Is the Flame Show Bar still standing?

[GrtGzu]

I keep forgetting to ask you guys this everytime I come here....
I have a 5x7 glossy of my ma and dad at the Flame Show Bar back in the late 40's 50's.....Looks like they were having a reasonably good time....Is that place still standing?

Another question - got some EARLY pics of my parents on vacation - well before I was born - Mama said they were at a vacation resort somewhere in Detroit - and only black folk went there....What's the name of that place? Is it still there? I'm thinking it had to be back when Daddy was wheelin' that HUGE ASS Buick he had....The white walls were gi-normous....But they seemed to be having a good time back then....Ma said they used to go Dee-troit quite regular before I came along...I missed the whole Hitsville trip back in 1990 when I went up to Greenfield Village....Saw Gross Pointe though - reminds me of Shaker Heights here..Saw part of the city too - that was kinda scary..

[Roberta75]

I just called my moms cousin who live in the Highland Park are of Detroit and she said the Flame show is long gone. Aunt Ivy has many fond memories of going there to see the greats. She said the Flame Show bar was only 4 or 5 mile from her home on Canfield and John R.

Roberta

[marv2]

I keep forgetting to ask you guys this everytime I come here....
I have a 5x7 glossy of my ma and dad at the Flame Show Bar back in the late 40's 50's.....Looks like they were having a reasonably good time....Is that place still standing?

Another question - got some EARLY pics of my parents on vacation - well before I was born - Mama said they were at a vacation resort somewhere in Detroit - and only black folk went there....What's the name of that place? Is it still there? I'm thinking it had to be back when Daddy was wheelin' that HUGE ASS Buick he had....The white walls were gi-normous....But they seemed to be having a good time back then....Ma said they used to go Dee-troit quite regular before I came along...I missed the whole Hitsville trip back in 1990 when I went up to Greenfield Village....Saw Gross Pointe though - reminds me of Shaker Heights here..Saw part of the city too - that was kinda scary..

The vacation resort that many Blacks went to in those days was called "Idlewild". My parents and friends went there too. The young Four Tops were frequent performers there. You could say it was the African American equivalent to the mostly Jewish American Catskills in New York.

[marv2]

The Flame Show Bar, along with most of the "Black Bottom" went under the bulldozers of "Urban Renewal" in the late sixties and early seventies. This happened in urban centers around the country in those days. In Toledo just south of Detroit, they tore down between 80-90 black owned businesses on Dorr Street which was the main business district for the African American community in the 40's, 50's and 60's.

[marv2]

Here, check this out:

http://www.northernexpress.com/michigan/article-787-the-rise-fall-of-idlewild.html

[Doug-Morgan]

This site too.....The Idlewild African American Chamber of Commerce.

http://www.iaacc.com/index.html

There's a lot of interesting [[and unknown) history that should be preserved.....

[GrtGzu]

Wow...Just WOW!! Seriously........this is truly worthy of an "OMG moment" for me...I started looking at the "Ruins" website last Fri. and I'm not done yet! I've got the Idlewild link saved too, so I can get back to it....You know we had some spots over on 105th here that were like the Flame Show Bar back in its heyday....Just like you said, they got torn down during the Urban Renewal years....And I even remember Leo's Casino, and the Allen Theatre....Ildewild sounds like the Hamptons! I'm surprised my parents could afford such a place, but then that was before I came along I guess...I gotta get back to the links [[so much INTERESTING HISTORY!!)....

It's clear that this will be a wasted afternoon......I'll get nothing else done today.....But it's Monday anyway.....

[marv2]

Grtgzu, I used to work in the Hamptons. Are you in Cleveland?

Marv

[GrtGzu]

Yup, born and raised Marv......Yesterday I spent the WHOLE AFTERNOON looking at the links you guys sent!!! [[told you I'd get nothing done, LOL)...That was truly fascinating, but for the life of me, I can't find a pic of where the old Flame Show Bar used to be....

You worked at the Hamptons???? What was that like?????

[gary]

The Flame Show bar was located at 4264 John R, corner of E. Canfield. In its heyday during the 50s and early 60s, Maurice King was the musical director. The bar closed in 1963, the site is now a parking garage.

BTW, the Flame was not located in the old Black Bottom neighborhood. Black Bottom was much further south.

[Doug-Morgan]

Was The Flame a black and tan club?

[gary]

Was The Flame a black and tan club?

The short answer is "yes", but as near as I can determine, it differed from traditional black and tans in that it sometimes featured white acts and the clientele was often more white than black. The Flame was Jewish-owned and operated.

[marv2]

Yup, born and raised Marv......Yesterday I spent the WHOLE AFTERNOON looking at the links you guys sent!!! [[told you I'd get nothing done, LOL)...That was truly fascinating, but for the life of me, I can't find a pic of where the old Flame Show Bar used to be....

You worked at the Hamptons???? What was that like?????

The Hamptons [[East Hampton, Southampton, Bridgehampton, Sag Harbor, etc,etc) are swell. The people, the natives that live out there year around are some of the nicest people I've ever met. I know Cleveland fairly well also. My sister-in-law is from Cleveland and i have been there many times.

If I find a pic of the Flame Show Bar, I'll post it. There was one of Berry Gordy, Billie Holiday and Jackie Wilson taken inside that I use to have.

[GrtGzu]

No kidding? how did you wind up working there? How long were you there? I'll bet you met tons of interesting people...Well, if you've been to Cleveland, then I don't need to tell you much more, LOL!!!

Hope you or somebody else on this board can find and post a pic of the Flame Show Bar - I'd really like to see what it looked like on the outside and in.....