Rainbow Bar and Grill
Template:Use American English Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Coord Script error: No such module "Infobox".Template:Template otherScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Template:Main other The Rainbow Bar and Grill is a bar and restaurant on the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood, California, United States, adjacent to the border of Beverly Hills, California. Its address is 9015 Sunset Boulevard.
The bottom level of the building is the restaurant, The Rainbow Bar and Grill. Upstairs was an exclusive club called "Over the Rainbow", which still consists of a full bar, a dance floor and a DJ booth. It currently has live entertainment on select days during the week. The restaurant is next to The Roxy Theatre and 1 OAK (formerly Gazzarri's);[1] Billboard Live, and The Key Club.
History
Before becoming the Rainbow, the restaurant was the Villa Nova restaurant, which was originally owned by film director Vincente Minnelli, at the time married to Judy Garland. Joe DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe met at the restaurant on a blind date in 1952.[2]
After operating for 28 years, Villa Nova closed in 1968 and the building re-opened as the Windjammer until it closed in 1971.
The restaurant was founded in early 1972 by Gary Stromberg and Bob Gibson, heads of the PR firm Gibson & Stromberg. They brought in co-owners Elmer Valentine, Lou Adler, Mario Maglieri and others,[3][4] opening in late March with a Buddah Records party for NRBQ.[5] On April 16, there was a party for Elton John.[6] At the time, the word "rainbow" signified peace and freedom. It quickly became known as a hangout for celebrities of all types.[7] John Belushi ate his last meal[8] (lentil soup) at table No. 16.Script error: No such module "Unsubst". The pornography actor Ron Jeremy was also known to regularly hang out there in the 2000s and 2010s.[9] For many years, the owner was Mario Maglieri.[7]
The Rainbow became known as a hangout for rock musicians and their Groupies. Notable regulars at the Rainbow in this period include Keith Moon, Alice Cooper, Led Zeppelin, Ritchie Blackmore, Micky Dolenz, Harry Nilsson, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, and Neil Diamond.[8] Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash were known to have occasionally visited the Rainbow.Script error: No such module "Unsubst". The group of musicians calling themselves the Hollywood Vampires made the Rainbow their home away from home in the mid-1970s. In the last two decades of his life, Motörhead frontman Lemmy was a daily fixture at the Rainbow whenever the band was not on tour, and often played a video poker machine at the end of the bar table.[10]
Producer Kim Fowley used to hang out at the Rainbow, especially in 1975, when he formed the all-girl group The Runaways. Actress and musician Cheryl Smith was given her pseudonym Rainbeaux Smith early in her career as a result of her frequenting the Rainbow; she briefly replaced Sandy West as drummer of The Runaways at the end of that band's existence.Script error: No such module "Unsubst".
As musical trends on the Strip changed towards heavy metal in the 1980s, the Rainbow followed suit. Members of Mötley Crüe,[11] Poison, and Guns N' Roses frequented the bar.[12] It was mentioned in a number of songs, such as "Sunset and Babylon" by W.A.S.P., "Vampire" by L.A. Guns and "Peach Kelli Pop" by Redd Kross, and featured in the videos of "November Rain", "Estranged" and "Don't Cry" by Guns N' Roses and also, although briefly, "Rock Out" and "Stone Deaf in the U.S.A" by Motörhead.
Anthony Kiedis of the Red Hot Chili Peppers noted in his book Scar Tissue that he often sat with his father at the club along with members of bands such as Led Zeppelin and Kiss. Often the waitresses and bartenders were groupies as well as those who frequented the establishment. In Pamela Des Barres' book Let's Spend the Night Together, the author commented that as a barfly in the early 1980s she met a number of celebrities including Billy Idol.[13]
On January 18, 2017, the Rainbow was inducted into the Hall of Heavy Metal History for introducing the world to new heavy metal acts.[14]
On August 21, 2023, a lawsuit was filed by two women against the Rainbow Bar and Grill. The women alleged that employees knew Ron Jeremy sexually assaulted women there, including themselves, and allowed him to do so.[15][16]On April 15, 2025, it was announced that a global settlement was reached with at least nine women who were suing the Rainbow Bar and Grill. Many of Jeremy's accusers will receive financial compenstation after Jeremy was found not competent to stand trial.[17]
On November 5, 2023, Mikael Maglieri, who was the second-generation owner of the Whisky a Go Go nightclub and Rainbow Bar and Grill, died.[18]
In popular culture
- In Jimmy Buffett's song lyrics of "You'll never work in dis business again": Jimmy sings "I parked cars at the Rainbow"
- The musical group Rainbow was named after this club.Template:Sfn
- Fragrance company 19-69 released a perfume named after the Rainbow Bar in 2018.[19]
- A documentary entitled "The Rainbow" directed by Zak Knutson, was released in 2019.[20]
See also
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References
Bibliography
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External links
Template:West Hollywood, California
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ "Legends never die: Joe DiMaggio – 1914 to 1999: Yankee Clipper famous for far more than baseball exploits", Toronto Star, March 9, 1999, p. 1.
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Billboard (magazine) Vol 84 No. 17, page 6
- ↑ Erik Quisling, Straight Whisky: A Living History of Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n' Roll on the Sunset Strip (Bonus Books 2003), pp 175–176
- ↑ a b Waserman, Kastle. "Rock 'n' Rollers, Your Tab Is Running at the Rainbow", Los Angeles Times, 2002-12-15, p. I8.
- ↑ a b "High life", People (magazine), 41 (2):56–62, January 17, 1994.
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
- ↑ Zimmerman, Linda. "Scratchin' Around for Chicken Soup", Los Angeles Times, January 31, 1988, p. 90.
- ↑ Haring, Bruce. "Metal bands regain a heavy attitude", USA Today, 1996-04-16, p. 4D.
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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