The Night 165 Lives Were Lost at a Kentucky Supper Club

When I was a kid, I heard about the Beverly Hills Supper Club a few times, and I always thought it was in California. But no, the Beverly Hills Supper Club was a swank night spot in Southgate, Kentucky, near Cincinnati. It hosted A-listers such as Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, Liberace, and Frank Sinatra, among others.

The Beverly Hills Supper Club

Depending on the source, the club opened in either 1927 or sometime in the 1930s. But because of Prohibition, secret activities like drinking and gambling in back rooms were common, but people kept quiet about it. When Prohibition came to an end, the Beverly Hills Supper Club skyrocketed in popularity and attendance. The 1940s and the 1950s were when the big names started to come. Thankfully, the Kentucky Historical Society has preserved some treasures from the supper club.

The Beverly Hills Supper Club Fire

The nightclub closed in 1961 and reopened under new ownership in 1969, but that didn't last long. Under new ownership again by 1970, renovations were ruined in a fire, but owner Richard Shilling acted fast and got them replaced, making the Beverly Hills Supper Club a showplace once again in northern Kentucky. That was until May 28th, 1977, when the establishment's popularity proved to be its undoing. That night, upwards of 2,800 guests packed themselves into the club only to be told from the stage that a fire had broken out in one of the rooms. Soon, the electricity was gone, and panicked patrons tried to shove themselves through the door.

All told, 165 people lost their lives that night at the Beverly Hills Supper Club. At the time, it was the third-worst nightclub fire in American history.

You'll find a historical marker commemorating the tragic night at the club's former location.