User:OSUstudent21

The Cotton Club (Portland)

For the nightclub of the same name in New York City, see Cotton Club.

Background Information

The Cotton Club, located within the Albina area at 2125 N. Vancouver Ave. and N. Tillamook St. in north Portland, Oregon, was a jazz nightclub that rose to fame in the 1960's after being purchased and renovated by Paul Knauls. The jazz club was one of many black owned businesses that occupied the area at the time. It was located in a neighborhood where African-Americans settled after Vanport was destroyed by flooding in 1948. By the 1960s, it was part of a thriving area that include the Blue Ribbon Barbecue, Lew’s Men’s Shop, and the House of Fortune Cafe.

Paul Knauls

Paul Knauls Sr. was born in Huntington, Arkansas in 1931. Knauls joined the Air Force in 1949 just 17 days after graduating from high school. Knauls was the first African-American to be stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base in Spokane, Washington (6). While serving in the Air Force, Knauls learned how to repair typewriters, and after being honorably discharged in 1953 he began working as typewriter repairman. Knauls worked up to three jobs at a time in order to save up enough money to fulfill his goal of owning a business. In addition to working as a typewriter repairman, Knauls also worked as a dishwasher in a hotel and ski instructor on weekends (8).

Knauls decided to pursue his dream of owning a nightclub in the Portland area due to the city’s proximity to the skiing areas at Mt. Hood. He discovered The Cotton Club while visiting the Portland area, and found that the owner of the nightclub was willing to sell the establishment. After 12 years of saving Knauls had $17,000, which was enough to begin the process of purchasing a nightclub in the Portland area. After securing a loan of $50,000 Knauls purchased the Cotton Club in 1963.

History

The Cotton Club was named after a famous nightclub located in Harlem, New York, and was known as “The only night club on the west coast with wall-to-wall soul”. The night club was initially an unpopular and rundown location under the ownership of a man named Mr. Thompson. Thompson owned the Cotton Club leading up to 1963 when Paul Knauls purchased the building for $50,000. The Cotton Club was part of the Chitiln’ Circuit, which was a network of venues on the West Coast that were safe for African American performers to play their music (). Many of the celebrities that came to the Portland area to perform would finish their evening at the Cotton Club. In addition to being a popular spot for celebrities on the Chitlin’s Circuit, the club gained traction among white community after being featured in the column “Baker’s Dozen” written by Doug Baker of the Oregon Journal. The club was successful for about seven years until its doors closed in 1970.

Renn Woods, a member of the singing group Sunday's Child who initially began their career playing in the Cotton Club. Woods went on to play in films such as The Wiz.

Notable Performers

• -Sammy Davis Jr. and Cab Calloway (2)
• -Duke Ellington (3)
• -Mel Brown, who went on to be the drummer for Diana Ross  (5)
• -Calvin Walker, The Sander’s Brothers, Seven Souls, and Sunday’s Child were all involved with the cotton club early in their musical careers

See also[edit]

• Music of Oregon
• Albina, Oregon

Citations

1. "Paul & Geneva Knauls". Martha Gies. Retrieved 2020-03-01.
2. ^ Rand, Jessica. "Paul Knauls". www.opb.org. Retrieved 2020-03-01.
3. ^ "WATCH: A Short Documentary On North Portland's Lost Jazz Scene". Willamette Week. Retrieved 2020-03-01.
4. ^ "Night School #200: Paul Knauls, Sr. - Night School /// XRAY.fm". xray.fm. Retrieved 2020-03-01.
5. ^ News, Paul Knauls As Told to Helen Silvis of The Skanner. "From the Archives: NE Portland's 'Mayor' Ran Hot Night Spot". The Skanner News. Retrieved 2020-03-01.

Other Sources

• Boise Voices Oral History Project Stories of the Cotton Club as told by Paul Knauls
• Albina stop has a storied history, an April 2004 article from the Portland Tribune
• Mel Brown has delighted audiences from the Rose City to Motown and back again, a 2004 article about Mel Brown, who got his start at the Cotton Club
• N.E.'s hometown barber, a March 2001 article from the Portland Business Journal
• Paul Knauls biography, from a website for a business he and his wife own, via the Internet Archive
• Angler Draws Strength from the Willamette, a December 19, 2000 article from The Oregonian, via a personal website