The City of West Hollywood’s Artists and Icons series will host an event with Lou Adler, record and film producer, and co-owner of the iconic West Hollywood nightclub, the Roxy Theatre. The event is in celebration of the Roxy’s 50th anniversary and will feature a conversation with his son Nic Adler.
The event will take place on Tuesday, September 12, 2023, at the City of West Hollywood’s Council Chambers/Public Meeting Room, located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. The conversation will begin at 7 p.m., followed at 8 p.m. by the opening reception of a photo exhibit at the adjacent West Hollywood Library about the Roxy’s 50th Anniversary, curated by the Grammy Museum’s Jasen Emmons. The conversation has reached RSVP capacity; there are still RSVPs available for the post-conversation photo exhibit opening reception via Eventbrite. The conversation will be livestreamed on the City of West Hollywood’s WeHoTV and YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/wehotv. For details about WeHoTV viewing options, visit www.weho.org/wehotv.
The exhibition ‘The Roxy: 50 and Still Rockin’ is presented by the City of West Hollywood, the Roxy, and the Grammy Museum and features historic photographs of musicians and performers who have graced the stage of the Roxy over its 50-year history along with an infographic highlighting the importance of West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip neighborhood in the music industry. The exhibit is viewable at West Hollywood Library, located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard, during regular operating hours, and is free to visit. Another exhibition at the Grammy Museum opens on Monday, September 18, 2023. More information is available at https://www.weho.org/
Lou Adler is a record and film producer and the co-founder of the Roxy Theatre in West Hollywood. Adler has produced and developed several iconic musical artists, including The Grass Roots, Jan & Dean, The Mamas & the Papas, and Carole King. King’s album Tapestry, produced by Adler, won the 1972 Grammy Award for Album of the Year and has been called one of the greatest pop albums of all time. Adler is also an executive producer of The Rocky Horror Picture Show and discovered and produced comedy albums and films for Cheech & Chong, and directed/produced Up in Smoke and Brewster McCloud, among other films. In 2006, he was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his achievements in music. He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013.
The Roxy Theatre is a legendary music venue located on the Sunset Strip in the City of West Hollywood. Regardless of its West Coast locale, it is known by music lovers all over the world. On September 20, 1973, Lou Adler and Elmer Valentine, along with Peter Asher, David Geffen, Bill Graham, Chuck Landis, and Elliot Roberts as advisors, opened the now world-famous music venue on West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip. During the past 50 years, The Roxy has been a launch platform for aspiring artists and a home for those that are well-established in the industry.
They created The Roxy after they witnessed one too many venues neglect, mistreat, and deceive artists. Their dream to open a state-of-the-art venue where artists of all musical genres felt at home became a reality on September 20, 1973. The grand opening was celebrated by a three-night performance by Neil Young. The first decade of The Roxy featured headliners such as Chuck Berry, Jimmy Buffett, The Cars, Cheech and Chong, Joe Cocker, Devo, Duran Duran, Eurythmics, Aretha Franklin, Peter Gabriel, Genesis, The Go Go’s, Hall & Oates, Etta James, Billy Joel, B.B. King, Patti LaBelle, Bob Marley & The Wailers, Van Morrison, Motley Crue, New York Dolls, Dolly Parton, Prince, The Ramones, Lou Reed, Smokey Robinson, Linda Ronstadt, The Sex Pistols, Patti Smith, Bruce Springsteen, Talking Heads, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, and Frank Zappa.
The Roxy was not only a stage for musicians but for comedians and actors alike. Opening acts mainly consisted of emerging comedians, including Jay Leno, David Letterman, and Arsenio Hall, along with featured performer Paul Reubens (and his eccentric character Pee Wee Herman). This later led to the success of the beloved television series, Pee Wee’s Playhouse.
Several stage shows began here, including the Lou Adler-produced The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which had its first American run at The Roxy. This allowed the musical to become one of the most recognized and loved performance features of all time.
After the 1998 Off-Broadway premiere and the 2001 release of the movie, Hedwig and The Angry Inch became a story of triumph and survival for the colorful and off-beat. In 2006, Hedwig came to life on The Roxy stage.
The West Hollywood Artists & Icons is a periodic series organized by the City of West Hollywood’s Arts Division that celebrates the lives and work of West Hollywood residents and artists who present their work in the City, and who have made significant contributions to local, national, or global culture. The series has previously focused on many local artists and icons including Bette Davis, Mae West, Michael McMillen, Dan Guerrero, and Frances Taylor Davis.
For additional information about the Artists & Icons Series, please visit www.weho.org/community/arts-
