WEST HOLLYWOOD’S SUNSET STRIP HONORS ELMER VALENTINE

THE ROXY THEATRE, WHISKY A GO-GO, HOUSE OF BLUES,
KEY CLUB, VIPER ROOM AND CAT CLUB WILL DIM THEIR LIGHTS TONIGHT AT 8 PM
FOR THE PASSING OF THE NIGHTLIFE ICON

“Its somehow fitting that the man who turned the Sunset Strip lights on would be honored by the lights of those venues that followed his imprint turning theirs off in a tribute to him,” states Lou Adler, who along with Valentine founded The Roxy in 1973.  

“The Strip will not be the same.  Elmer Valentine started the legendary music experience on the Sunset Strip, which still flourishes today,” said Todd Steadman, Executive Director of the Sunset Strip Business Association. "We are happy we had the opportunity to honor his contributions to the legacy of The Strip at this year's Sunset Strip Music Festival."

Valentine was born in 1923 in Chicago, Illinois.  He left school and hit the streets at the age of 11, later joining the Air Force and serving in WWII in England. Upon returning to Chicago, he joined the police force and rose to the position of detective. 
 
In 1960, Valentine left the police force and moved to Los Angeles to open his first nightclub: PJ’s.  The club became one of the most successful and famous — not only in Los Angeles but across the United States based in part on Valentine’s decision to hire an unknown singer/musician named Trini Lopez. Lopez recorded a live album at the club, Trini Lopez at PJ’s, which became a number one hit and helped put PJ’s on the map. 
 
After selling his interest in PJ’s, Valentine decided to travel the world. During a trip Paris in 1963, he visited a club called A Go-Go, which featured dancers in a cage above the bandstand. Returning to L.A. in 1964, he and his partners opened what would become a trend setting cultural phenomenon — the Whisky A Go-Go. 
 
Artists who went on to shape the landscape of American rock performed at the Whisky, from Johnny Rivers to The Doors, Frank Zappa And The Mothers Of Invention, and Sonny and Cher.
 
The string of successful clubs didn’t end there. In 1972 he opened the Rainbow Bar & Grill with partners Lou Adler and Mario Maglieri, and in 1973 he opened The Roxy Theatre with Adler. The three establishments still thrive on the Sunset Strip.