New Daisy Theatre facts for kids
Exterior view of the venue (c.2017)
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| Address | 330 Beale St Memphis, Tennessee 38103-3131 |
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| Location | Downtown Memphis |
| Owner |
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| Operator | Live Nation |
| Capacity | 1,083 |
| Construction | |
| Renovated | 1982-83, 2015 |
| Closed | 1979-83 |
| Reopened | 1983 |
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New Daisy Theatre
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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| Architectural style | Streamline Moderne |
| Part of | Beale Street Historic District (ID66000731) |
The New Daisy Theatre is a famous music spot located on Beale Street in Memphis, Tennessee. It's a cool place where both local bands and big national artists perform. People also rent it for special events.
The theater first opened in 1936. Many famous artists have played there over the years. These include John Lee Hooker, Gatemouth Brown, Jerry Lee Lewis, Al Green, Sam and Dave, Bob Dylan, Alex Chilton, the Cramps, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Kid Memphis, Son Lewis, Nirvana, Prince, Rufus Thomas, Justin Timberlake, Nelly, the Cult, and Oasis. More recent acts include Ty Dolla $ign, J. Cole, Machine Gun Kelly, and All Time Low.
Bob Dylan even used the venue to record a video for a song. This song was from his Grammy-winning CD Time Out of Mind.
Contents
History of the New Daisy Theatre
Early Years and Purpose
In 1942, the New Daisy Theatre opened its doors. It was started by Paul and Sam Zerilla and their partner, Joe Maceri. They already owned the original Daisy Theatre. They wanted to create a larger space for popular performers. The new theater was built at 330 Beale Street.
For its first few decades, the New Daisy Theatre mostly showed movies. But it also hosted live music acts sometimes.
Challenges and Comeback
By the 1970s, the theater started to fall apart. Many buildings around it were torn down. However, both the Old Daisy and New Daisy theaters stayed standing.
In the early 1980s, a boxing promoter named Mike Glenn started renting the New Daisy. He held boxing matches there, which helped the theater financially. Later, Glenn began hosting rock concerts. These concerts brought in even more money than the boxing events.
In November 2014, Mike Glenn sold the New Daisy. John Hiatt was the last national artist to perform under his ownership.
Modern Renovations and Reopening
In 2014, Steve Adelman and J.W. Gibson bought the New Daisy Theatre. In 2015, they invested $500,000 to make it new again. The renovation added a new floor and special VIP areas. They also put in new bars and updated the sound and lighting systems.
After the renovations, many exciting acts performed. These included Seether, Drive-By Truckers, Joey Bada$$, Public Image Ltd., Everclear, and Steve Earle.
The New Daisy Theatre reopened in 2023. This was thanks to efforts led by Jon Shivers and the Downtown Memphis Commission. The theater will continue to host local and national touring acts. It will also be used for corporate and private events.
Notable Performers at the New Daisy
Many famous artists have performed at the New Daisy Theatre. Here are some of them and the years they played:
- Ike & Tina Turner - 1963
- Red Hot Chili Peppers - 1989
- Alanis Morissette - 1995
- Tool - 1996
- Prince - 1997
- Bob Dylan - 1999
- They Might Be Giants - 2002
- Justin Timberlake - 2003
- Dierks Bentley - 2005
- Zac Brown Band - 2009
- Childish Gambino - 2011
- All Time Low - 2011
- Machine Gun Kelly - 2016
- J. Cole - 2017
- Ty Dolla $ign - 2018
