If only the building at 9015 Sunset Blvd on the Hollywood Strip could talk … oh, the stories it could tell. The Rainbow Bar & Grill, owned at that time by Elmer Valentine, Lou Adler, and Mario Maglieri, opened in April 1972 with a party for Elton John. The location was the former Villa Nova Restaurant, owned by director Vincent Minnelli while he was married to Judy Garland.
After opening, the bar and grill very quickly became known as a hangout for celebrities, particularly rock stars. And where the famous musicians are, the groupies will surely follow. Among those who were regulars in the 70’s were Keith Moon, Alice Cooper, Micky Dolenz, Harry Nilsson, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, and Neil Diamond. Members of Led Zeppelin, Elvis Presley and Neil Diamond were also spotted there on more than one occasion. In the mid and later 70s, Kim Fowley, renown record producer and manager of the Runaways, was a frequent fixture there.
The 80s brought a shift in music tastes, and hard rock...
