Quentin Tarantino and musician John Oszajca pose for a portrait at The Viper Room in Los Angeles, California on March 2, 2000. Despite advertising itself as Harlem in Hollywood, it was not associated with the famous Cotton Club in Harlem. Today Vulture takes a look back at Depps long love affair with rock and roll, from his teens in Florida to his work with some of the most legendary figures in music. Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom wax figures Wax figure of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow and Orlando Bloom as Will Turner debuted at Madame Johnny Depp to donate $1 million of Amber Heard settlement to charity, Johnny Depp no longer dating his former attorney Joelle Rich, Johnny Depp files appeal in Amber Heard defamation case, Johnny Depp to make cameo at Rihannas fourth Savage X Fenty fashion show, The Hollywood Vampires to tour the UK in summer 2023, Johnny Depp and Jeff Beck to release joint album 18, Johnny Depp working on new music with Jeff Beck. In the early 1950s, he became a focus of the U.S. Senates Kefauver Committee on organized crime. The Viper Room rose to Hollywood infamy after River Phoenix tragically overdosed there on Halloween night in 1993, and his brother's harrowing 911 call was broadcast on news channels around the world. Create an account and youll be able to save and revisit articles. , got weird with Tim Burton, or played a pirate version of Keith Richards, Johnny Depp wanted to be a rock star. Become a Esquire+ member to read and save unlimited articles. Chocolat and other soundtracks 2000presentIn 2000, Depp starred opposite Juliette Binoche in the romance Chocolat, playing an itinerant guitarist. Adam Duritz, the lead singer of Counting Crows, worked as a Viper Room bartender in late 1994 and early 1995 to escape his newfound fame. Depp put the Viper Room behind him, but the memory of Phoenix's death never left. Despite the much-publicized death, the Viper Room persisted as a star-studded hangout throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. The SLEEPY HOLLOW star says The Viper Room brings back too many upsetting. In 2004, Depp sold his shares of the club, and new management took it in 2008. At the same time, an increasing collection of brazen establishments drew Hollywood crowds. The City of West Hollywood has yet to weigh in on the planned redevelopment, but if youre hoping to experience the Viper Room in its original state, start planning your trip. Depp takes the second guitar solo, ably hanging with his more musically renowned friends. "Johnny was really upset people just came to gawp at the spot where River Mobsters held the Sunset Strip in their grip, making money hand-over-fist from illegal prostitution, drug sales, and illegal gambling, all while offering financial incentives to local law enforcement who looked the other way. This time Edward Scissorhands is no ordinary boy, as his name may tell. From Sacramento, the California Legislature dispatched the Subcommittee on Public Morals to the scene, writes Playground to the Stars. Johnny Depp at the world famous Viper Room in this classic clip from 1993For more celebrity updates, Subscribe and click that notification bell Facebook http. River Phoenix Tragically Overdosed Outside Of The Viper Room River Phoenixs tragic death cemented the Viper Rooms infamous reputation. Depp is also fed up and disgusted with people who travelled to the club [1] The club became known for being a hangout of the young Hollywood elite, and was the site where actor River Phoenix died of a drug overdose on the night before Halloween in 1993. By September 1950, the modest building reopened as the Last Call, a strip club specializing in a "Rendezvous of the Stars" and "Strip-Capades." Privacy Watch Johnny Depp on the stand. Few movie stars of the early 1990s were as beloved as River Phoenix. LATEST: Johnny Depp reportedly gave up his co-ownership of trendy Los Angeles nightclub THE VIPER ROOM following the controversy of his missing ex-partner. The exterior of The Viper Room the morning after the death of actor River Phoenix on November 1, 1993 in Los Angeles, California. A nightclub located in Cincinnati, Ohio, was formerly called "The Viper Room". Privacy The entrance to the Viper Room. A club insider says, "Johnny really loved the club and put his heart and The Magical Last Hours of the Flix Gonzlez-Torres Show. made him a movie star, Depp helped open a nightclub, the Viper Room, and formed the band P with Butthole Surfers front man Gibby Haynes and pal Bill Carter. If one could hop in a time-traveling DeLorean DMC-12, a night at this divey hotspot might yield a tete-a-tete with young celebs like Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Aniston, or Uma Thurman chokers, flannel, and all. Who was Mickey Cohen? Directors, producers, and silver screen stars demanded luxuries and depravities alike, from exclusive boutiques to high-end cafes, gambling halls to alcohol-fueled speakeasies. Depp bought the Viper Room with fellow actor Sal Jenco and opened it in 1993. The original building where the club is currently located is slated to be demolished by 2023, to make way for a replacement club, retail and a five star hotel tower. Today Vulture takes a look back at Depps long love affair with rock and roll, from his teens in Florida to his work with some of the most legendary figures in music. But according to the Chicago Tribune, a violent scuffle would put a negative spotlight on the Viper Room on Sept. 29, 1996. [9] The club changed hands multiple times between 2004 and 2016; the club is currently owned by Viper Room Holdings, Ltd. CEO James Cooper.[10][11]. Johnny Depp hasn't said anything about how his old bar would be transformed into something else, but he did once acknowledge that the unfortunate events that transpired there had very little to do with the club he once co-owned. Over the years, it attracted a steady crowd of recognizable faces, including Uma Thurman, Mick Jagger, Tommy Lee, Pamela Anderson, Charlize Theron, Pink, Juliette Lewis, Cameron Diaz, and more. According to the New York Post, it was even the base of the underground poker ring that was the subject of the 2017 film "Molly's Game," which Tobey Maguire reportedly founded. Of course, times have changed since the club's height, and events have made for a precarious future. What is the medical term for the top of the foot? The SLEEPY HOLLOW star says The Viper Room brings back too many upsetting Johnny Depp was one of the owners (he would give up his stake in 2004). Hollywood Vampires 2015presentHaving Depp, Perry, and Cooper as Hollywood Vampires main members has its perks. Some people speculated in-fighting between gangsters produced the mysterious blaze. "It's easier here. Updated December 7, 2021 On October 31, 1993, actor River Phoenix died of a drug overdose outside the notorious Viper Room nightclub in Hollywood. [1] album and enlisted Depp to provide backing vocals. But despite the benign sound of Phil and the Fours' show, the Greenwich Village Inn found itself, along with seven other Hollywood hotspots, embroiled in a statewide scandal. In July, 2018, developers purchased the property between Larabee and San Vicente that is currently home to the Viper Room, raising questions about the venues future. Meyer Harris Cohen, better known as Mickey Cohen, was an American gangster who ran the street gang The Bugs and Meyer Mob after its original founder Benjamin Bugsy Siegel was murdered. Terms of Service apply. Newfound respect for the law meant a "last call" for the Last Call, which closed due to "lewd and lascivious" shows, likely featuring drag queens, on April 5, 1951. The club changed its name to The Poison Room on January 1, 2006, after they were told by the West Hollywood Viper Room to stop using the name. The Viper Room's role in rock 'n' roll debauchery gets all the attention. Messed Up Things That Happened At The Viper Room, University of Southern California Libraries. Depp lent his musical talents to his longtime partners* fourth album, 2000s Bliss, co-writing two songs, playing guitar on another, painting some of the artwork, and directing two of the LPs music videos. Following the tragic event, Depp closed the Viper Room every October 31 in commemoration of Phoenix's death, reports LA Magazine. Covering Rammsteins Du Hast in Berlin. Stephen Baldwin at the Viper Room for AIDS benefit on April 9, 1994. The club is named after the club in Hollywood and is decorated in the same style as the American club. Despite the cave-like venue's miniscule capacity of just 250, the stellar bill on that first night featured Tom. The other owner of the role was Sal Jenco who appeared with Depp in 21 Jump Street. For 30 years, it was blighted by scandal. The Viper Room had humble origins, though, having been initially a grocery store in 1921, per Los Angeles Magazine. The Sunset Strip openly snubbed its nose at the early 1930s ban on strip clubs in Los Angeles. In 2011, they covered Serge Gainsbourgs Ballade de Melody Nelson for a tribute album, and in 2013, a year after they split up, Paradis released the album Love Songs, featuring Depp and their daughter Lily-Rose on New Year.. P - 1993 After Edward Scissorhands made him a movie star, Depp helped open a nightclub, the Viper Room, and formed the band P with Butthole Surfers front man Gibby Haynes and pal Bill Carter . All rights reserved. But perhaps the nail in the coffin remains the fact that trendy bands and A-List celebs grace the club less often these days. Quoted by the website Hollywood, Interrupted, songwriter Chuck E. Weiss explained how "My buddy Johnny Depp and I had always had a dream of having a club where they played viper music [minor-key, up-tempo jazz from the '20s] having a place to hang out that had cool music without the surroundings of the regular . Old-time gambler Slim Gordon's Hollywood Boulevard club also felt the heat, as did three other less-than-savory establishments located on the same stretch of turf, the Susie-Q, Bradley's, and the Swing Club. His pickup truck and . On December 19 2001, Anthony Fox was supposed to testify against Depp but mysteriously disappeared. LAist reports that construction on the new and improved Viper Room complex will begin in 2023. Fox accused Depp and four other partners of conspiring to defraud the club of millions. On the surface, everything looked tame. Michael Hutchence of INXS and guitarist Stevie Salas pose for a portrait at the Nicklebag concert at the Viper Room in Los Angeles, California on November 5, 1997. And during Prohibition, the back rooms of local businesses never quit pouring booze. Actors Index: By today's standards, the Phil Moore Four marked a veritable yawn-fest, promising "Music with a Sweet Beat," and likely equally "Sweet Dreams." Brendan Williams and Simon Rex during Play Station 2 presents "The Streets" at The Viper Room in West Hollywood, California on March 12, 2003. He was 23 years old. Until February 2009 there was a nightclub with the same name in Melbourne, Australia; it was closed down due to a spate of violent incidents that included two shootings as well as license breaches and the arrest of a co-owner on drug charges. And events have made for a precarious future in-fighting between gangsters produced the mysterious blaze changed since the of... 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