The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1945-11-03

PARADISE VALLEY is dying of
old age, Slowly, day by day and
night by night, you can see her
tremble and quake as deaths icy
fingers takes her by the hand.
You can hear the death rattle in
her throat
For Paradise Vslley-Queen OF
Eitelife-is dying.
No longer is she a young and
fascinating temptress. No longer
do lovers Of gay nitelife worship
her and grovel al her feet. She is
no longer IN flash captivating
smile as she heckons le2lons Of
admirers To follow her footsteps
along the hywsys and byways OF
"after-hour' excitement and sin
ful escapades
Paradise Valley is no LONGER the
naughty and beautiful. sensual and
inviting or the mysterious Queen
OF Nitelife
For Paradise Valley is dying Of
old age.
Her flashing eyes are i.feless and
gray. her allurlng srile Is = leer-
inS grin and her once shapely and
voluptuous body is wrinkled and
deformed. Oh Death. where is thy
sting.
Time was when fun-seekers.
curious out-Of-town visitors and
lovers OF the CAV life thronged
tn Paradise Valley. In search Of
all those things which makes for
an exciting and perhaps sinful
rendezvous. Time was when she
was the bejeweled queen Of De-
troits nitelife.
Sleight Of hand Joe and lIsht
fingered Mary o.. Three bucks
date Flo ard her one eyed-plmp
Harry. they all can tell wha,
gay young LADY Paradise Valley
used 10 be-
Time vas when from late pyen
I'LL past the break Of day. Hepca,s
and Flychlx came 10 the VALLEY
to play There VAS always an al
mosphere Of good fellowship az
Earl Wslton's Studio club Twas
here '~here autographed pictures
W @'taA NAVY AilhaNiA tlAsN hiil NV
strical persons adorned the Nalp
that Sepla musicians and heir otav
~orshippers met for an early ayem
breakfast.
Often. such celebrities as Martha
Rave or Lionel S,ander could he
seen enjoying the hospitality 81
Earl Walton's club as eager ard
curious nitellfers basked ~ me re-
Elected glory OF stage and film
celebrities
Farther down the street. up over
the corner OF Adams and 81. An
tome eager eyed pleasure seekers
kept the door opener busy as they
made thir nightly trekes into the
Band Box, where perhaps they
could hear Roy little Jay1l e.
dridse or some other notable --u-
SIC note reader warn ~ his par
toular musical instrument
TOO JUDGE NELSON'S Melody
Club. on s. Antoine near Adams
uas the Sa'eSt and most exciting
black and tar rltery II town Twas
here that black and whites alike
met IN an atmosphere 81 social
democracy as Judge Nelson ex-
tended 70 ore and all a hearty
welcome Nz- Glenn Willlr cham
could be seen attending ~ this
party ard that as the patrons en-
loved the floor show rroduced b.
Josephine Baker and S,d-sv
Brooks was kept busy Making
quick sketches az some ou, O,
town visitor
Lowered liteS7 in lurid places:
cigarette smoke on painted faces:
sweet music grooved down low
n dancers swsyed too and fro
restless feet tapping lightly
all this happened nightly tink-
ling Ice and drinks In glasses
weaving hips and muted hraSses
49, trembling lips and hrsyen
rlances a Nitelifers went into
their dances all this was the
Melody Club.
- you wanted az early syer
drink YOU'D Just r,rS buzzer.
wait for the lock 70 click then
walk upstairs 20 BE welcomed 'rto
the Rhythm Clah ~ Jesse Faith
ful. II YOU wanted - 81, IN on a
Jam session YOU 4 rap. on he. base
rert door on Adams Just of 81
Antoine where Ben Shook and
Duke Brown invited YOU INSIDE.
providing YOU were = member NJ
the club or the guest =, member
No matter what Won were seek
ing. someone somewhere in Para
disc Valley-for = rrice-couid get
Il for YOU
End 81 Part One. Paradise Valley,
What Now
The American Negro Theatre is