Cotton Club

in Bars, Clubs, and Discos

The Cotton Club, a jazz bar, opened at 2226 East 55th Street in 1934. The Cotton Club offered low-cost musical entertainment to a predominantly African-American audience. The Cotton Club frequently featured local and national musical entertainers. One such entertainer, Boots Lavana (a female impersonator from Buffalo, New York) was billed as the club’s featured performer. The Cotton Club closed in 1935.

Cotton Club location ca. 1939. Cleveland Public Library Photograph Collection.

Additional information coming soon.

Resources

  • Lee, C. E. “Night Clubs.” Call and Post. December 1, 1934.
  • Loeb, Chas H. “Cotton Club Closed; May Re-Open Soon.” Call and Post. February 9, 1935.
  • Malnar, Sierra. “Paradise Auditorium.” Green Book Cleveland.
2226 E 55th St, Cleveland, OH 44103

Tell us about Cotton Club

Many of the locations documented on Queer Cleveland are not well-documented in the historical record. If you have additional information about Cotton Club, please let us know by sharing a memory, correction, or suggestion using the comment form below.

Or send an email to info@queerclevelandhistories.org.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *