That same year, the original blockbuster Spiderman, Tobey Maguire, approached The Viper Rooms co-owner Darien Feinstein about hosting high-stakes poker games in the basement of the club. Dating back to 1921, it's one of the oldest buildings on The Stripand it didn't start out as a club. #5 of 35 Nightlife in West Hollywood. The Viper Room in West Hollywood to be redeveloped into 12-story building She later remembered that something was wrong that night, something I didnt understand. How River Phoenix's Death Haunted Johnny Depp - TheThings If they could get beer on tap, get way better bands to perform and for the love get rid of the cheesy smoke machine things would be looking up for The Viper Room. Mobsters assaulted her after she refused them a percentage, and she was eventually caught and received twelve months of probation. At the time, his parents and four siblings were entirely dependent on Rivers success. She is passionate about Princess Diana, the Titanic, the Romanovs, and Egypt amongst other things. Even though the actor was transported to the hospital, a paramedic said that he was clinically dead when they arrived at the club. It's been 20 years since River Phoenix died on October 31, 1993 at the Viper Room, where the 23-year-old Oscar nominee drank a "speedball" of heroin and cocaine dissolved into a drink before. The Viper Room, where all Hollywood came to sell their soul Visitors to the club today say yes, and the stories that still emanate from this serpentine structure surely corroborate those claims. In her spare time, Maddy loves playing volleyball, running, walking, and biking, although when she wants to be lazy she loves to read a good thriller. Despite the hullabaloo, the subcommittee's recommendations went unheeded for one very intimidating reason the influence of organized criminals, including Bugsy Siegel and Mickey Cohen. Sadly, when he returned to Los Angeles in late October 1993, he almost immediately went on a massive drug binge. Phoenix collapsed outside of the club in front of his brother and sister, Joaquin and Rain Phoenix;Rainsat onRiver's chest to try and stop his convulsing. From 1951 to 1969, the location was a bar called "The Melody Lounge". Some people speculated in-fighting between gangsters produced the mysterious blaze. Some say Johnny Depp named the place after a Louisiana jazz club, and others say it refers to pot-smoking jazz musicians of that era. The Viper Room has also been the site of some rather unsavory activity it was a place that put sex, drugs, and rock n roll on a pedestal. Zak, Aaron, Billy, and Jay. Given the history of drugs and rock n roll, this is an interesting one to visit. His brother Joaquin recalled having a difficult time grieving, as the paparazzi often harassed the bereaved family. Open today: 4:00 PM - 12:00 AM. a lot of fun, finished up doing a double with another lady absolutely blew my mind!!!!. Since its stellar opening in 1993, the world-famous Viper Room (also known as Johnny Depp's joint) has hosted the likes of Johnny Cash, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Stone Temple Pilots, Bruce Springsteen, Oasis, Queens of The Stone Age, Courtney Love, Natalie Cole, Elvis Costello, Pete Yorn, Lenny Kravitz, Pearl Jam, The Strokes, Weezer, Maroon 5, John Mayer, Iggy Pop and Sheryl Crow, as . Rare Photos Inside Johnny Depp's Viper Room in Los Angeles - Esquire Though nearly three decades have passed since River Phoenixs death, its clear that his memory lives on especially in the hearts of his loved ones. The Viper Room, Upcoming Events in West Hollywood on DoLA Id talk out loud to her, and shed text me a response. The Viper Room - Wikipedia Hollywood's Haunted Viper Room - American Ghost Walks So, what do you think? Horrified, she ran back into the club to get Phoenixs siblings. The Sunset Strip openly snubbed its nose at the early 1930s ban on strip clubs in Los Angeles. But River Phoenixs death cast a dark shadow on The Viper Room which haunts the venue to this day. The new businesses will be joined by a . The Viper Room is also featured in the 2004 documentary Dig! Anthony Fox owned it before it was The Viper Room. Wikimedia CommonsRiver Phoenix and his younger brother Joaquin, pictured in the early 1980s. Joaquin desperately said to the 911 operators: Hes having seizures! Inspired by Harlem's 1920s jazz clubs, the Viper Room is one of Los Angeles' most legendary music venues. I knew the symptoms all too well, for it was not the first time this had happened to me. 373K views, 4.8K likes, 1K loves, 474 comments, 1K shares, Facebook Watch Videos from BuzzFeed Unsolved: This infamous club on Sunset Boulevard has been home to countless famous faces in its nearly. Given the history of drugs and rock 'n roll, this is an interesting one to visit. The "Strip-Capades" represented uninterrupted, risqu marathons five hours in length and seven days per week. Learn more The four guys travel around the globe and go on lockdown from dusk until dawn at various places that we'd never set foot in. By the 1980s, the building had turned into a jazz club called The Central. By the early 90s, the club was close to being closed for good when musician Chuck E. Weiss, who often performed at The Central, encouraged his friend Johnny Depp to buy the building. On the guest list was Australian soap star-turned-singer Jason Donovan, who returned to his hotel room throughout the night to snort lines of cocaine andeventually collapsed with cocaine-induced seizures. "Twenty years after his death, River Phoenix remains as enigmatic and elusive as ever. But perhaps the nail in the coffin remains the fact that trendy bands and A-List celebs grace the club less often these days. In November 1997, Australian rockstar Michael Hutchence of INXS gave his final performance at The Viper Room. I tried to steady myself but my legs buckled under me and I fell to the floor.". Maddy Hiltz is someone who loves all things history. As a mixed use development, 8850 Sunset Boulevard will also house multiple eateries, cafes, retail spaces. Her thesis examined menstrual education in Victorian England. Situated at 8852 Sunset Boulevard on West Hollywood's celebrated Sunset Strip, The Viper Room began life as a humble grocery store before being converted into a nightclub in 1946. These are the guys from all corners of the United States that make up the critically-acclaimed Travel Channel hit, Ghost Adventures. In the 1940s it was converted into a nightclub called the "Cotton Club", entirely unrelated to the Harlem original. But according to the Chicago Tribune, a violent scuffle would put a negative spotlight on the Viper Room on Sept. 29, 1996. Of course, times have changed since the club's height, and events have made for a precarious future. The Viper Room. The original building where the club is currently located is slated to be demolished by 2023, to make way for a replacement club, retail and a five star hotel tower. Since its opening in 1993, the world-famous Viper Room has hosted the likes of Johnny Cash, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Stone Temple Pilots, Bruce Springsteen, Oasis, Queens of The Stone Age, Courtney Love, Natalie Cole, Elvis Costello, Pete Yorn, Lenny Kravitz, Pearl Jam, The Strokes, Weezer, Maroon 5, John Mayer, Iggy Pop and Sheryl Crow, as well as an array of other internationally . Drogas, bailarinas y Johnny Depp: la demolicin de The Viper Room es el In theory, at least, The Viper Room will re-emerge from the rubble.