Art D'Lugoff

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Art D'Lugoff owned The Village Gate, a famous jazz club in New York City's Greenwich Village. D'Lugoff sought out the hottest talent, hosting prominent jazz artists, including Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Aretha Franklin, and Miles Davis, as well as the best in comedy, including Bill Cosby, Mort Sahl, Woody Allen, and John Belushi.

D'Lugoff has the notorious honor of having turned away Bob Dylan, prompting the latter to write music in the basement of the club. [1] He also fired a young Dustin Hoffman for providing poor table service. D'Lugoff styled himself on the famous showman Sol Hurok.[2]

A series of what The New York Times characterized as bad investments, a change in the market, the loss of a low rent due to a change in landlords, and some plain bad luck all led D'Lugoff to declare bankcrupcy in 1991 and close the club in 1994.[3]

In the wake of The Village Gate's closing, D'Lugoff dreamed of opening a new jazz club near Times Square. He also worked on raising money for the development of a national jazz museum and hall of fame to be located in New York City.[4] [5] D'Lugoff's idea of a museum eventually developed into the National Jazz Museum of Harlem. [1]

D'Lugoff won the Paul Robeson Award in 1992.

D'Lugoff's wife, Avital D'Lugoff, worked as a photographer. They have three daughters and one son named Sharon, Dahlia, Racheal, and Raphael.[6]

In 2008 the Village Gate is to re-open under the name "Le Poisson Rouge", with D'Lugoff involved as a consultant. [7]

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[edit] References

  1. ^ The New York Times, "It's All Over for the Village Gate But Its Ex-Owner Looks Ahead", 8 July 1994
  2. ^ The New York Times, "Strictly Business; Village Gate Struggling To Avoid Its Last Chorus", 8 March 1993
  3. ^ The New York Times, "Strictly Business; Village Gate Struggling To Avoid Its Last Chorus", 8 March 1993
  4. ^ The New York Times, "It's All Over for the Village Gate But Its Ex-Owner Looks Ahead", 8 July 1994
  5. ^ The New York Times, "Art D'Lugoff Lands on His Feet, 27 October 1996
  6. ^ The New York Timers, "Sharon D'Lugoff Wed", 15 December 1986
  7. ^ THE VILLAGE GATE to reopen in spring (Wordless Music Series programmer included). Brooklyn Vegan. (2008-01-08). Retrieved on 2008-01-23.