Detroit Musical Stories from S. Kay Young
The mid-late 70’s and 80’s in Detroit were golden, amazing. Music was fun, important to our lives. Our crew was 12-15 people, always showing up together, we were the party. Between us, we shared a great deal of talent and love, along with a fierce sense of respect and loyalty toward each other. 40 plus years later, we are still close friends, although many of us are no longer on this side. The Bookies Club 870 images, friends bands, along with the many parties and large venue concerts are precious, fractured seconds of my beloved youth. We met the bands, got back stage, traveled, loved life. These images are also precious because in the great flood of 2014, a large part of my archives were lost. Thankfully, these were moved prior to the flood.
The captures are all film cameras, scanned slides or negs.
The cameras used in these images: Nikons, Diana 120.
Detroit has turned out incredible talent with many of our crew (not all in the images) going on to be respected and successful. It was a remarkable time in Detroit and I am honored to present, once again, this snippet of that era.
The images of Aretha with the feather dress were captured at our late, great Michigan State Fair, 1970’s. She put on a wonderful show and was gracious and generous. The younger Ms. Aretha was very early 70’s at a TV pilot in Detroit.
The Stones images were captured at Masonic Temple in Detroit, June 8, 1978. Our lovely friends from Canada shared seats with Joe Sposita, amazing photographer and a few other friends in the fourth row, left of stage. No mics in the faces - so lucky! The concert was wild and amazing. People climbed up the water sprout outside, cut the chain to the outside door and jumped off the opera box into the audience. People must have been injured but the Stones never missed a beat. As I was photographing the show, I knew the images were going to be amazing due to the sets and the fantastic show. Creem magazine gave me a great spread and a small cover shot which was a great thrill for a young photographer.
Bookies Club 870 was our club. It was a sway lounge back in the 30’s 40’s, a drag bar, then our club. The first Punk club was called Papa Joes on John R and 7 Mile in Detroit, but was too small for our friends who started bands, as well as needing a place to hang out, hence Bookies was hatched as a Punk bar. Our friends’ bands played every weekend. Nationally acclaimed bands played Bookies as well, so much fun. Many books have been written about Bookies and that time in Detroit if you want to explore more of the history on line.
Patti Smith, brilliant poet and chanteuse, played St. Andrews Hall. The crowd was able to get very close and photograph the entire show, unlike now when one gets 3 minutes and out. Great show, amazingly brilliant woman.
The Iggy photos, as I recall, were shot at Cobo Hall, late 70’s-early 80’s. Iggy was always wild, fun, unpredictable in his actions, brilliant in song. In mid-concert, as I recall, Bowie walked on stage and played keyboards. After the show, we knew they were going to Todds Sway Lounge, another fun club in Detroit, and they did indeed show up, carried in above the crowd like kings. It was a grand.
Blondie, Masonic Temple, July 24, 1979. Debbie Harry was beautiful, very high energy, the show was a visual, musical joy.
Thank you for your interest in the work. Additional images may be added in the future,
