20-Year Anniversary Party
The Memphis Bop Club held its 20-year Anniversary Party on Saturday April 7, 2007 at the Hilton Memphis in Memphis TN. It was a sold out event with 400 attendees and the club had to turn folks away due to the room capacity and fire regulations. We would have had 500+ if we could have accommodated them.
There were many past members in attendance to help MBC celebrate this outstanding event. We had 14 Presidents in attendance, with 2 being deceased and 2 not being able to attend. We even had out of town guests from Little Rock and St. Louis. Finger food was bountiful and everyone seemed to savor what was served.
All attendees received a 20-year anniversary book which seemed to make a hit with everyone. It contained comments and words of wisdom from all the individuals who have served as president of MBC. It also gave an overview of the 20-year history of the club and highlighted the charity events MBC has held and assisted. The regular DJs of MBC did an outstanding job and the floor was filled to capacity all night. Door prizes were given to many lucky winners with all the prizes having been donated. There was still a large group at midnight when we had to shut it down. They were not anxious to leave and would probably have stayed till 2 AM if the DJs had kept on playing. Overall, this was a GREAT event and a memorable one. Folks will not soon forget the 20-year bash the Memphis Bop Club held on April 7th. It was probably the best party the Memphis Bop Club has sponsored.
The club was formed on April 3, 1987 by a handful of individuals who were frustrated over the closing of Chevy’s. Being the only nightclub at the time, that played 50s-60s music, they were left with no place to “Bop.” Although another nightclub called “Temptations” began playing bop music one night a week, the group felt the need to form a club. This is how “The Memphis Bop Club” came into being. In its heyday, the club grew to over 1,000 members in the early nineties.
Over the past 20 years, the Memphis Bop Club has contributed more than $200,000 to various charities throughout the Memphis area. They have performed at numerous charity events as well as, going into the retirement community to help lift the spirits of the elderly. The club has also held benefits for its own members to help them out in a crisis. The members have even donated blood to The Blood Bank to help its members. Overall, the club members are a family in itself.
The Memphis Bop Club dances each Friday night from 7:30 PM to Midnight at Bel-Air Bar and Grill (formerly Temptations, where the club was formed) on Macon off Sycamore View. We also offer free bop lessons for those who wish to learn or brush up on their dance steps. The club hosts a Casino Event each year at one of the casinos in Tunica and club members from around the country attend. This year’s event was held at the “Grand Casino.” The Casino Event Committee is already gearing up for next year’s event.
For more information about The Memphis Bop Club, its dance venue, directions to the dance club, or contacts for the dance lessons, please go to their website at: www.memphisbopclub.com. As noted by the members, “Like the old west, if the younger generation doesn’t learn to bop and keep the 50s-60s music alive, we are a dying breed.”
