Monday, September 12, 2011
Doug's Body Shop (Gay Bar)
Doug's was a straight bar and restaurant for years then it changed to gay. It later became Cobalt. It had old cars that were made into booths that you would sit in. It was popular for a few years. Post your stories and comments..
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
omg,, i went here to eat back then , it was a srt8 place then i'm thinking it was maybe 1975 ,oh now i show my age,,,
ReplyDeleteDo you remember the name of the female singer at Doug's Body Shop.
DeleteOrthea Barnes
DeleteOrthea Barnes
DeleteCool place back in '76-'77. Big Cadillac for a salad bar. Novelty of front car seat turned around to form a cozy booth inside car body. Very unique. Sorry it's gone.
ReplyDeleteThis was a gay hot spot in the late 80s / early 90s. The theme was classic cars and many of the booths were partial car exteriors. Very cool! Aretha Franklin's "Pink Cadillac" music video was filmed here in part. It was a mid-sized bar/club but a perfect size for dancing and socializing. I recall learning "The Macarena" here when the song was first launched. The owner was a straight guy named Larry. Some of the staff names were Gustav, April and Mel (who would later have his handsome face featured on "Just for Men" hair products packaging. There always seemed to be something interesting to do their on off nights: movies, contests, specials etc. I dare to say that this was the first gay bar outside of Detroit's city limits, although there were gay-friendly businesses of other types in the burbs.
ReplyDeleteI was one of that guys that started the Macarena at that bar. Lol . One night a Arad guys named Tom, a Asian guy named Paul, a Indian guy named Manny, a Italian guy named Jimmy and me a African American guy named Darwin . Started doing that dance at that bar and everyone followed and did it for weeks and weeks ��
DeleteMy first gay bar in 1995... learned the Macarena and danced there all the time. First time there, a new friend bought me a beer, I saw two guys dancing and it was amazing. I was deathly afraid someone would see me going in or leaving.. but I had just moved there and knew no one in Michigan.
DeleteI loved this bar and was friends with all the staff .
ReplyDeleteWhen I went to Doug's Body Shop it wasn't a gay bar. Only ate upstairs once. We always went to the bar downstairs. Every Thursday was ladies night. After my sisters wedding all the bridesmaids went for last call. We were all dressed in our bridesmaids dresses. If you didn't have anything to do on any given night, you could go to Doug's and always run in to someone you knew. We had a lot of fun there. Many great memories. A portion of Aretha Franklin "Freeway of Love" video was filmed at Doug's.
ReplyDeleteWhat was the address/ location
DeleteI remember going there when I was very pregnant in 1986. A guy my husband worked with said his girlfriend (or maybe wife) was singing there so we went. I think her name was Liz Lerin or something like that. I ended up working with that guy too a few months later.
DeleteDo you remember the name of the female singer.
ReplyDeleteAnita Baker i believe sang there at times with her band.
DeleteI was one of the guys that started up doing the macarena one night on the Dancefloor .
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone remember the location on Woodward in Ferndale. South of Nine Mile ? Pretty sure I was there eons ago. Fun place. As both Dougs and Cobalt
ReplyDeleteI definitely remember going to Doug's in the mid to late seventies when it was a nice jazz club for a bit. OrThea Barnes and a fantastic piano player whose name I cannot remember had regular stays there.
ReplyDelete