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Contribution: Clint Day, Pointe-Claire, Québec
“Founded by the legendary Rufus Rockhead and located on St-Antoine O. corner of Mountain (de la Montagne), Rockhead’s Paradise was THE place where black jazz entertainers played at or dropped in at while in Montréal. Names like Redd Fox, Billie Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Pearl Bailey and local stars Oscar Peterson, Oliver Jones and Charlie Biddle, among legions of others, played there or visited. Who can forget Rockhead’s 75-foot bar which had the distinction of being the longest in the country.
“Rockhead’s Paradise” became the “Rising Sun” at the end of the Super 70s and was demolished shortly after. (The Rising Sun moved to 286 Ste-Catherine O. for a time). Today, the original Rockhead’s Paradise address of 1252 St-Antoine O. is gone, having given way to a municipal parking lot to accommodate the Bell Centre crowds and other area businesses… ‘They paved “Paradise” to put up a parking lot’…geez, when Joni sang that on CKGM, she had it right…literally.” Marc Denis, CKGM Super 70 Tribute Page Curator |