The club was a whites-only establishment even though it featured many of the best black entertainers of the era including : musicians Cab Calloway , Fletcher Henderson , Duke Ellington , Jimmie Lunceford , Louis Armstrong , Count Basie , Fats Waller , vocalists Adelaide Hall , Ethel Waters , Avon Long , the Dandridge Sisters , the Will Vodery Choir , Berry Brothers , Nina Mae McKinney , Billie Holiday , Lena Horne , and dancers Bill Robinson , The Nicholas Brothers , Stepin Fetchit , and Earl Snakehips Tucker .
The club had a whites-only policy for customers , but featured many of the best black entertainers and jazz musicians of the era . Stars included ( musicians ) Cab Calloway , Andrew Preer , Fletcher Henderson , Duke Ellington , Jimmie Lunceford , Louis Armstrong , Count Basie , Fats Waller - ( vocalists ) Adelaide Hall , Lottie Gee , Ethel Waters , Avon Long , Aida Ward , Edith Wilson , the Dandridge Sisters , Avis Andrews , Will Vodery Choir , Berry Brothers , Nina Mae McKinney , Billie Holiday , Lena Horne and ( dancers ) Bill Robinson , The Nicholas Brothers , Stepin Fetchit , Butterbeans and Suzy , Earl Snakehips Tucker and Evelyn Welch .