By Monique Murray
In the early 1970s, there were not many LBGTQ friendly bars or clubs in the Norfolk area. The Cue Club was a historic staple in the Norfolk LBGTQ community in the late 1970s. The Cue Club was opened in 1971 on 46th and Killam Ave. to the local LBGTQ community. The club was open Monday through Friday 9 am to 2 am and Saturday and Sunday form 4 pm to 2 am. On Sundays, the club would host a buffet for $5.00 from 5pm to 7pm. Many LBGTQ college students would go here for the buffet and would stay the whole night, sometimes without the managers knowledge, to see the drag shows that happened every Sunday night. During the allotted times of the buffet, piano player Arnyce Andrews would play and sing. She would play covers of songs and sometimes originals of her own. The buffet was a huge attraction for the Cue Club for its low price and quality food. The drag shows were also one of the club’s biggest attraction and hosted many famous drag queens. Some of the famous drag queens that performed here were Jennifer Warren and Ferrah McCray. Drag queens that performed here were very famous in the Norfolk area.
The Cue Club also offered a disco and pool as activities along with having a full bar. The disco and pool scene attracted a lot of the LBGTQ youth form the surrounding colleges and through-out the community.
It is unsure of when in the 1990s the Cue Club closed down for good, but its history and impact on the LBGTQ community was great.
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9 thoughts on “Cue Club”
Still trying to locate Leon Ward whom I met at the Cue Club in Norfolk.
Still trying to locate Leon Ward whom I met at the Cue Club in Norfolk. Would love to track him down.
what happened to Bill & Frenchie?
We used to bounce from the Oar House to the cue every weekend night.
My friend Tony Pritchard opened, owned and operated the Que Club in Norfolk. He also owned The Nickelodeon gay bar in Norfolk in addition to several other gay venues. He also open them after hours private club that was open after 2 p.m. until the morning. He was a very kind and wonderful friend. To me and to the gay community. It would not drink coffee if someone else drank from the cup. Which was strange considering what he might put his mouth on. Hahaha. I miss you Tony.
There was a lot of Gay Navy there in the 70’s. It was the only place to hang.
Back then it was also not a good thing to be Navy and be seen there. I remember times when the Navy would send people to write down the license plates in the parking lot and then compare them to those of us in the Navy.
It was worth the risk! It was such a fun place to meet so many different people.
Loved this place and spent so many nigjts there!
I kissed a boy for the first time at the Cue club in 1978 while I was in the Navy. The dance floor was infamous. So many wonderful memories between the Cue and the Ore House.Drink specials were $.25 drinks. I had many a Gin and tonic. Spent $2.00 the whole night.
Oh gosh. How could I forget The Late Show for after hours.