Editor's Note: (You can go behind the scenes with Carole King and James Taylor as they plan their Troubadour Reunion Tour in the new CNN Film "Carole King & James Taylor: Just Call Out My Name" which premieres on CNN Sunday, January 2, at 9 p.m. ET. )
(CNN) The Troubadour, an iconic West Hollywood music venue, doesn't need much of an introduction. Since the club opened its doors in 1957, musical superstars have launched their careers and introduced the world to future best-selling records by playing to its intimate crowds.
The club became known for nurturing new talent in the late '60s and '70s (it was instrumental in the careers of James Taylor, Joni Mitchell and Tom Waits, among others) and today is a vital stop on the way to musical stardom.
"The Troubadour was where everybody went to hang out and to be noticed. You wanted to make yourself known to the record community at large, you go to the Troubadour, play an open mic night." recalled Linda Ronstadt in the CNN Film "Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice."
Here are some of the greats who've taken the stage at the Troubadour:
Bob Dylan
The Troubadour was originally conceived as a club for singer-songwriters, or "modern day troubadours" as founder Doug Weston called them. The club's status as a kingmaker was cemented over years by the talent discovered there.
Playing to an audience of fellow musicians and music executives, artists including Billy Joel, Tom Waits, Joni Mitchell, Linda Rondstadt and Nina Simone made their cases for stardom. One of the first notable singer-songwriters to take the Troubadour stage early in his career was Bob Dylan.
The legendary Bob Dylan
Singer and songwriter Bob Dylan is photographed in 1963. He turns 80 on Monday, May 24.
Dylan performs at The Bitter End folk club in New York City in 1961. His first album, "Bob Dylan," came out in 1962 and consisted mostly of old folk songs.
Dylan plays the guitar at the Newport Folk Festival in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1963. Dylan was known in his early career for playing the guitar and the harmonica, and for his distinctive vocal phrasing.
Dylan holds a camera on the top of a car in Massachusetts in 1964.
Dylan records his album "Bringing It All Back Home" in 1965. The album was a mix of acoustic and electric guitar. Dylan's move to electric was controversial at the time. Some fans wanted him to stick with the acoustic music they were used to hearing from him.
Dylan smokes a cigarette as D.A. Pennebaker films "Don't Look Back," a documentary film about Dylan's tour of England in 1965.
Dylan is escorted past fans as he arrives at a London airport in 1965.
Dylan performs with country singer Johnny Cash on Cash's show in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1969.
Nearly 200,000 fans wait for Dylan to perform at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1969. The stage is on the bottom left.
Dylan performs with former Beatle George Harrison at Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh in 1971.
Dylan speaks at the Mariposa Folk Festival on Toronto's Olympic Island in 1972.
Dylan appears in a scene from the 1973 film "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid." Dylan also recorded the soundtrack for the film.
Dylan, center, performs with Van Morrison, left, and Robbie Robertson of The Band at a concert in San Francisco in 1976.
Dylan performs in London in 1978.
Dylan attends a bar mitzvah for one of his sons at the Western Wall in Jerusalem in 1983.
Dylan and Tom Petty pose for a portrait circa 1986. They toured together that year.
Dylan and Bruce Springsteen perform "Forever Young" at a concert for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.
Dylan talks with James Brown, "The Godfather of Soul," in 1990.
Pope John Paul II greets Dylan, who performed at a concert in the Pope's honor in Bologna, Italy, in 1997.
Dylan and other Kennedy Center honorees stand for the National Anthem with President Bill Clinton and first lady Hillary Clinton in 1997.
Dylan performs "Love Sick" alongside performance artist Michael Portney at the 1998 Grammy Awards. Portnoy had been hired as part of the background dancers for the performance, but his shirtless interruption was not planned and he was carted off stage.
Dylan has won 10 Grammy Awards in his career and sold more than 125 million records.
Dylan is seen at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, where he received an honorary degree in 2004.
Dylan performs at the Bluesfest music festival in 2011.
Dylan receives the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2012. "I remember, you know, in college, listening to Bob Dylan and my world opening up, 'cause he captured something about this country that was so vital," Obama said.
Sara Danius announces that Dylan had won the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature.
Patti Smith performs on behalf of Dylan during the Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony in 2016. Dylan wasn't able to attend because of pre-existing commitments.
He received his award at a private ceremony five months later.
Dylan performs with Neil Young at London's Hyde Park in 2019.
He played an impromptu jam session with a local band at a small, staff-only gig in 1964, according to the Troubadour. Dylan went on to become one of the most influential singers and songwriters of his generation, creating a long list of famous tracks, including "The Times They Are a-Changin'" and "Like a Rolling Stone."
His performance at the Troubadour became the first in a long line of history-making performances from artists big and small for the next six decades.
James Taylor and Carole King
The Troubadour's earned its reputation in the '60s and '70s for its influential role in the early careers of many popular performers.
James Taylor's life in photos
American folk musician James Taylor is pictured holding the ends of his mustache in this playful photo in 1969.
Taylor and Joni Mitchel recording backing vocals for Carole King's album,
"Tapestry." The 1971 album won Grammy Awards for album of the year and best pop vocal performance, among numerous other acknowledgments.
Taylor poses with actress Laurie Bird and Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson for "Two-Lane Blacktop," a 1971 road film. The movie is about drag-racers and Taylor plays the driver.
Taylor and singer-songwriters Carole King in London to perform at the Royal Festival Hall in 1971. The pair have been friends for more than 50 years. "You and I probably have the same musical DNA," Taylor said to King about their connection.
Singer-songwriter Carly Simon and Taylor pose for a portrait at their New York home in October 1971. Taylor married Simon in 1972.
Taylor poses at a piano piled high with books and a cat named Pudding in 1972. This photo was taken by his manager and record producer Peter Asher in Los Angeles.
Taylor,
Sen. George McGovern, Barbra Streisand, Quincy Jones, Eleanor McGovern and King at a benefit for McGovern, a stalwart liberal from South Dakota. They tried to turn out young voters in Inglewood, California, in 1972.
Taylor poses for a portrait holding a pocket watch in 1974.
Taylor, Simon, Yoko Ono and John Lennon stand together in New York in 1977.
Simon and Taylor are pictured singing in 1980. The pair sang several songs together including, "Mockingbird," "Devoted To You" and "Close Your Eyes."
In 1981, musical legend Taylor indulges in a blue bicycle fantasy ride in Malibu, California.
Taylor, second from right, and members of the Taylor family share a laugh in August 1981 prior to their concert at New York's South Street Seaport Museum to benefit the museum's Save Our Ships Fund.
Simon and Taylor with their son Benjamin Taylor and daughter Sarah Taylor outside their apartment in New York in November 1981.
Taylor having fun backstage in Los Angeles in the early 1980s.
"Whenever I see your grouchy face it makes me want to smile because I like you, just a little bit," Taylor sang to Oscar the Grouch on
"Sesame Street" in 1983. "When you give me that nasty little frown, it turns me upside down." Oscar declares their duet is "rotten."
Taylor rides on a sailboat and pulls on a rope.
Taylor backstage at The Fruitmarket music venue in Glasgow, Scotland, 1994.
Paul McCartney hands Taylor his award during induction ceremonies of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in March 2000. Taylor was inducted along with Eric Clapton, Earth, Wind & Fire, the Lovin' Spoonful, the Moonglows and Bonnie Raitt. "I love him. He's a really beautiful guy. We had a lot of really good times back then,"
McCartney said.
"How tough is James Taylor? He's tough enough to make a career out of being sensitive," said Taylor's brother, Livingston Taylor. Taylor, shown here, rowing near his home in the Berkshires, Massachusetts, in 2006.
King and Taylor rehearse at the Troubadour Tavern for a performance in 2007 in West Hollywood, California.
John Legend, Taylor, Jennifer Nettles and backup singers perform "Shower the People" during the We Are One: Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington on January 18, 2009.
In 2011, Taylor hugs his wife, Caroline Smedvig, after receiving the
National Medal of Arts. President Obama presented him the award in Washington.
Taylor Swift performs with Taylor at Madison Square Garden in New York in 2011 as part of her Speak Now World Tour. She had two sold-out shows at the venue. Before this performance, Taylor Swift told the audience she's named after James Taylor. She also mentions Taylor in her song
"Begin Again."
Taylor performed for the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2012.
The singer said at the time that President Obama is his favorite president bar none.
"I think he is an intelligent public servant, who's focused. He's level-headed. He's a cool hand on the helm. I think he is a deeply compassionate man," Taylor said. "I'm fiercely proud of my country for electing this man."
The Dalai Lama, Tibetan spiritual leader, shakes hands with Taylor following a talk titled "Beyond Religion: Ethics, Values and Wellbeing" in Boston in 2012.
Taylor photographed at Kensington Garden Hotel in London while promoting his new album,
"Before This World," in 2015. The album is his first to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart. "I was surprised at how much it meant to me to have a success like this. It used to be sort of uncool to be motivated by sales and by chart position and stuff like that," Taylor told
Billboard after he learned his album had hit No. 1.
On
"The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," Taylor and host Jimmy Fallon played a skit called "Two James Taylors on a Seesaw." "You got up while I go down and this old world keeps spinning round," Taylor sang on the show in 2015.
President Obama awards Taylor the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House.
"I'm proud to call the next honoree a friend as well,"
said Obama. "The truth is a lot of people say that about James Taylor. That's what happens when you spend four decades telling people, 'Just call out my name, and I'll come running.'"
Taylor waves as he is greeted at the
Kennedy Center Honors in Washington in 2016. Taylor, Al Pacino, the surviving members of the Eagles (Don Henley, Timothy B. Schmidt and Joe Walsh), pianist Martha Argerich and gospel singer Mavis Staples were all honored for their influence on American culture.
King, actress Jane Fonda and Taylor blow out the candles at Fonda's 80th birthday party in 2017. The "Eight Decades of Jane" fundraiser raised money for an Atlanta-based non-profit that focuses on teen pregnancy prevention and adolescent health.
Taylor and his son Henry Taylor are introduced before singing the national anthem before the inaugural game at Polar Park between the Red Sox and the Mets in 2021. It was the first game ever played at Polar Park in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Taylor performs at BB&T Pavilion in Camden, New Jersey. Jackson Browne and Taylor toured together in 2021.
For this reason, it became the perfect place for musicians to find like-minded peers and form lifelong relationships.
James Taylor and Carole King, both iconic musicians in their own right, forged a lasting friendship in the wings of the Troubadour's stage. Taylor debuted at the Troubadour in 1969, a gig that was a big deal to him at that time.
"It had a proper stage and a backstage, and if you did well there people noticed it and the word got out," he said, reminiscing about the experience. The pair met through a mutual friend and immediately hit it off, with King playing piano for Taylor and later beginning a solo career with his encouragement.
Carole King's Life on Photos
King tried her luck with various recording studios while attending Queens College in New York. She wrote her first No. 1 hit,
"Will You Love Me Tomorrow," with then-husband Gerry Goffin when she was just 17 years old.
Musicians
Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil and King at JDS Records in 1959. Mann and Weil were a husband and wife songwriting team. They were part of the teen writing staff at Aldon Music, which included King and Goffin. Mann and Weil produced "Uptown," "Here You Come Again," and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling."
Eva Narcissus Boyd, known as Little Eva, poses with producer Al Nevins, King, Goffin and producer Don Kirshner. King and Goffin asked Boyd, who was their teenage babysitter, to record one of their songs,
"The Loco-Motion." The song vaulted to the top of the singles charts in 1962.
Recording engineer Hank Cicalo, King and record producer Lou Adler gather around the mixing desk in the control room during the recording of King's album,
"Tapestry." The album hit No. 1 on the
Billboard Hot 100 and stayed there for 15 weeks. It was the first album by a female artist to be certified as diamond, selling more than 15 million copies in 1971.
King performs on stage in Los Angeles in 1971.
King sticks out her tongue as she holds the four Grammy Awards she received for her album, "Tapestry." The album won the awards for Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Song Of The Year.
King with singer-songwriter James Taylor in the early 1970s. They performed together at London's Royal Festival Hall. King played on the piano, while Taylor performed on the guitar. King says Taylor mentored her as a performer.
King sitting at a piano while songwriting. "I only wanted to be a songwriter. I never wanted to be a singer. And I never wanted to be famous," King told CBS News.
King performs a free concert in New York City's Central Park to an audience of nearly 100,000 in 1973. King, who was born in New York City, said the city had given her a great deal and she wanted to give something back.
King poses for a portrait at Capitol Records.
King campaigns for Democratic presidential candidate Gary Hart during a visit to Pennsylvania State University in 1984. Hart, an attorney and author, served in the Senate from 1975 to 1987 and ran for president in 1984 and 1988.
Goffin and King with their daughters Louise Goffin and Sherry Goffin Kondor backstage at a Songwriters' Academy event in Los Angeles in the 1980s. Goffin and King were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987.
In 1989, King puts her hands in cement during her induction into West Hollywood's RockWalk, a sidewalk gallery dedicated to honoring musicians who have contributed to the evolution of rock music.
Gloria Estefan, Mariah Carey, Aretha Franklin, King, Celine Dion and Shania Twain at the Beacon Theatre in New York in 1998. The musical stars performed King's "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman" during the VH1 Divas concert.
King sits at the piano as she performs at Theater at Madison Square Garden. She was honored at the People Magazine's 25th-anniversary celebration in 1999.
Russell Simmons, Paul Stanley, King and Gene Simmons pose with their 2001 New York Heroes Awards. The New York Chapter of the Recording Academy honored them for their contributions to the music industry and how they give back to their communities.
King sings, "I Feel the Earth Move," during a rally for Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. John Kerry in 2004 in Dubuque, Iowa.
In 2005, King appeared before the House Resources Subcommittee on Forests and Forest Health to testify against the Central Idaho Economic Development Act.
"Supporting CIEDRA is like agreeing to give away two of your children to save one,"
said King. "If you love wilderness, why would you not fight to save it all?"
King and Taylor play three nights at the famed Troubadour nightclub in West Hollywood to celebrate the venue's 50th anniversary in 2007.
"When we go out there to play for the people in the audience, we get a lot of love. And the reason we get a lot of love is because we are playing the soundtrack of their lives," King said about her performance with Taylor. "We put our feeling out there and people go, yes, yes, I feel that, too."
King poses at her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame after it was unveiled in 2012. "Carole has written numerous songs that are ingrained in the hearts of many and conjure up great memories of times past," said Leron Gubler, Hollywood Chamber of Commerce president and CEO. King received the 2,486th star on the Walk of Fame, according to the
organization.
King performs at the White House after being presented with the 2013
Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. King is the first woman to receive the award, which was created in 2007 to recognize "the profound and positive effect of popular music on the world's culture."
King puts her hands together after performing at a vigil for victims of the shooting at
Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, in 2013. The vigil marked the one year since the tragic death of 20 children and six adults.
King is honored as the 2014 MusiCares Person Of The Year at the Los Angeles Convention Center. "Her contributions as a songwriter and performer have truly changed the landscape of pop music, and her philanthropy speaks volumes about her generosity and personal passions," said Neil Portnow, president and CEO of the
MusiCares Foundation.
King and Rep. Carolyn Maloney talk before a news conference to introduce the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act in 2015. The bill designates 23 million acres of land in five Western states as permanent wilderness. King has spoken out supporting the bill since it was first introduced in 1992.
Chilina Kennedy, King and Abby Mueller perform on
NBC's "Today" show in 2015. Kennedy and Mueller starred in "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical," which opened on Broadway in 2014. The show received seven Tony nominations, and won two.
In a star-studded celebration at the Kennedy Center Opera House, King receives the
2015 Kennedy Center Honors. She won the award alongside "Star Wars" creator George Lucas, the bestselling band, the Eagles, actress and singer Rita Moreno, conductor Seiji Ozawa, and actress Cicely Tyson. This was the 38th annual Kennedy Center Honors.
King had a recurring role as the owner of a music store on the television series, "Gilmore Girls" from 2002-2005 and appeared in the Netflix revival in 2016 called "Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life." The show's catchy opening theme song is a rerecording of "Where You Lead," King's song from her 1971 album, "Tapestry."
King performs on stage at the Barclaycard Presents British Summer Time Festival in London's Hyde Park in 2016.
Delegates watch King during rehearsal before the last day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia in 2016.
King sings at the five-year anniversary celebration for the Broadway musical "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical" in 2019. The award-winning musical is the story of King's journey from teenage songwriter to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. "Beautiful" received a Grammy Award for Best Musical Album of 2015.
King speaks onstage during the 36th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony while being inducted for the second time in October 2021. King is the third female artist to be inducted into the hall of fame twice, according to Rolling Stone magazine, joining Stevie Nicks and Tina Turner.
Before King made her own debut at the Troubadour, she ran through her setlist for Taylor, and he heard a song he immediately fell in love with. Taylor later recorded "You've Got a Friend" with King's permission, and it went on to become one of his biggest hits.
They have acknowledged the importance of the Troubadour in their careers and friendship many times. In 2007, they performed an encore of their joint 1970 concert at the Troubadour for the venue's 50th anniversary. They later took that show on the road bringing their 2010 Troubadour Reunion Tour to arenas around the world.
Elton John
As the Troubadour gained notoriety, many artists came from overseas and headed straight to the venue to play for their first American crowd. Gordon Lightfoot made his US debut there in 1964, and Lily Allen made hers over 40 years later in 2006.
The legendary Elton John
Singer Elton John performs in 1973.
John appears in one of his first publicity photos in 1968. The singer had officially changed his name to Elton John a year earlier after being born as Reginald Kenneth Dwight in Pinner, England, in 1947. The name was inspired by members of his early band, Bluesology, whose saxophone player was Elton Dean and lead singer was Long John Baldry.
Elton John plays the piano in 1970, the year he launched his first world tour.
John appears in a 1973 documentary that detailed the production of "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road." Hit songs from that album included "Candle in the Wind," "Bennie and the Jets," "Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting" and the title track.
John and his songwriting collaborator, Bernie Taupin, hold gold records in 1973. Taupin has written the lyrics for many of John's songs over his career, and the two have worked together for decades.
John and singer Rod Stewart have a bath at the stadium of Watford Football Club in 1973. John, a lifelong Watford fan, later owned the English soccer club. Today, one of the stadium's stands is named after him.
John is overwhelmed by multiple shots on goal while playing around at Watford's stadium in 1974.
John gives a typical energetic performance in 1974. Some of the other hit songs he had by this time: "Tiny Dancer," "Levon," "Crocodile Rock" and "Rocket Man."
John appears on stage with John Lennon at New York's Madison Square Garden in 1974.
John plays the Pinball Wizard in the 1975 film "Tommy," which is based on The Who's album of the same name.
John reads some fan mail circa 1975.
John poses for a portrait circa 1975.
John performs at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles in 1975. During his career, he has been nominated for 34 Grammy Awards and won five times. He also has an Academy Award and a Tony Award.
John tips his hat after having a star dedicated to him on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1975.
John poses for a photo with Cher and Diana Ross in the mid-1970s.
John performs at Earl's Court, a popular arena in London, in the late 1970s.
John appears on "The Muppet Show" in 1978. He performed four of his songs on the episode.
John waves from his car in 1978.
Fans watch John embrace singer and friend Kiki Dee in 1978. The two had a No. 1 hit, "Don't Go Breaking My Heart," in 1976.
John stands in the bedroom of his home in Old Windsor, England, in 1978.
John poses with his mother and stepfather while touring the Kremlin in Moscow in 1979. He was the first rock or pop star from the West to perform in the Soviet Union.
John stands in Tiananmen Square while touring Beijing in 1983.
John married German recording engineer Renate Blauel in 1984. They divorced in 1988. and John told Rolling Stone magazine that year he was "comfortable" being gay. He told the magazine in 1976 that he was bisexual.
John performs in 1986.
John stands by the bed of AIDS patient Ryan White at a Florida hospital in 1990. Two years later, the singer established the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
John, far left, sits at a table with other celebrities, including actress Kate Capshaw, singer Bruce Springsteen, actor Tom Hanks and director Steven Spielberg, at one of his foundation's parties in 1994. The party was held after the Academy Awards in Los Angeles.
From left, Billy Joel, John and Sting perform at a benefit concert for the Rainforest Foundation in 1995. Joel and John toured together often during their careers.
John sings "Candle in the Wind" at Princess Diana's funeral in 1997. The tribute became one of the best-selling singles of all time. Proceeds were donated to charity.
John and rapper Eminem performed Eminem's "Stan" at the Grammy Awards in 2001.
John gives his final performance of "The Red Piano" in 2009. The show had been held in Las Vegas since 2004. In 2011, John started another Las Vegas residency, "The Million Dollar Piano."
John holds his son Zachary Jackson Levon in 2011. John and his longtime partner, David Furnish, had the baby through a surrogate. They later welcomed a second son to their family, Elijah Joseph Daniel.
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II shakes hands with John at her Diamond Jubilee Concert in 2012. In 1998, the Queen knighted John for his music and charity work.
John performs at the Diamond Jubilee Concert.
John performs with Ed Sheeran at the 2013 Grammy Awards. They teamed up for Sheeran's song "The A Team."
John and Furnish kiss at the Human Rights Campaign's National Dinner in 2014. They married in December of that year.
John meets with US Secretary of State John Kerry in 2014. The two talked about John's foundation as well as PEPFAR, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.
John, Furnish and their two boys pose for a photo in 2015.
John joins talk-show host James Corden for a a little "carpool karaoke" in 2016.
John attends Vanity Fair's Oscars party in February 2017.
John performs in Victoria, British Columbia, in March 2017.
John and French President Emmanuel Macron arrive to speak to a crowd in Paris in June 2019. John was being honored with France's highest civilian award.
John makes a surprise curtain call appearance in Sydney as he visits the cast of "Billy Elliot: The Musical" in November 2019. John did the music for the production.
John and Taupin hold the Oscars they won for best original song in 2020. They won for "(I'm Gonna) Love Me Again" from the John biopic "Rocketman."
John performs in January 2022 during his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour.
US President Joe Biden, joined by first lady Jill Biden,
presents John with the National Humanities Medal after a concert on the South Lawn of the White House in September 2022. The medal, according to the presentation, was to honor John "for moving our souls with his powerful voice and one of the defining song books of all time. An enduring icon and advocate with absolute courage, who found purpose to challenge convention, shatter stigma and advance the simple truth — that everyone deserves to be treated with dignity and respect."
Fans watch Elton John perform on stage during the Glastonbury Festival in Glastonbury, England on June 25. The artist has said this will be his last ever live show in the UK.
Perhaps most notably, on six nights in August 1970, Elton John was catapulted into the American consciousness with a series of shows that started his US career. Introduced by Neil Diamond to a crowd of industry giants including Linda Ronstadt, Brian Williams, Stephen Stills, and David Crosby, John made a serious impression and received a stellar review by Los Angeles Times' critic Robert Hilburn.
In an interview with the Times, John described the performances saying, "the atmosphere during those nights at the Troubadour was electric. Something inside me just took over. I knew this was my big moment and I really went for it."
An imagining of what the concert must have felt like to those in attendance was recreated in a scene in John's biopic "Rocketman." In the scene, John (played by Taron Egerton) lifts the crowd in a moment of transcendence where everything clicked.
Lenny Bruce
Though known for its role in finding music legends, the Troubadour has also been a home to a myriad of comedy greats. Lenny Bruce performed at the club in the early '60s and his raucous set resulted in his arrest on obscenity charges. His legacy and his contributions to comedy were remembered nearly 30 years later by his family and peers in a tribute event, hosted and televised from the Troubadour.
Bruce became the first of many comedians to perform on that stage. Richard Pryor recorded his debut album there in 1968, and Steve Martin performed at the venue as a relative unknown.
The Troubadour continues to welcome stand-up fans. Sarah Silverman, Zach Galifianakis and Dave Chappelle have all performed sets at the venue. The club's cult status has also made it the perfect spot to host special events for cult TV shows. Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer performed two shows there ahead of the second season of "Broad City" in 2014, and the cast of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" performed their first live rendition of "The Nightman Cometh" in 2009.
Guns N' Roses
Coming out of its heyday in the 1970s, the Troubadour needed to change its tune to keep up with the country's changing musical tastes.
Instead of targeting folk singers and songwriters, the club began to feature the glam rock and metal bands that dominated the 1980s. Metallica made its LA debut at the club in August of 1982 and Warrant in 1984.
Future superstars Guns N' Roses made a name for themselves locally after playing gigs around Los Angeles, including at the fabled Troubadour.
The local buzz got them on the radar of record executive David Geffen, whose label went to see their Troubadour set on June 6, 1986, and signed them soon after to a worldwide deal that made Guns N' Roses a household name.
Harry Styles
The Troubadour continued to keep up with the changing musical landscape through the 1990s and beyond. Pearl Jam played their first show under the name Pearl Jam and Radiohead played their album "OK Computer" for the first time in the US. Korn, System of a Down, Franz Ferdinand and Fiona Apple also all debuted on the Troubadour stage.
In photos: Harry Styles' fashion evolution
Styles performing at NBC's Today show in 2014, wearing a Marc by Marc shirt and accessorized with an Alexander McQueen neckerchief.
Harry Styles auditioning for the seventh series of British talent competition, X Factor, in 2010.
Styles attending BBC Radio's Teen Awards in 2011, in one of his first events as a member of One Direction.
Styles leans into his new-found boy band charm with an open shirt, rolled sleeves and tank top. Here he is performing in New York City in the summer of 2013 after splitting with Swift in January.
The 2015 American Music Awards is one of the first times we see Styles in head-to-toe Gucci. Styles sports the SS16 herbarium printed cotton crêpe Gucci suit with a black shirt, floral brooch and long hair.
Styles wears yet another Gucci suit at the iHeartRadio concert and red carpet in 2017. The star shows himself to be a deft hand at turning strong, vintage-inspired looks.
Styles leaving BBC Radio One after performing in the Live Lounge in 2019. He is wearing a t-shirt he designed with Gucci Creative Director Alessandro Michele.
British Radio DJ Roman Kemp and Harry Styles at the 2020 Brit Awards. Styles wears a canary yellow Marc Jacobs suit with purple tulle tie.
Styles took his love for playing dress-up one step further at his "Harryween" performance at Madison Square Garden in October 2021, when he dressed up as Dorothy from "The Wizard of Oz."
In modern times, the club has become the perfect place to host secret concerts or exclusive shows. Coldplay debuted songs off of their new album "X&Y" at a secret show in 2005, and Billie Eilish played an exclusive with SiriusXM and Pandora for fans of her debut album. Harry Styles made his solo US debut in 2017 at the venue with special guest Stevie Nicks in a show that paid homage to the Troubadour's folk roots.
"At the Troubadour, the percussive piano on 'Woman' began like Elton's 'Bennie and the Jets.' The folky glimmer of his 'Meet Me in the Hallway' shimmered like Bowie's 'Space Oddity,"' wrote Rolling Stone in a review of the concert.
The Troubadour's notoriety has made it an essential stop on the tours of performers big and small, old and new. The coronavirus pandemic forced the club to turn to crowdfunding and public outreach, but it is now back in business, welcoming crowds on Santa Monica Boulevard and adding to its roster of legendary performances.