500 Beale Street, Memphis, Tennessee
An
example of the nebulous, yet well-trafficked cliche that Memphis has
forgotten more history than most cities have in the first place, 500
Beale has rocked like no other address in the city.
In terms of word origins, Hippodrome comes from the Greek, and roughly
translates into horse race (Impress your friends, next time the urge to
urinate strikes, tell them you have to piss like a dromehippo).
The name stuck to racetracks and theatres worldwide and across cultures
in the ancient world. The name lived on to grace dance clubs and
entertainment venues in the U.S.-- quite a few towns have or had a
"Hippodrome." Here in Bluff City, USA, the Hippodrome opened as a sort
of racetrack-- it began as a roller skating rink. I haven't located any
information about its roller rink days. It opened during or just after
WWII in what was historically a multi-ethnic commercial center of the
city, most renowned, of course, as a black entertainment district. (As
an aside, what was thought at the time to have been the first black
roller rink was opened in Indianapolis, Indiana by entrepreneur Sea H.
Ferguson in November 1943.)
By the late 1940s, the Hippodrome
had begun hosting rhythm and blues shows -- while still functioning as
a roller rink -- under the management of Mary and "Big Foot" Johnson.
A.C. "Moohah" WIlliams, longtime Memphis educator and WDIA radio personality (he also organized the WDIA Teen Town Singers) had an entertainment column in the weekly African-American newspaper the Memphis Tri-State Defender. In January 1952, Moohah previewed the next weekend's entertainments in period patter-- elipses and parantheses are his:
"What Ho, Kokomo. Let's go before the snow. You're bound to win, so tell me where you been and I'll tell you where to go... HIPPODROME...Owooo Look out, it's the Howling Wolf moving in this payday (Saturday) nite
and man is that cat hot. Did you know that he's got two records on
Downbeat's parade of the top ten for last month?... A cat asked me "Say
Moohah," What makes the Howlin' Wolf so popular????... Well here's my version... you know a lot of us are straight from the rurals, and I do mean country!!!... and out there on 'Sadday' Nite
they have what they call suppers... you take your gal and "glow" on
over and buy your fill of fish, barbecue and amber liquid right from
the barrell... Usually there is an orchestra composed of one guitar player who plays the music all nite
between sips from a gallon jug (of water, of course)... You dance by
"Rounds" ... a "Round" lasts anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes and it
costs you about 10 cents per round. After the round is over, the floor
(and sometimes the ground) is cleared and you pay another dime and
start all over... You say that sounds square???? Don't laugh man it's
fun, and you don't know how much unless you've experienced it...Then
too Brother Muddy Waters and Brother Howlin'
Wolf are coining much "lute" because many of us are now in the
city...but the country is still in us...ME...I ain't even trying to get
it out!...So that's what makes the Wolf so popular [...] but don't take
my word, just jump on down to the "Hipp" and pick up on the "Howlin' one this Saturday Nite then make up your own mind about what makes him "HIT."
Unbelievable!
Ever feel like you were born too late? Not only is Williams' writing
incredibly evocative and sure to have stirred up enthusiasm for the
show, I've never seen a more detailed description of rural juke joint activities. The explanation of Wolf's popularity also seems historically valuable as well. As Moohah says, this was a generation of new black urbanites with country roots, and artists like Wolf and Waters embodied this phenomenon while keeping the old country fires burning.
This illustration of the "Hipp" ran, as you can see, in early '52 after the Howlin'
one paid his visit. I think the fact it's billed as a "ballroom"
suggests that roller skating was out, and the place functioned full
time as a venue.
The Hipp brought an array of fabulous talent to the Bluff in '53: Billie Eckstine, Ruth Brown, Count Basie, Lionel Hampton, Illinois Jacquet,
Tiny Bradshaw, and Fats Domino all between February and May. In between
the big gigs, the house band the Smoothies entertained. An act like
Nolan Hall cost a patron 85 cents at the door, the Smoothies ran 60
cents, while the Eckstine,
Ruth Brown, Basie ticket (yep, all on one bill!) cost $2.50 in advance
and $3 at the door. Fats cost $1.35-$1.75. Ads for the larger acts
include times for "whites only" shows as well.
The Hipp and the W.C. Handy Theatre competed to sign the big attractions, while never scheduling major gigs simultaneously.
By the fall of 1955, the Hipp
changed names and owners, with Andrew "Sunbeam" Mitchell taking over
and renaming it Club Ebony. Mitchell had already made a name for
himself as owner of Club Handy downtown at the corner of Beale and
Hernando, and in 1962 would open the "South's leading nite spot" Club Paradise.
Club EB became the Hipp again-- the club was passed among owners like a fatty at Bonnaroo-- as our friend Johnnie Currie took the helm in around 1961 for a five year run.
It's
not clear what happened to the Hippodrome from there, though I can tell
you what's left of this monument to the heyday of rhythm and blues, and
quite possibly the golden age of black America:
