(482) PLACES TO GO THINGS TO DO : BEN FRANKS DINER

CHARLES PHOENIX ON BEN FRANKS DINER link

IN OUR PLACES TO GO THINGS TO DO posts, we wrote about the Palamino for  mostly Country Music (post 335 on Marty Robins and Jerry Lee Lewis), the Red Velvet - one of the few clubs Elvis used to go to and where P.J. Proby performed (post 334), and the dinner club, Ciro's, known for the Rat Pack, but also Johnny Rivers before The Whisky.  Post 333 was about Trino Lopez.  Post 336 Ciros.  We've recently updated the videos and links for these posts from 2010.

All of these  clubs were performance spaces.

One of my hangouts for just having coffee, talking, hanging out, was Ben Franks Diner.  It was a good place to meet with friends, co-workers, and people I wanted to do business with, on the Sunset Strip, which has been active with entertainment for more than half a century.

Here's a link with a good picture. 

EXCERPT: "Today, forty five years later the classic coffee shop structure still stands. But about decade or so ago Ben became Mel when Ben Frank’s quietly closed and morphed into a trendy retro diner called Mel’s Diner. I wonder if they have Liver and Onions on the menu."

(258) WAS THE TWIST DEAD ? LET'S TWIST AGAIN CHUBBY CHECKERS

Let's twist again like we did last summer !



Chubby Checker was an original rock and roller who performed songs he had written himself. But keep this in mind. Chuck's songs were covered by a great many artists and by 1963 Chuck had made more money from residuals because of the covers other artists did of his music than he did as a performer. When it came to a good song, making money was no obstacle, Black or White.

We're linking to Chubby Checker's web site at the title above (click!)

And thanks to a YouTube video provider, here's a little documentary on American dance circa 1962