The Cellar Door

The Cellar Door was a music club in the 3300 block of M Street in the District of Columbia in the 1960s through the 1980's.

It emerged from The Shadows, a club on 31st Street in Georgetown, DC. It was one of the premier music spots in Washington and was the genesis as well as a tryout for larger markets. Many great names in 1960s and 1970s music played there. It also was a venue for new talent.

Some of the names from the area that started there live are:

• Linda Ronstadt
• Neil Young
• John Denver (He sang his "Leaving on a Jet Plane" there prior to being released by Peter, Paul and Mary.
• Miles Davis.
• Modern Jazz Quartet
• Muddy Waters

Many other famous artists performed there such as B.B. King, Buddy Rich and John Sebastian.

The club was the venue for The Cellar Door Sessions, a live album with Miles Davis. Many artists cut their professional teeth performing at the Cellar Door, while audiences delighted in being within a few feet of the stage at the tiny venue.

Warm-up acts included performers such as Donal Leace, Fat City (later to become the Starland Vocal Band), Harry Chapin, Jim Croce and many others. Early 1970s audiences saw Tommy Smothers, Great Speckled Bird (band), Glenn Yarbrough, Roger McGuinn and many other singles from past groups.

Directly opposite on M street was another music club, originally The Apple Tree, later called Desperado's