Art D'Lugoff, Village Gate Jazz/Theatre impresario, dies at 85

Art D'Lugoff, who opened the fabled Village Gate in 1958, died on Wednesday, Nov. 4 of a heart attack. He was 85 years old, and leaves behind many heartbroken friends and colleagues. He is survived by his wife Avital, their three daughters, Sharon, Dahlia, Rachel and their son Raphael, as well as a large extended family. Art lived with his wife in Riverdale, N.Y.

As owner of the legendary Greenwich Village nightspot, The Village Gate, Art D'Lugoff presented a widely eclectic roster of performers, productions and special events from 1958, until its closing in 1994.

Under his guidance, the club attained legendary status, as he presented musicians like Billie Holiday, Count Basie, Harry Belafonte, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, Aretha Franklin, Dizzie Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Jimi Hendrix, Miriam Makeba, Charlie Mingus, Jim Morrison, Thelonius Monk, Odetta, Eddie Palmieri, Tito Puente and Nina Simone. From the world of comedy he also presented Woody Allen, Chevy Chase, Bill Cosby, Mort Sahl and John Belushi. Often, as acts grew in stature, he promoted them at Carnegie Hall.

In 1992, he was presented with the prestigious Paul Robeson Award. He was also presented with a special achievement Board of Directors Award by the Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs, for his contributions to Cabaret and Manhattan nightlife.

D'Lugoff was responsible for the original Off-Broadway production of Jacques Brel Is Alive And Well And Living In Paris in 1968. The show ran for over five years, and co-starred Elly Stone, Mort Shuman, Shawn Elliott and Alice Whitfield. This production became one of the single most successful Off-Broadway events in history, and spawned a film, after a brief run on Broadway. Other, more risky productions he presented included, Macbird, a satire of the Vietnam war and President Johnson starring Stacy Keach and the controversial Let My People Come by Earl Wilson, Jr., in 1974. Fearing that critics might try try to close it due to the nudity and other suggestive elements, D'Lugoff opened the show with no official opening night, denying critics the opportunity to slam it. However, the State Liquor Authority tried to close the show by revoking the club's liquor license. D'Lugoff fought the case in court and won. The show had a successful two year run and also moved to Broadway.

In 1979, D'Lugoff presented One Mo' Time, a black vaudeville-esque jazz revue created by and starring Vernel Bagneris, focusing on African-American race relations. It was a critical success and played for over 1300 performances. Bagneris returned in 1990 with another revue, Further Mo. D'Lugoff's last major theatrical success was with Beehive in 1986. This show paid homage to the girl pop groups of the 1960's. and co-starred Alison Frasier and Jasmine Guy. National Lampoon's Lemmings, starring John Belushi and Chevy Chase, was wildly successful and ran from 1971 to 1973, and lead to the star's great success on television's " Saturday Night Live" on NBC.

Sam Shepherd and Dustin Hoffmanm (whom D'Lugoff fired) once worked on the wait staff. He also famously (and later regrettably) refused to hire a young Bob Dylan, but allowed him to use the basement to write songs.

A series of financial setbacks and a large rent increase forced him to declare bankruptcy in 1991, and eventual closure in 1994. In 2008, The Village Gate reopened under the name Le Poisson Rouge. Art D'Lugoff was a consultant.

Recently, Art D'Lugoff had dealt with a series of personal challenges. Hip replacement surgery led to an infection that worsened, causing him to spend three months in the hospital. During this period, his beloved wife of more than sixty years, Avitar, suffered health problems. Still, over the past several weeks, he began to rally and returned to much of his old routine. This included attending meetings of the National Folk Museum for which he was the chairman. He was also working with producers on a documentary of his life. Two days before his death, he was in SoHo – looking at a spaces to open a new club. A memorial service will be announced shortly.