Savoy Ballroom (Chicago) A 1928 postcard of the ballroom
Location Chicago Opened 1927 Demolished 1970s
The Savoy Ballroom in Chicago , United States was opened on Thanksgiving Eve, November 23, 1927, at 4733 South Parkway.[ 1]
History
At the time of its opening in 1927, the Savoy Ballroom was the largest dancehall in South Side, Chicago ; surpassing the other large hall in that part of the city, Lincoln Gardens .[ 2] The Savoy was heavily funded and its size was unprecedented on the South Side of Chicago with elaborate decor, a triple subfloor, and a checkroom that could accommodate 6,000 hats and coats.[ 3] Originally featuring primarily Jazz artists, including Louis Armstrong , Count Basie , Duke Ellington , Earl Hines , Stan Kenton , Dizzy Gillespie , Billie Holiday , Ella Fitzgerald , Gene Krupa , Woody Herman , the Savoy also hosted other activities, such as boxing, figure skating, and basketball exhibitions featuring the Savoy Big Five , who would later change their name to the Harlem Globetrotters .
The interior of the ballroom in 1941, with the band playing
From 1927 until 1940, there was continuous music supplied by two bands per night. When one band took a break, the other would go on. During these years, the Savoy was open seven days a week. Although most of the Savoy's patrons were black, growing numbers of white Chicagoans visited the Savoy.
People rollerskating in the ballroom on a Saturday night, 1941
The Savoy closed in 1948, and was demolished in the early 1970s. The site is now home to the Lou Rawls Theater Cultural Center .[ 4] [ 5]
References
External links
41°48′33″N 87°36′57″W / 41.8092°N 87.6159°W / 41.8092; -87.6159