Rockhead's Paradise

Rockhead's Paradise was a night club in Montreal, Quebec, the first in the city to be owned by a black businessman. From circa 1931 until its demise in 1977, Rockhead's, as it was known locally, featured singers, dancers, comedians, and other African-American entertainers, mostly brought in from the United States; they were accompanied on stage by a house band of local black musicians. The three-story building also housed a street-level bar where jazz musicians, mostly local, performed, and a tavern. In 1928, Rufus Nathaniel Rockhead, a Jamaican-born immigrant, First World War veteran, and former railroad porter, bought the building at 1258 St.Antoine Street West, corner of Mountain street. The three-story building initially housed hotel rooms on the top floor. In 1931, Rockhead converted the second and third floors into a cabaret-style night club. Rufus faced an excessive amount of discrimination as a Black business owner. While segregation laws did not exist in Canada, prejudice was still very much alive. When attempting to obtain his liquor licence, he was rejected his first time. He personally went to the liquor commissioner at the time, who told him 'You know we don't give licenses to coloured people'; despite this, he was still able to procure his licence. The club became famous for the high quality of its all-black stage shows and the hospitality of its owner, who greete

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