The 20 Grand

Famous Detroiters

Famous people tied to this place 7

Lexicon entries for the people who lived, worked, performed or liked to spend time here.

• George Clinton born 1941 · singer, songwriter, producer, bandleader

  Performed here

  Parliament-Funkadelic performed at this nightclub. The site is now a grass lot.

• Ray Parker Jr. born 1954 · guitarist, singer, songwriter, producer

  Performed here

  Detroit's most celebrated Black nightclub complex, with a bowling alley, lounges and the Driftwood Lounge stage; he played in Bohannon's house band. The building was demolished and the site is a grass lot.

• Tammi Terrell 1945–1970 · singer

  Performed here

  Berry Gordy saw her sing here with Jerry Butler in April 1965 and signed her. The club is gone; the site is a grass lot.

• Mary Wells 1943–1992 · singer, songwriter

  Performed here

  Famous west-side nightclub where she pitched "Bye Bye Baby" to Berry Gordy in 1960. The club at 14th Street and West Warren was later demolished; the site is a grass lot.

• Eddie Kendricks 1939–1992 · singer, songwriter

  Performed here

  Nightclub whose stage the Temptations shared with other Motown stars. The club at 14th Street and West Warren was later demolished; the site is a grass lot.

• Richard "Popcorn" Wylie 1939–2008 · pianist, bandleader, songwriter, producer

  Performed here

  He performed at the club, where he met Motown engineer Robert Bateman. The site is now a grass lot.

• Ed Wingate 1919–2006 · record label owner, entrepreneur

  Related place

  Wikipedia's article on the club says the adjacent Twenty Grand Motel was his; another article calls him the club's owner. The site is now a grass lot.