In 2003 when I started thegrandeballroom.com to write about this old historic building, I never imagined I would still be writing about it nearly 20 years later. Nor would have imagined all the great folks I would get to meet in the process. Along the way I would complete a major life accomplishment and write a book, a comprehensive tome about real Detroit. No Hollywood bullshit, just a real story about real Detroiters playing and enjoying real music and one another.
Today in 2022 life events have sadly caused me to realize that I can no longer physically advocate for the Ballroom and its potential re-use. It’s time to retire from the preservation cause. The small group of charter members that made up the original grass roots preservation group the Friends of the Grande in 2004 has dwindled, many no longer with us. In person meetings we held have been reduced to e-mails, teleconferences and social media postings. Covid impacted the ability of the owners to find volunteer and contractor help for stabilization of the building. With all that, today the prognosis for large public gathering space projects and investment in a post Covid world is not good. Fortunately in the U.S., concerts are returning and people are gathering in public as I write this.
Over the years I have managed to ride a wave of renewed interest in the Ballroom and in so doing became a default subject matter expert and advocate for the structure. Suddenly, I became the guy that got asked the hard questions. While I learned about its history, I was also the guy that posed the same hard questions about the fate of the Grande’s physical manifestation. Today, I am officially no longer pushing those questions. I am retiring from its advocacy.
That said, I thought I would share some milestones and fun events from my last couple of decades weaving in and out of the Grande diaspora. A retrospective chronology of blog posts links and photos. A sort of “curriculum vitae” of my experiences in this realm, neighborhood and culture. The Grande in my rearview.
2003 – Thegrandeballroom.com is registered.
I had become interested in the Grande Ballroom as I had family that had gone there starting in the thirties. I was far too young to experience the venue first hand. As there was little on the internet about this chapter in Detroit Music History, I began to share my research and started to correspond with the primary sources of information. The website was launched in January of 2003. For perspective, Facebook launched in February of 2004, Twitter launched in July of 2006.
2005 The Friends of the Grande is formed
As my research and networking amongst the Grande principals and original patrons snowballed, so did the website. From these connections a small group of vocal advocates consolidated to call ourselves “The Friends of the Grande”. Our mission statement: “To preserve the history of the Grande Ballroom and its physical edifice while promoting the culture fostered by its patrons, performers and promoters.” Our first meeting was held at a new barbecue restaurant in Corktown called “Slow’s Barbecue”. Attendees included Russ Gibb and artists Gary Grimshaw and Carl Lundgren. Investors and charter members toured the Grande property in 2006 when it was last for sale and serious consideration was given to purchasing the building. When this opportunity was lost, progress towards creating a F.O.G. Non-profit was scrapped. Later on the group focused on promoting events memorializing its history. The F.O.G. would leverage the rise of social media by 2009 as a tool to connect the Grande diaspora.
2006 The Grande Ballroom 40th Anniversary Concert
Friends of the Grande charter members Tom Gaff and Tom Lubinski produced The Grande Ballroom 40th Concert at the Royal Oak Music Theater under the DBA “Old Stoners Productions”. I assisted with promotion and setup and was present to honor Tom Wright and Russ Gibb..
2009 “A Great Day at the Grande” Photo
Grande Principals and Patrons gathered for a special group photo.
2016 The Grande Ballroom – Detroit’s Rock n Roll Palace. Grande 50th
October 7, 2016 marked the 50th Anniversary of the Grande’s rock “re-opening”. This was also the official release date for my book “The Grande Ballroom” – Detroit’s Rock n’ Roll Palace. Michele and Carl Lundgren produced a day long event/concert October 8 at the Hubbard Ballroom of the Ford Performing Arts Center in Dearborn.
2017 Green Light for National Register of Historic Places
In 2007 with the help of Detroit Building historian Rebecca Binno Savage we initiated the process to list the Grande on the National Register of Historic Places. The Grande’s owners Chapel Hill Missionary Baptist church tabled the request. After our periodic and regular inquiries over 10 years, the Church finally acknowledged Grande history and allowed the NRHP nomination to be re-started.
2018 The National Register of Historic Places
The National Parks Service lists the Grande on The National Register of Historic Places.
2018 MC50 and the Grande KOTJ Mural
Wayne Kramer toured the MC5 catalog as MC50, a new band of high profile pros celebrating 50 years since the recording of “Kick out the Jams”. Through his generous donation a transformative mural was painted on the ballrooom’s Grand River and Beverly elevations. This artwork also created the added benefit of eliminating the graffiti problem and the related, regular blight fines the owners have incurred. It’s become a Detroit photo destination.
2019 Grande 2.0 pronounced viable
In order to establish a baseline for any potential development partners, crowdfunding paid for professional engineering services to assess the building’s true condition. Turns out, the Grande’s reinforced concrete core is its saving grace.
2019 Russ Gibb remembered
After years of declining health, on April 30 Russ Gibb made his transition at age 87.
On May 5 Grande fans gathered for a “Russ Gibb Flash Mob tribute” at the corner of Grand River and Beverly. Detroit News Story.
Crowdfunding again came through with dollars towards stabilization. Contractors worked tremendously hard to clear debris for access to the second floor and roof of the Grande before a January blizzard hit.
2020 Covid After much work in January the emergence of the virus shut down any contractor work at the Grande. The Church closed its doors to services and lost donation revenue in the process. Volunteerism dried up and contractors became even more difficult to arrange. The future of commerical real estate and public spaces was jeopardized. The subesquent two years everything ground to a halt.
January 2022 I met with the Chapel Hill Missionary Baptist Church staff and Reverend Smith to update them on my future plans and retirement from Grande advocacy. I informed them that this would also mean the end of any organized Friends of the Grande help. Since this meeting I have been working to de-brief myself of any information, contacts and data the owners of the building will need. This includes the donation of artifacts and release of documents into the public domain. I remain available to the church but only in an academic capacity.
April 2022 Chapel Hill Missionary Baptist Church lists the Grande Ballroom for sale. https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/music/brian-mccollum/2022/04/06/grande-ballroom-former-detroit-rock-palace-sale/9487236002/
While I won’t comment in detail on this decision, I will say that regardless of the outcome, this listing now enjoys more visibility than it perhaps ever has over the last 50 years. This is thanks in part to the State Historic Preservation Office, The National Trust and National Register of Historic Places, the Friends of the Grande folks and many others that worked to raise the flag of its significance. The State of Michigan has just restored its historic tax credit which can be a significant factor in any sale. I wish the owners luck. Also of note, the Grande’s sister ballroom The Vanity, is receiving great attention and is on track for its own $12 Million Dollar restoration. https://www.jeffersoneast.org/real-estate
May 2022 Future Grande – El Club and the MC5
We are now in a new era of human interaction. Live performances, artists and venues are taking on many new challenges, the least of them being infectious diseases. With that, one venue in Detroit is consistently drawing big crowds to hear new original talent much as they did at the Grande 50+ years ago. Through scarcely a quarter of the Grande’s capacity, El Club in Southwest Detroit is consistently selling out dates in this new age.
It’s so great to see that Wayne Kramer is again on the road. Billed as “MC5” with a new album produced by Bob Ezrin due in the fall, this group will be appearing at El Club on May 5,2022. It’s good to know you CAN go home again. The music, the room and an audience will still be there for you.
Yours in music,
Leo Early – April 2022