I recently read Tina Turner’s autobiography, and I thought it would be interesting to see if any of the places in the book were still standing. To put it bluntly, most of the famous clubs where rock n’ roll began (yes, it began here in St. Louis, but our leaders are so bad at their jobs that nobody knows that) are now vacant lots. I think of all the tourism dollars and jobs created in lesser cities in America and around the world based on culture, and it drives me crazy that the St. Louis region does it so badly. I repeat, rock n’ roll was invented in St. Louis due to Chuck Berry, Tina and Ike Turner. Two of three were reprehensible men, but their cultural impact on world culture is undeniable.

First up is the house above, which Ike Turner owned at 3126 Virginia Place in East St. Louis. This section of street is actually a one block private place of McCasland Avenue. It is easy to see that for Ike to own this house in the 1950s shows how successful he already was when Anna Mae Bullock, the future Tina Turner, joined his band. Just a short drive away, at the Club Manhattan, or sometimes written Manhattan Club, Ike’s band, the Kings of Rhythm, would play. It is now a vacant lot, but imagine the two smokestacks in the background still belching smoke from the glass bottle works as people lined up outside. I met a woman who still lives in East St. Louis who told me about how she would sneak into clubs back in the 1950s and 60s to see Tina and Ike Turner perform. She never thought much of Chuck Berry and his guitar playing, however!

That will be my only photo of a vacant lot. All of the famous acts, including the Turners, played across the river in St. Louis, as well, and perhaps most famously at the Club Imperial. Like most ballrooms, the club was located upstairs to preserve valuable storefront space. I’ve looked at the Club Imperial twice, once in March of 2018 and June of 2022.