Tuesday, September 1, 2009
The Silver Star Bar - Detroit Michigan (Gay Bar)
The Silver Star bar was located at 9310 Greenfield in Detroit. I do not know anything about this bar, help! Bob Damron's 1968 guide book says it was "Very Popular" If you have any stories about this bar, please post! Also photos.
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I haven't thought about this bar in years. I went there a few times because I lived close by. The crowd in the afternoon's, that's when I went, was a youthful 30+ crowd. I remembered that one afternoon, I went over because I didn't have anything to do. Once there I meet a met this guy and we were otta there. And that's the end of my story.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone remember the Silver Dollar Bar in downtown Detorit from the fifties and sixties. The bar was on a narrow street near the grayhound bus terminal. An infamous area frequented by hustlers and the underbelly, so I thought. Only entered the Silver Dollar bar once in the afternoon and remembered the ostrich plumes behind the bar and black interior walls. My ex priest room mate of that era frequented the bar after work where he comiserated with the regulars to the wee hours. I considered it a place to avoid at that time, but recenly talked to a stright friend from the same era who recalled seeing drag shows there and fooling unsuspecting boyfrineds. She enjoyed the gay bar scene at that time and we both had some fond recollections of specific acts that later moved uptown to the Diplomat bar on Cass Ave. It's really too much at this late date to meet someone who remembers the acts. We had a commerative song fest recalling the drags and songs from that era. Really funny how we recalled a gesture and memory of a performance from so long ago. We're both older than God!
ReplyDeleteI worked at the Silver Star in the late 70's. It had a grill and was mostly straight at lunch time. Bessie was the daytime bartender for years. David (I believe) was his name ran the place. Both of them were straight (well, Bessie kind of turned gay, especially when she drank, which was often). At cocktail hour and during the evenings it was frequently mostly by older gay men. It had a jukebox and a couple of pinball machines. The owner was straight and homophobic but he liked the money that came in the door. He was cheap and refused to hire security so there were several robberies and car thefts.
ReplyDeleteFormer bartenders were Craig (Carrie Phillips), Bobby (not very friendly) and Buddy. I think they lost the lease or something and the whole crowd moved down the street to the Terrace, which had a straight crowd during the day. Again, no security so it was not uncommon to hear about somebody's car being stollen or somebody being mugged. Not sure when it closed.
Craig made it a fun place to be, Buddy who is still sexy made me feel welcome. Does anyone know what happened to my friend/boyfriend Kevin Burnett who was a floor fairy there in his white jump suit. Heard he moved to P.A.
ReplyDeleteis buddy still around?
ReplyDeleteYes im still around
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DeleteStill around and doing good. Thanks for asking.
DeleteBuddy is still around and doing well just getting old Lol
DeleteYES DAVID AND BETTY BOOBS (NOT BESSIE)WERE THE OWNERS. BETTY MADE A MEAN CHEESBURGER! CRAIG PASSED AWAY MANY YEARS AGO-I WROTE HIS EULOGY. WE WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL TOGETHER. I LOVED THIS BAR-IT WAS ALWAYS MY 1ST STOP ON MY WAY TO THE INTERCHANGE. AH, THE GOOD OLD DAYS. LIFE, INDEED, WAS SWEETER.
ReplyDeleteCRAIG AND I MOVED TO LOS ANGELES TOGETHER IN THE LATE 1970'S. I SURE MISS HIM.
ReplyDeleteI USED TO HAVE THE BEST TIME THERE-I REMEMBER TRUMAN, A HANDSOME DEAF MAN AND I HAD A LOT OF FUN.
ReplyDeleteI knew Truman and all the deaf guys we used to go to the pink flamingo on Sunday's I dated a dead man named Ted McGregor and was the interpreter for the gay men's chorus in the early 80's
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