Some months ago the Who Was Who! column debuted on NiteLife Exchange, and the reception has been wonderfully positive and encouraging. We at NLE are delighted about that. In a time when history is losing its value, we believe now, more than ever, it’s important to acknowledge those whose shoulders we stand upon. And besides—history is fun! Take the photo above: “Little Edie” Beale of Grey Gardens making her debut at the famed nightclub, Reno Sweeney.
There once were so many clubs in New York that featured prime cabaret and piano bar performers—which sadly, no longer exist among a dwindling number of venues. Reno Sweeney at 126 West 13th Street, founded in 1972, was famous as a spawning ground for up-and-coming performers such as Melissa Manchester, Peter Allen and Jane Oliver, and for the cabaret debuts of established stars, such as Diane Keaton, Geraldine Fitzgerald and others. Before that there was the Bon Soir, a supper club that flourished in the 1940s and 50s, where Kaye Ballard and Felicia Sanders sang and where Barbra Streisand got her start.
The list goes on and on. There’s so much to remember and honor! That’s why we’d like to know:
WHO DO YOU WANT US TO CELEBRATE?
Here’s a list of those we’ve already written about in these pages. Please add to it with your choices.
- Buddy Barnes
- Charles DeForest
- Mary Clere Haran
- Richard Hendrickson
- Hildegarde
- Poppi Kramer
- Nancy LaMott
- Don Schaffer
- Hugh Shannon
- Sylvia Syms
If you’d like to write for Who Was Who!—contribute your own article—please let us know. We welcome well-written remembrances any time. Write to us at scobarent@gmail.com
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