1958 Built by Joseph Schoenith as a 50th birthday gift for his wife, Millie, the became one of Detroit’s most celebrated entertainment venues after opening in June 1958.
Located at on the banks of the Detroit River across from Belle Isle and the Detroit Yacht Club, the exquisite midcentury-modern facility designed by Edward Newman features 25,000 square feet of floor-to-ceiling windows offering spectacular panoramic 180-degree views of the waterway and city skyline.
Schoenith, the owner of the W.D. Gale Electric Co., appropriately named the restaurant after the plume of water that sprays high in the air from hydroplane boats. He had established a family legacy in unlimited hydroplane racing, having built and sponsored several championship boats, including the famous Gale V, designed by Les Staudacher and driven by Schoenith’s son Lee, who won the Gold Cup in 1955.
In the early years, the Roostertail presented some of the biggest names in show business, including, among dozens of others, Tony Bennett, Milton Berle, Wayne Newton, Dionne Warwick, and Peggy Lee, who performed onstage with a colorfully lit roostertail fountain spray serving as a backdrop.
In 1965, Schoenith’s twin sons, Tom and Jerry Schoenith (the latter of whom also raced), added the Upper Deck room for a younger crowd that featured rock ’n’ roll acts and dancing. A year later, the club presented “Motown Mondays” concerts by a major Motown artist that were recorded and broadcasted on WKNR radio. Some performances were released as “live” albums, including the Four Tops concert, whose album cover pictured the group in front of the Roostertail. In 1967, comedian George Carlin released Take-Offs and Put-Ons, Recorded Live at the Roostertail, his Grammy-nominated first solo album.
The Roostertail is also portrayed in Jersey Boys, the Broadway musical and movie about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, for it was at the club in 1967 that Valli debuted “Can’t Take My Eyes off You,” just before Windsor, Ontario’s CKLW launched the gold record.
As tastes changed during sometimes challenging economic times, the restaurant and rooms adopted different names and décor.
By 1979, the Roostertail no longer served as a restaurant and nightclub and had instead become a premier Detroit venue for private parties, benefits, weddings, and special events. Today, it is managed by Tom Schoenith’s son Michael.
This story originally appeared in the August 2024 issue of ϲͼ magazine. To read more, pick up a copy of ϲͼ at a local retail outlet. Our will be available on Aug. 6. Plus, find even more The Way It Was articles at hourdetroit.com.
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