55. Savoy Ballroom
Harlem Shadows - 596 Malcolm X Boulevard, between W. 140th and W. 141st Streets, 1926-58

Advertised as "The Home of Happy Feet," this famous Harlem hot spot opened on March 12, 1926. The club featured an elegant lobby with a marble staircase leading upstairs to the ballroom which was the entire length of the block. A double bandstand allowed for alternating bands to play continuous music late into the night. It was from one of these stages that the bandleader, Chick Webb, introduced a new singer, Miss Ella Fitzgerald. Webb's "Stompin' at the Savoy" debuted here in 1934. Always at the forefront for new dances, the Lindy Hop was introduced at the Savoy in 1936 and the cavernous ballroom was the venue chosen by Frank Manning to give the first demonstration of the aerial lift in swing dancing. The Savoy Ballroom was the height of sophisticated dance and music from 1920's to the 1950's. Contests called "Battle of the Bands" were held pitting bands from New York and Chicago, north and south. These competitions were so popular and attracted such loyal fans, police were sometimes called to settle disputes between the crowds. A contest between Chick Webb and Benny Goodman in 1937 drew over 20,000! The Savoy fell victim to the wrecker's ball in 1958 in the name of urban renewal and was replaced by the nondescript row of retail space that adjoin Bethune Towers/Delano Village.

Return to the Start of the Malcolm X Boulevard Tour