‘pink strip’. For Black musicians passing through New Orleans on tours of the segregated South, the Dew Drop was a welcoming community center as well as a place to perform. Most gay life is centered around New Orleans’ ber-charming French Quarter, with the main activity happening at the crossroads of Bourbon and St. Musicians gigging elsewhere often congregated at the Dew Drop after hours, leading to jam sessions that could continue past sunrise the next day. Google Eyes” August as well as an openly gay female impersonator known as Patsy Vidalia, who performed in evening gowns.Įvery New Orleans R&B musician of note passed through the Dew Drop, and many, like Roy Brown, can trace their break in the music business to performances on its stage.
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Emcees for these shows included Joseph “Mr. Hearkening back to the vaudeville era, floorshows at the Dew Drop featured dancers, comedians, and novelty acts as well as a house band that played the hits of the day and backed a variety of artists. The Dew Drop Inn, the creation of Frank Painia, was a barbershop, restaurant, hotel, lounge, and performance venue at the heart of Black society and culture in New Orleans from the 1940s through the 1960s.