End of The Edison Hotel on Toronto's Yonge Street

Sent: Tuesday, January 04, 2011 11:38 AM

Subject: SAD NEWS AGAIN

SAD NEWS THE EDISON HOTEL ON YONGE STREET AT THE CORNER OF GOULD STREET BURNED DOWN ON JANUARY 3 2011.
KENNY HEPBURN PLAYED THERE WITH ALEX LAZAROFF AND THE REBELS, I JOINED THE BAND IN 1960 AND WORKED AT THE CLUB FOR SEVEN MONTHS.
When Tommy Danton and the Echoes played the Zanzibar and Gordon Lightfoot was at the Silver Rail between sets we'd rush down to the "Eddy" for a glass of ten cent beer. Mr. Rotenberg the owner, would stand on the sidewalk and call in customers. The beer parlour in the back was a regular watering hole for band members from The Zanzibar, the Silver Rail, The Bermuda club, The Coq, D'or and the Brown Derby.for a 10cent glass of beer. We'd mix with the rummy's and other floatsome, between sets, barf on the floor and then try and walk out for our next set. Many times we'd just leave Gordy Glass there on the floor and perform the next set without him, "he went home ill" we'd say. When the Willowdale gang came to see Tommy Danton they'd go down to The Eddy for a cheap buzz and Kenny Hepburn would sit there and drink a coke because he was only 18 years old.

During my tenure at "The Eddy" many of the legends played there and our band The Rebels played the dance music between their sets. There was Bill Haley and the Comets, Woody Herman and the Third Herd, Dwayne Eddy, Dizzy Gillespie, The Diamonds, Tommy Ambrose was The Rebels, featured vocalist and "Katy Murdoch" the last of the Red Hot Mama's was also our female vocalist. Plenty of the greats played there.
 
- John Dowson