Ritz Ballroom, Kings Heath
The Ritz | |
 The building in February 2012 | |
 | |
| Location | York Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham, England, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 52°26′05″N 1°53′37″W / 52.43463°N 1.89355°W |
| Owner | Joe and Mary Regan |
| Construction | |
| Demolished | 27 March 2013 (by fire) |
The Ritz Ballroom in York Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham, West Midlands, was a 1960s music venue, known for the number of artists it hosted, who went on to become international successes, especially those on the roster of Brian Epstein.[1]
Operated by Joe Regan and his wife Mary, the venue used a former cinema.[1] Acts which appeared there included The Beatles, Pink Floyd and The Rolling Stones.[1][2]
In March 2013, the building, by then used as shop, was destroyed by fire.
The Regans
The Regans - known as "Ma and Pa Regan"[3] - operated three other concert venues in the area:[1]
- The Plaza, Handsworth, Birmingham
- The Plaza, Old Hill
- The Gary Owen (also known as the Kavern), Small Heath
Mary was responsible for selecting and booking the acts.[1] She was also a PE teacher at Coleshill.[1] At the time of Joe's death, in 2004 aged 92.,[1] the couple had two children, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.[1]
Building history
Originally opened as the Ideal Cinema, the building then became a snooker hall, before reopening as The Ritz Ballroom. Some time in the late 1960s or 1970s, the Regans converted the premises into a bingo hall, after which it was derelict for some years. Its final use was as a Cash Converters shop.[4]
In the early hours of 27 March 2013, the building was destroyed by fire,[4] caused by an electrical fault.[5] The remaining walls were demolished in January 2015.[5]
Notable performances
- 15 February 1963: The Beatles (shortly after releasing “Please Please Me”)[3]
- 21 June 1963: Jerry Lee Lewis/Gene Vincent[3]
- 14 September 1963: The Rolling Stones[3]
- 26 February 1965: The Moody Blues[3]
- 24 April 1966: Robert Plant[3]
- 11 June 1966: The Kinks[3]
- 16 December 1967: Pink Floyd[6]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h Dayani, Alsion (2004-12-09). "man who brought Beatles to Brum". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 8 February 2012.
- ^ Authi, Jasbir (2012-02-13). "Residents want walk of fame in Kings Heath". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 15 February 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Walk of Fame for King's Heath". Archived from the original on 19 September 2013. Retrieved 8 February 2012.
- ^ a b Authi, Jasbir (2013-03-27). "Kings Heath High Street closed as fire crews tackle blaze at Cash Converters store which once played host to The Beatles". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
- ^ a b Authi, Jasbir (15 January 2015). "Kings Heath Ritz Ballroom is being demolished". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
- ^ Miles, Barry; Mabbett, Andy (1994). Pink Floyd the visual documentary (Updated ed.). London: Omnibus. ISBN 0-7119-4109-2.