Once upon a time long ago, that circa 1935 huge gray building had been called "Club Rio" and it had been so innocent that Red Skelton played there. So had a 17 year old unknown comic named Jackie Gleason. After that it became the tropically-themed Royal Palms in 1952 owned 12 years by Daniel F. (aka Mickey) Shellhammer, and then in 1964, George Restum's Lu Conda. Bacchanalia did not yet reign, but...
When I knew it, "Bill Daniels' Rock Palace", later known as "Bill Daniels' Music Factory" was the place to party if you were in eastern Pennsylvania, especially in Allentown, and especially in the 1970's and early 80's. The place thumped under Daniels' management from 1967 to 1985, closing in 1986. Live music built the club's reputation, recorded music came later, and DJ Deb spun the records (yeah, records back then). Deb was breathlessly cool, smart, and funny. We worked together on a different job, and she was the first person I ever heard say "yo" and the only person who ever explained to me how to tape one's suspenders over one's nipples, so one could go shirtless... as Deb sometimes did for her gig at Bill Daniels'.
It was a unique institution, yet like any club it was a microcosm of the town around it. Yes, there were some sleazy characters, pickup artists, fighters, cheaters... but there were also a lot of young people who just dug the vibe, enjoyed the music, danced their brains out, and had fun.
The club was legend for wildness, good tunes, and bad morning afters. The huge ediface was officially in Dorneyville, at 3220 Hamilton Boulevard, right near Cedar Crest and Hamilton and though now long gone is still visible in my mind's eye at the intersection. You could tell where there used to have been windows, tall rectangular sections outlined in brick with arches at the top, but they were long-ago cemented over, and painted with humorous Gay 90's pictures of gents with derby hats, armbands and handlebar mustaches quaffing beers, ladies with Gibson-girl hair in puffy-sleeved dresses, old-fashioned folks riding old-fashioned bicycles. It looked so pleasant and innocent, but... no windows?
So big, so nailed shut from the outside! As a kid, when we drove by, I asked my parents what it was, and the vague answer was kind of that it was a bad place... and to them it was, because they didn't want their daughter there, ever.
____________________________________
2004
Bill Unger of Fogelsville writes, "Back in the '70s the best place to pick up women was Bill Daniels' Rock Palace in Dorneyville. They had a DJ there whose stage name was Debbie Makai.
"Now Debbie truly played the part to the hilt, complete with attitude and outfits (sexy chic and at times risque for the day). Guys fed her every line in the English language. How could you compete?
"I thought I would give her a dose of reality and became sarcastic and criticized everything she said or did. I was brutal on her. She came to hate me so much that she went to the owner and asked him to ban me from the club." He declined.
"Now Debbie decided to tackle the problem head on," Unger continued. "That Saturday night she came up behind me, tapped me on the shoulder and when I turned around, she asked me to dance. My reply was "Fifty bucks and a note from your mother.'
"The expression on her face was total shock. She was used to getting her way with guys. She retreated to the DJ booth.
"The next Friday she again came up behind me, and this time when she asked for the dance, before I could respond, she whipped out a $50 bill and proceeded to tell me her mother wouldn't sign the note until she met me.
"Well, the $50 bought us dinner and a show. As for the dance, the music is still playing, and it's been nearly 26 years."
______________________________________
Aug 2, 2009
It's hard to believe, but Bill Daniels Rock Palace, for two decades Eastern Pennsylvania's king of the hill for many local and national rock bands, started life as a beef and beer joint featuring live banjo music as its top draw.
Bill Daniels opened the Dorneyville club in 1967, with his son John helping out in its kitchen. "I convinced my dad to try bringing in local rock bands," says John Daniels, 60, now national marketing manager for the Allentown-based Banko Beverage Co. "So we started concerts on Tuesday nights and they became an instant success."
"Through most of the 1970s and early 1980s, rock music was at its peak," says Daniels, who managed and booked the acts for his father. "And it's amazing how much talent was in the Lehigh Valley that was blossoming at the same time. Dad knew all the bands, and loved introducing them. It was always a special moment when that first band came on at 10 p.m."
"The place was like a continuous party, a boy-meet-girl atmosphere," says Daniels, who met his own wife at the club. "Most everyone was a regular, everybody knew everybody. It was always packed, every night of the week."
Not only was it the ultimate place to play for any big band in the area, it was also the ultimate place to hang out. Billy Joel had a private party at the club after his 1975 Muhlenberg concert. ZZ Top would hang out there after their Allentown Fairgrounds shows.
In 1979 the club's name was changed to Bill Daniels Music Factory, reflecting the popularity of dancing to recorded music as well as live acts. Bill Daniels died in 1985, and the club closed its doors the following year.
Says Daniels, "There was such positive energy. I don't know if it's possible to have that in this world now, or even economically possible -- most kids can only afford to go out now once a week. By the time dad died, I feel the rock scene had peaked, and the club had run its course. I will always remember those times as the glory days."
_____________________________________
William "Bill" Daniels, 62, of 980 N. 33rd St., Allentown, died Saturday in the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia. He was the husband of Genevieve (Rotek) Daniels.
Since 1967, he was owner and operator of Bill Daniels Music Factory, now known as G. Willikers, South Whitehall Township. He was a past president of the Berks County Tavern Association.
Born in Reading, he was a son of the late Caesar and Mary Daniels.
He was a Navy veteran of World War II and the Korean War.
Surviving with his widow are a son, John A. of Allentown; a daughter, Patricia L., at home; a brother Jessie of Reading, and two grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday in the Weber Funeral Home, 1619 Hamilton St., Allentown. Calling hours will be 6-9 p.m. Thursday.
When I knew it, "Bill Daniels' Rock Palace", later known as "Bill Daniels' Music Factory" was the place to party if you were in eastern Pennsylvania, especially in Allentown, and especially in the 1970's and early 80's. The place thumped under Daniels' management from 1967 to 1985, closing in 1986. Live music built the club's reputation, recorded music came later, and DJ Deb spun the records (yeah, records back then). Deb was breathlessly cool, smart, and funny. We worked together on a different job, and she was the first person I ever heard say "yo" and the only person who ever explained to me how to tape one's suspenders over one's nipples, so one could go shirtless... as Deb sometimes did for her gig at Bill Daniels'.
It was a unique institution, yet like any club it was a microcosm of the town around it. Yes, there were some sleazy characters, pickup artists, fighters, cheaters... but there were also a lot of young people who just dug the vibe, enjoyed the music, danced their brains out, and had fun.
The club was legend for wildness, good tunes, and bad morning afters. The huge ediface was officially in Dorneyville, at 3220 Hamilton Boulevard, right near Cedar Crest and Hamilton and though now long gone is still visible in my mind's eye at the intersection. You could tell where there used to have been windows, tall rectangular sections outlined in brick with arches at the top, but they were long-ago cemented over, and painted with humorous Gay 90's pictures of gents with derby hats, armbands and handlebar mustaches quaffing beers, ladies with Gibson-girl hair in puffy-sleeved dresses, old-fashioned folks riding old-fashioned bicycles. It looked so pleasant and innocent, but... no windows?
So big, so nailed shut from the outside! As a kid, when we drove by, I asked my parents what it was, and the vague answer was kind of that it was a bad place... and to them it was, because they didn't want their daughter there, ever.
____________________________________
2004
Bill Unger of Fogelsville writes, "Back in the '70s the best place to pick up women was Bill Daniels' Rock Palace in Dorneyville. They had a DJ there whose stage name was Debbie Makai.
"Now Debbie truly played the part to the hilt, complete with attitude and outfits (sexy chic and at times risque for the day). Guys fed her every line in the English language. How could you compete?
"I thought I would give her a dose of reality and became sarcastic and criticized everything she said or did. I was brutal on her. She came to hate me so much that she went to the owner and asked him to ban me from the club." He declined.
"Now Debbie decided to tackle the problem head on," Unger continued. "That Saturday night she came up behind me, tapped me on the shoulder and when I turned around, she asked me to dance. My reply was "Fifty bucks and a note from your mother.'
"The expression on her face was total shock. She was used to getting her way with guys. She retreated to the DJ booth.
"The next Friday she again came up behind me, and this time when she asked for the dance, before I could respond, she whipped out a $50 bill and proceeded to tell me her mother wouldn't sign the note until she met me.
"Well, the $50 bought us dinner and a show. As for the dance, the music is still playing, and it's been nearly 26 years."
______________________________________
Aug 2, 2009
It's hard to believe, but Bill Daniels Rock Palace, for two decades Eastern Pennsylvania's king of the hill for many local and national rock bands, started life as a beef and beer joint featuring live banjo music as its top draw.
Bill Daniels opened the Dorneyville club in 1967, with his son John helping out in its kitchen. "I convinced my dad to try bringing in local rock bands," says John Daniels, 60, now national marketing manager for the Allentown-based Banko Beverage Co. "So we started concerts on Tuesday nights and they became an instant success."
"Through most of the 1970s and early 1980s, rock music was at its peak," says Daniels, who managed and booked the acts for his father. "And it's amazing how much talent was in the Lehigh Valley that was blossoming at the same time. Dad knew all the bands, and loved introducing them. It was always a special moment when that first band came on at 10 p.m."
"The place was like a continuous party, a boy-meet-girl atmosphere," says Daniels, who met his own wife at the club. "Most everyone was a regular, everybody knew everybody. It was always packed, every night of the week."
Not only was it the ultimate place to play for any big band in the area, it was also the ultimate place to hang out. Billy Joel had a private party at the club after his 1975 Muhlenberg concert. ZZ Top would hang out there after their Allentown Fairgrounds shows.
In 1979 the club's name was changed to Bill Daniels Music Factory, reflecting the popularity of dancing to recorded music as well as live acts. Bill Daniels died in 1985, and the club closed its doors the following year.
Says Daniels, "There was such positive energy. I don't know if it's possible to have that in this world now, or even economically possible -- most kids can only afford to go out now once a week. By the time dad died, I feel the rock scene had peaked, and the club had run its course. I will always remember those times as the glory days."
_____________________________________
William "Bill" Daniels, 62, of 980 N. 33rd St., Allentown, died Saturday in the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia. He was the husband of Genevieve (Rotek) Daniels.
Since 1967, he was owner and operator of Bill Daniels Music Factory, now known as G. Willikers, South Whitehall Township. He was a past president of the Berks County Tavern Association.
Born in Reading, he was a son of the late Caesar and Mary Daniels.
He was a Navy veteran of World War II and the Korean War.
Surviving with his widow are a son, John A. of Allentown; a daughter, Patricia L., at home; a brother Jessie of Reading, and two grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday in the Weber Funeral Home, 1619 Hamilton St., Allentown. Calling hours will be 6-9 p.m. Thursday.
Once upon a time long ago, that circa 1935 huge gray building had been called "Club Rio" and it had been so innocent that Red Skelton played there. So had a 17 year old unknown comic named Jackie Gleason. After that it became the tropically-themed Royal Palms in 1952 owned 12 years by Daniel F. (aka Mickey) Shellhammer, and then in 1964, George Restum's Lu Conda. Bacchanalia did not yet reign, but...
When I knew it, "Bill Daniels' Rock Palace", later known as "Bill Daniels' Music Factory" was the place to party if you were in eastern Pennsylvania, especially in Allentown, and especially in the 1970's and early 80's. The place thumped under Daniels' management from 1967 to 1985, closing in 1986. Live music built the club's reputation, recorded music came later, and DJ Deb spun the records (yeah, records back then). Deb was breathlessly cool, smart, and funny. We worked together on a different job, and she was the first person I ever heard say "yo" and the only person who ever explained to me how to tape one's suspenders over one's nipples, so one could go shirtless... as Deb sometimes did for her gig at Bill Daniels'.
It was a unique institution, yet like any club it was a microcosm of the town around it. Yes, there were some sleazy characters, pickup artists, fighters, cheaters... but there were also a lot of young people who just dug the vibe, enjoyed the music, danced their brains out, and had fun.
The club was legend for wildness, good tunes, and bad morning afters. The huge ediface was officially in Dorneyville, at 3220 Hamilton Boulevard, right near Cedar Crest and Hamilton and though now long gone is still visible in my mind's eye at the intersection. You could tell where there used to have been windows, tall rectangular sections outlined in brick with arches at the top, but they were long-ago cemented over, and painted with humorous Gay 90's pictures of gents with derby hats, armbands and handlebar mustaches quaffing beers, ladies with Gibson-girl hair in puffy-sleeved dresses, old-fashioned folks riding old-fashioned bicycles. It looked so pleasant and innocent, but... no windows?
So big, so nailed shut from the outside! As a kid, when we drove by, I asked my parents what it was, and the vague answer was kind of that it was a bad place... and to them it was, because they didn't want their daughter there, ever.
____________________________________
2004
Bill Unger of Fogelsville writes, "Back in the '70s the best place to pick up women was Bill Daniels' Rock Palace in Dorneyville. They had a DJ there whose stage name was Debbie Makai.
"Now Debbie truly played the part to the hilt, complete with attitude and outfits (sexy chic and at times risque for the day). Guys fed her every line in the English language. How could you compete?
"I thought I would give her a dose of reality and became sarcastic and criticized everything she said or did. I was brutal on her. She came to hate me so much that she went to the owner and asked him to ban me from the club." He declined.
"Now Debbie decided to tackle the problem head on," Unger continued. "That Saturday night she came up behind me, tapped me on the shoulder and when I turned around, she asked me to dance. My reply was "Fifty bucks and a note from your mother.'
"The expression on her face was total shock. She was used to getting her way with guys. She retreated to the DJ booth.
"The next Friday she again came up behind me, and this time when she asked for the dance, before I could respond, she whipped out a $50 bill and proceeded to tell me her mother wouldn't sign the note until she met me.
"Well, the $50 bought us dinner and a show. As for the dance, the music is still playing, and it's been nearly 26 years."
______________________________________
Aug 2, 2009
It's hard to believe, but Bill Daniels Rock Palace, for two decades Eastern Pennsylvania's king of the hill for many local and national rock bands, started life as a beef and beer joint featuring live banjo music as its top draw.
Bill Daniels opened the Dorneyville club in 1967, with his son John helping out in its kitchen. "I convinced my dad to try bringing in local rock bands," says John Daniels, 60, now national marketing manager for the Allentown-based Banko Beverage Co. "So we started concerts on Tuesday nights and they became an instant success."
"Through most of the 1970s and early 1980s, rock music was at its peak," says Daniels, who managed and booked the acts for his father. "And it's amazing how much talent was in the Lehigh Valley that was blossoming at the same time. Dad knew all the bands, and loved introducing them. It was always a special moment when that first band came on at 10 p.m."
"The place was like a continuous party, a boy-meet-girl atmosphere," says Daniels, who met his own wife at the club. "Most everyone was a regular, everybody knew everybody. It was always packed, every night of the week."
Not only was it the ultimate place to play for any big band in the area, it was also the ultimate place to hang out. Billy Joel had a private party at the club after his 1975 Muhlenberg concert. ZZ Top would hang out there after their Allentown Fairgrounds shows.
In 1979 the club's name was changed to Bill Daniels Music Factory, reflecting the popularity of dancing to recorded music as well as live acts. Bill Daniels died in 1985, and the club closed its doors the following year.
Says Daniels, "There was such positive energy. I don't know if it's possible to have that in this world now, or even economically possible -- most kids can only afford to go out now once a week. By the time dad died, I feel the rock scene had peaked, and the club had run its course. I will always remember those times as the glory days."
_____________________________________
William "Bill" Daniels, 62, of 980 N. 33rd St., Allentown, died Saturday in the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia. He was the husband of Genevieve (Rotek) Daniels.
Since 1967, he was owner and operator of Bill Daniels Music Factory, now known as G. Willikers, South Whitehall Township. He was a past president of the Berks County Tavern Association.
Born in Reading, he was a son of the late Caesar and Mary Daniels.
He was a Navy veteran of World War II and the Korean War.
Surviving with his widow are a son, John A. of Allentown; a daughter, Patricia L., at home; a brother Jessie of Reading, and two grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday in the Weber Funeral Home, 1619 Hamilton St., Allentown. Calling hours will be 6-9 p.m. Thursday.
When I knew it, "Bill Daniels' Rock Palace", later known as "Bill Daniels' Music Factory" was the place to party if you were in eastern Pennsylvania, especially in Allentown, and especially in the 1970's and early 80's. The place thumped under Daniels' management from 1967 to 1985, closing in 1986. Live music built the club's reputation, recorded music came later, and DJ Deb spun the records (yeah, records back then). Deb was breathlessly cool, smart, and funny. We worked together on a different job, and she was the first person I ever heard say "yo" and the only person who ever explained to me how to tape one's suspenders over one's nipples, so one could go shirtless... as Deb sometimes did for her gig at Bill Daniels'.
It was a unique institution, yet like any club it was a microcosm of the town around it. Yes, there were some sleazy characters, pickup artists, fighters, cheaters... but there were also a lot of young people who just dug the vibe, enjoyed the music, danced their brains out, and had fun.
The club was legend for wildness, good tunes, and bad morning afters. The huge ediface was officially in Dorneyville, at 3220 Hamilton Boulevard, right near Cedar Crest and Hamilton and though now long gone is still visible in my mind's eye at the intersection. You could tell where there used to have been windows, tall rectangular sections outlined in brick with arches at the top, but they were long-ago cemented over, and painted with humorous Gay 90's pictures of gents with derby hats, armbands and handlebar mustaches quaffing beers, ladies with Gibson-girl hair in puffy-sleeved dresses, old-fashioned folks riding old-fashioned bicycles. It looked so pleasant and innocent, but... no windows?
So big, so nailed shut from the outside! As a kid, when we drove by, I asked my parents what it was, and the vague answer was kind of that it was a bad place... and to them it was, because they didn't want their daughter there, ever.
____________________________________
2004
Bill Unger of Fogelsville writes, "Back in the '70s the best place to pick up women was Bill Daniels' Rock Palace in Dorneyville. They had a DJ there whose stage name was Debbie Makai.
"Now Debbie truly played the part to the hilt, complete with attitude and outfits (sexy chic and at times risque for the day). Guys fed her every line in the English language. How could you compete?
"I thought I would give her a dose of reality and became sarcastic and criticized everything she said or did. I was brutal on her. She came to hate me so much that she went to the owner and asked him to ban me from the club." He declined.
"Now Debbie decided to tackle the problem head on," Unger continued. "That Saturday night she came up behind me, tapped me on the shoulder and when I turned around, she asked me to dance. My reply was "Fifty bucks and a note from your mother.'
"The expression on her face was total shock. She was used to getting her way with guys. She retreated to the DJ booth.
"The next Friday she again came up behind me, and this time when she asked for the dance, before I could respond, she whipped out a $50 bill and proceeded to tell me her mother wouldn't sign the note until she met me.
"Well, the $50 bought us dinner and a show. As for the dance, the music is still playing, and it's been nearly 26 years."
______________________________________
Aug 2, 2009
It's hard to believe, but Bill Daniels Rock Palace, for two decades Eastern Pennsylvania's king of the hill for many local and national rock bands, started life as a beef and beer joint featuring live banjo music as its top draw.
Bill Daniels opened the Dorneyville club in 1967, with his son John helping out in its kitchen. "I convinced my dad to try bringing in local rock bands," says John Daniels, 60, now national marketing manager for the Allentown-based Banko Beverage Co. "So we started concerts on Tuesday nights and they became an instant success."
"Through most of the 1970s and early 1980s, rock music was at its peak," says Daniels, who managed and booked the acts for his father. "And it's amazing how much talent was in the Lehigh Valley that was blossoming at the same time. Dad knew all the bands, and loved introducing them. It was always a special moment when that first band came on at 10 p.m."
"The place was like a continuous party, a boy-meet-girl atmosphere," says Daniels, who met his own wife at the club. "Most everyone was a regular, everybody knew everybody. It was always packed, every night of the week."
Not only was it the ultimate place to play for any big band in the area, it was also the ultimate place to hang out. Billy Joel had a private party at the club after his 1975 Muhlenberg concert. ZZ Top would hang out there after their Allentown Fairgrounds shows.
In 1979 the club's name was changed to Bill Daniels Music Factory, reflecting the popularity of dancing to recorded music as well as live acts. Bill Daniels died in 1985, and the club closed its doors the following year.
Says Daniels, "There was such positive energy. I don't know if it's possible to have that in this world now, or even economically possible -- most kids can only afford to go out now once a week. By the time dad died, I feel the rock scene had peaked, and the club had run its course. I will always remember those times as the glory days."
_____________________________________
William "Bill" Daniels, 62, of 980 N. 33rd St., Allentown, died Saturday in the University of Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia. He was the husband of Genevieve (Rotek) Daniels.
Since 1967, he was owner and operator of Bill Daniels Music Factory, now known as G. Willikers, South Whitehall Township. He was a past president of the Berks County Tavern Association.
Born in Reading, he was a son of the late Caesar and Mary Daniels.
He was a Navy veteran of World War II and the Korean War.
Surviving with his widow are a son, John A. of Allentown; a daughter, Patricia L., at home; a brother Jessie of Reading, and two grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. Friday in the Weber Funeral Home, 1619 Hamilton St., Allentown. Calling hours will be 6-9 p.m. Thursday.
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