The closing of the Roseland Ballroom left an entertainment void in Holyoke's downtown area. Stephen F. McCormick, John J. Griffin, and William F. Herbert were the three new proprietors of the newly formed Beachcomber Discotheque. The discotheque was located at 461 Dwight Street, the former Roseland Ballroom, which they leased from Sidney Epstein in August 1965.
The plan was to open every Friday and Saturday night with live music that played contemporary music. The room was also available for functions such as the Firefighters Ball held in 1965 and 1966.
Many local musicians, such as the Crystaltones, Dynamics, Del Vicounts, and Blue Denim performed. Others were national and regional acts such as The Cowsills, Shangri-Las, and The Barbarians.
The proprietors began to allow Midnight to 4 A.M. dances, one of which was held on November 11, 1966. The police chief was displeased with the series of dances over three successive early Saturday mornings. Police cruisers were dispatched to monitor the activities at 4 A.M. Patrons from as far away as Hartford, New York, and New Jersey had attended. There had been no major problems encountered, however the mayor instituted a $5 per event licensure and indicated no license would be issued to the owners for these midnight dances.
From the information I have been able to find, the Beachcomber Discotheque operated for a total of 15 months through November 1966. A news article in August 1967 referenced that the discotheque had been closed for some time.
On October 29, 1967, a fire destroyed the vacant Opera House, the former Beachcomber Discotheque, and businesses halfway up the Dwight Street hill opposite the Holyoke City Hall. The property is now a part of the Ernest J. Proulx Parking Deck site.
Citations:
Newspapers.com (paid subscription): Citations: Holyoke (Massachusetts) Transcript & Transcript-Telegram; Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican) publication dates are shown.
Holyoke Public Library, Holyoke, Massachusetts, City Directories.
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