Elmer Valentine, co-founder of the Whiskey a Go Go has died.

[MadScreamingGallery]

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-...0,3236736.story

http://wehonews.com/z/wehonews/archive/pag...?articleID=2955

Elmer Valentine

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Elmer Valentine, co-founder of the Whiskey a Go Go club where the Doors, Janis Joplin and countless other rock legends played, has died. He was 85.

Valentine died Wednesday at his home in Studio City, his business partner and friend Lou Adler told The Los Angeles Times. Valentine had suffered from various ailments over the last four years, Adler said.

While traveling Europe in 1963, Valentine visited a Parisian disco where hordes of young mini-skirted women did the go-go and decided to recreate the club in Los Angeles.

Along with three partners, he opened the Sunset Strip rock club in 1964, with scantily clad girls dancing in cages suspended from the ceiling.

Over the decades, the small venue played host to major rock bands like The Byrds, The Kinks, The Who, Love, Van Halen, Guns N' Roses, X, Buffalo Springfield and the Beach Boys.

Guitarist Jimi Hendrix never graced the stage as a solo act, but would often show up unexpectedly to jam with other musicians.

The early success of the Whiskey led Valentine to later open the Rainbow Bar & Grill and the Roxy along with business partners.

Valentine sold his interest in the Whiskey in the 90s but retained ownership in the Rainbow and the Roxy at the time of his death, Adler told the Times.

[ally]

Damn, another pioneer gone. Those three clubs will live forever in the memory's of anyone who has ever put a record on a turntable. RIP Elmer Valentine and thanks for helping to establish a standard in North America for other great music clubs to follow

[ally]

Very interesting music on the Whiskey's website http://www.whiskyagogo.com/whiskysite/home_fs.html

[MadScreamingGallery]

Damn, another pioneer gone. Those three clubs will live forever in the memory's of anyone who has ever put a record on a turntable. RIP Elmer Valentine and thanks for helping to establish a standard in North America for other great music clubs to follow

Elmer certainly was a pioneer and a visionary and, like so many people who were involved in the rock scene, a very interesting character. Whether you were there in the 60's, 70's, 80's or later, those three clubs were remarkable venues - primarily for the music but also for the opportunity to see rockers hanging out and enjoying shows.

Very interesting music on the Whiskey's website http://www.whiskyagogo.com/whiskysite/home_fs.html

Very cool.

[Devil's Haircut]

I'd love to have frequented the Whiskey back in the early 70s. I wonder if Goldie ever danced there ?

Betcha that's where Rowan and Martin got their inspiration for their own Go-Go girl.