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    A Tribute to The Cellar Door Piano Bar
    A Tribute to The Cellar Door Piano Bar
    A Tribute to The Cellar Door Piano Bar
    Ebook106 pages58 minutes

    A Tribute to The Cellar Door Piano Bar

    By Lee Gabor

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    About this ebook

    In 1979, Virginia Bell Clarady and husband Lee Clarady, owners of The Cellar Door Restaurant on Stella Link in Houston, TX, decided to add a piano bar to their location. They invited pianist-vocalist Lee St.Clair Gabor to "open" the new venue and built a mirror-covered piano bar for her. In this book Lee pays tribute with text and photographs to the people who became "the Cellar Door Family" and to the events at the club during the years she entertained, 1979-1983. Also mentioned are other entertainers in Houston at the time as well as details about Lee's career as an entertainer.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherLee Gabor
    Release dateMay 28, 2012
    ISBN9781476076362
    A Tribute to The Cellar Door Piano Bar
    Author

    Lee Gabor

    I am first and foremost inquisitive, always wanting to know what goes on globally and locally and wanting to understand WHY! Being a newspaper reporter was the career with which I began. Then, as a pianist and vocalist, I spent a number of years entertaining throughout the U.S. I also owned a talent agency during that time. After those 25 years, my next career was in public education, which was something I never intended to do. Getting "drafted" into teaching and the time I spent as an Academic Coordinator were very interesting and I do so love the students and teachers, administrators, and staff members I met. I'm very proud of our students. After six years, I left teaching and moved near my son and his family. I became a Master Gardener and Master Composter, joined local organizations, and have been able to enjoy more time with my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. I am thrilled that my professional focus now is limited to writing. I will be publishing both fiction and non-fiction works and begin that in new venture in 2012.

    Read more from Lee Gabor

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      Book preview

      A Tribute to The Cellar Door Piano Bar - Lee Gabor

      A Tribute to The Cellar Door Piano Bar

      on Stella Link, Houston, TX

      By

      Lee St.Clair Gabor

      Published by Lee Gabor and Aquarian Age Incorporated at Smashwords

      Copyright 2012 by Lee Gabor and Aquarian Age Incorporated

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please have each recipient download his or her own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      Cover Layout by Lee Gabor

      Thank you for downloading my ebook. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed bringing back wonderful old memories in order to write it. Your comments are welcome. My goal is to provide you with an excellent reading experience. Your support and respect for this property is greatly appreciated.

      This ebook is a work of non-fiction. Any resemblance to persons who are alive or places is noted and, when appropriate, permissions have been granted to use such information.

      To find out more about me and see other titles I've published, please visit http://www.Smashwords.com/profile/view/LeeGabor

      *****

      Table of Contents

      Dedication

      Introduction

      Chapter 1 - The Cellar Door Piano Bar 1979-1983

      Chapter 2 - People of the Cellar Door, 1979-1983

      Chapter 3 - Performers We Loved

      Chapter 4 - Event photos

      Chapter 5 - Music I Performed

      Chapter 6 - Fond Memories

      Chapter 7 - Other Places I Performed

      Chapter 8 - On Playing Piano and Playing By Ear

      How This Book Came About

      A Future Book

      About Me

      *****

      Dedication

      This free ebook is dedicated to all the wonderful people who enjoyed the beautiful Cellar Door Restaurant and Piano Bar on Stella Link in Houston, Texas. You are remembered with such fondness.

      *****

      Introduction

      Before I say anything else, please let me point out that, while these memories are mine and there is a lot about me in this book, most piano bar performers have a lot of the same types of experiences and learn a lot of songs in order to make customers happy. There aren't many piano bars left in the United States now. They once were much more popular. Piano Bar performers are special and deserve recognition and appreciation. The next time you, the reader, goes to a piano bar, please let the performer know how much you enjoyed the music and appreciate that there is still a cozy place to share the love of music.

      After graduating from college in May, 1972, I began a career as a fulltime pianist and vocalist. Although I worked with some bands, and had done that off and on before 1972, I loved entertaining in piano bars. The closeness to customers inspired me. Also, people who enjoyed piano bars typically had lots of favorite songs they could request. These requests meant I was constantly encouraged and motivated to learn new songs. I worked throughout the United States, but until 1979 did not feel settled in any particular place. This tribute begins that year and continues through the few years I entertained at the Cellar Door Restaurants in Houston.

      In March of 1979 I completed a contract at the Boca Raton Hotel and Club in Boca Raton, Florida. It had been quite an experience, especially being able to play piano for Frank Sinatra and to hear his encouraging words for my career. In April, I entertained a month at the Regency Hyatt Hotel in Birmingham, Alabama. From there, I did a quick weekend contract for a corporate event at the Columbia Country Club in West Columbia, Texas. I was next scheduled to work May in New Orleans, Louisiana, but Houston, Texas was calling to me. Since I had a weekend off, I visited with Virginia Bell Clarady and her husband, Lee Clarady, about working at the Cellar Door on Stella Link, where they wanted to establish a piano bar. Dave Vandiver of the Gerlach Agency was instrumental in setting up the meeting. He was a wonderful agent with whom to work and I still consider him one of the best!

      The Cellar Door was a beautiful place and there was something about Houston that made me feel so much at home. It was a laid back city, a lot like my hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. There was a bustle of the business sector, but the people enjoyed life and were never in so much of a hurry that one felt ignored or even in the way.

      We came to an agreement and I offered to give Mr. and Mrs. Clarady suggestions on building the actual piano bar and which type of seating would be best. After all, I had worked in many piano bars and thought I was

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