Eldorado Club

Address: 2707 Asbury Lane

The Eldorado Club was a popular one-room juke joint, particularly in the 1950s and 1960s. The club was deliberately located on the edge of the Cemetery Community, which was itself on the western edge of Murfreesboro, so that African Americans could have a good time away from the scrutiny of white residents. Alf McClain managed the club’s operations and ensured that the club fulfilled the community’s social needs through music, dancing, drinking, and gaming. Admission to the Eldorado Club cost one dollar. The Eldorado Club allowed many African American entertainers to perform their art safely and openly. The house band at the club was The Dukes, which included saxophone player Raymond Summerour; in addition to playing at the Eldorado Club, The Dukes toured across the region, playing in places such as Tullahoma and Chattanooga. Women also performed at the Eldorado Club, mainly as “exotic” and “shake” (also known as burlesque) dancers, usually appearing at the beginning of a show or between acts. While Alf McClain died in 1973, his sons continued to run the Eldorado Club until at least 1980. Today, the building that once housed the Eldorado Club is abandoned and overgrown.