Galaxy 21

walter n myself had our first aparment on ketcham st in front of elmhurst hospital at d time everyone new me as eddie we were together ever since d first day we met walter was irish n i am puerto rican walter was very upset because while djm at g21 george recorded his music with out his knowlegde

A GREAT 2012, and many more.
Thanks for the memories, guys & girls......wen

GEORGE, THE LINK YOU LEFT DOESNT WORK.

Your request for information regarding Galaxy 21 can be found at http://www.georgefreeman.org/history/professional-career/

George Freeman

sorry eric, meant eddie gibbons......... contact me about walter

eric, contact me, i have someone who was very close to walter and has alot of memorabilia as well as memories to share.
rob3740@aol.com
bobby busnach

Hey- guys-back then u knew me as JoAnn Michaels!!!

G21-first floor-enter to banquet entrance-then into large main bar.-- step down to a room with tables-(yes they had candles)then into the DISCO room complete with mirrored ball. and spectacular lite system set up..George Freeman loved using mylar on walls,,the light system in the dance room in green. red, blue etc and crossed over - lites of blue purple orange and white.went in one direciton while the others up and down all around. all reflected off the walls and the mirrors. it was mesmerizing. ..the lite and dj booth were enclosed and at the end of the room. the dj and lite guy alwaya synchronized and when the beat went up the lites went wild--that is until the strobe went on to show the most beautifully dressed and made up patrons-it was NY!
2nd floor-the two bars-the RED room and the BLUE room..are just as they sound. mylar wallpaper and all red carpeting drapes and-LITES-divine-same goes for the BLUE room. Galaxy 21, according to George, was about creating keeping, bringing up and down the customers mood thru the music, that danced off the walls and up thru the 4 floors. customers were taken for the ultimate ride, sure, on the 3rd floow there was a section to the left, gay movies and pool table...no girls went in there---it was private--but the adjacent TENT room-was just as it sounds... large pillow seats drapes, all in camel color..and with PALM trees eveywhere...comfortable isn't the word.. the 4th floor where George's DRAMATIC office was-also contained the SKY Room where George's ingenious idea to cover ceiling and one wall with boards that had tiny tiny holes and put lites behind them-dazzled!!!!!! .there was always a Jazz singer in the Sky room. first show at 1 a.m."here's that rainy day" (I know I worked the phone system outside George's office to keep rooms connected for what they needed, ('red room needs more vodka', and mad call down to a manager etc. ).Even the phone area was built up on a stage, all white with a huge mylar design behind it, lit in blue at nite...during office hours it was business as usual in the inner and outer office. but when the lites went down and the music went up...G21 was the ultimate dance club---1,000 would come in on a Sat nite. lines formed around the block waitng for that 11 pm opening and you'd never know who would walk thru that door..a nite of fantasy fun and music..and a mixed crowd..G21 was eveyone's destination back then, Galaxy and its many friend and investers, such as the late Paul McBroome, made everyone in NY feel at the top of the world.....WHAT MEMORIES. Ray-the p/t DJ-Robert and Brockly at the phones..Joe Tredente and his GRAPHICS that led customers up floor to floor with continuity - even The Village voice sent a reporter to check out the action! when I say G21 was hot-I mean sizzlin'...back then no one was packin'- there WERE no crack heads....sure the crowd was edgy but that was the NY nightclub scene.. same goes for the Cat Club-Nirvana at One TImes Square..Limelight ...Hot Clubs Cool music..Great memories...

Galaxy 21 rocked. up all night on coke, tuinals and liquor while Walter Gibbons freaked us all out as he spun on acid. i

was also a dj and worked with Walter at Downstairs Records for a short time. walter was my favorite dj, over larry levan. kenny carpenter, even nicki siano. first time i heard love is the message mixed with the wizard of oz was one night at galaxy 21 trippin on mescalin. he had the ONLY copy of the remixed love hangover. he'd play the full amon duul la guadelupe! walter didnt give a sh*t if it was danceable, it was about the trip!

i mixed and reedited love sensation and had it pressed at sunshine sound (we all did that) and walter would play it to death. for myself it was all about the music and walter was all about the music. unfortunately walter was never very stable, and he became born again at least once. this interfered with his djing. i went to a couple of his parties at his apartment after but it wasnt the same.

the gallery was huge, first floor at entrance was a long bar, then to the right and up a few steps (?) was the large dancefloor with a great sound system. upstairs was the orgy room with p*rn and mattresses, and the cabaret where gloria gaynor, taana gardner, geraldine hunt... all would play, then there was another lounge with a pool table and stuff. was on 23rd, i think there is a movie theatre now.

it was after hours so id be training it home sunday morning at noon. in new york, hollywood and galaxy 21 were my favorites of all the clubs. its funny now when they have club scenes on tv and in movies. theyre all brightly lit and clear. in the old days you couldnt see in front of you from all the pot and cig smoke, it was pitch black except for the neon lights flashing and was so loud your ears would ring for days. we kept going back. it was all about experiencing the moment to its fullest. that was the 70s...

I regularly paid to party at Galaxy 21 then one evening during Gay Pride week (1975 or 76), Tom Snyder host of NBC's "Tomorrow Show" wanted to cover the gay side of the dance/disco craze. He offered a free pass to anyone willing to be seen on television nation wide (there was a time when people wouldn't).....Gay Pride was just ramping up in 1975. I not only received a free pass but a "lifetime" free pass for myself and 3 guests anytime.....no charge...ZERO.....show the card and drink for free....and boy do the people line up 5 deep at the bars.
The place had a long, narrow dance floor, a low ceiling with twinkle lights. It also had a lounge with booths and tables. Upstair was a "man's bar" with X movies and still further upstair was the "Live Nightclub Lounge" where Juanita Hall performed. Oh what good times where had at this somewhat shortlived club....Crisco's Disco on W.15th Street off 9th Ave....then started to draw the crowds....

I lost all my pictures when i broke up with walter i was piss at walter so i move with his best friend andrea i gave our album to andreas lover maria she took it to jersey n i never heard from her again how i wish i can get those back i met walter in a club in queens someone stole my coat so he offer me his if i had breakfast with him' we went to my friends house over night n after dat we well together for years i will always love him

we just to go there a group from union city n.j isidro,talango,tembleque,elflaco,narrita,superwoman,did a lot of pot tuinols qualuudes and blow what a nights those were ,

I am working on an archive project of this very building - the overlapping histories. Do you have any visual material, tickets, photos, programs...also..the memories are great! thank you.

i went to galaxy 21 once or twice with my under 21 buddies-(back then you could drink at 18+). i seem to remember 5 floors of disco. i was nursing a sloe-gin fizz and marveling at the great music, ambiance and beautiful people!

hi i remenber galaxi21 like i was there yesterday walter use to rented from george on tuesdays and we had wild partys \ the way walter enjoy playing music is something i will never forget i went to phillie with him for the opening of a new club it was great but the galaxi21 was like our home walters trade mark was his farmer pants and he was always happy i will always love him eric.

i would love to give more info on walter gibbons this is for walters nephew eddie from walters x eric hope to hear from you soon

my name is eric i was walter gibbons lover in the 70'sbefore d galaxi21 days i stood by him tru ten percentofsomething hitandrun the love wehadwasspecial iwill always love him

When I was sixteen I started going to Galaxy, it was open Wednesday - Sunday from 11P-7A. After Walter left John Cellini took over as d.j., the bartender's when I went there were Garrett & Eddie. Juanita Fleming sang in the caberet which was on the top floor next to George Freeman's office. I remember going to the record pool downtown with the dj and getting a copy of "Disco Inferno" and he had to sign that he wouldn't play it until Midnight on New Year's Eve. Even though I didn't work there one night they asked me to go over to Cento Vasco restaurant in the Chelsea Hotel to borrow a "real" glass because Barry Manilow was in the house and he didn't like to drink out of a plastic cup. Donna Summer rocked the house! I remember the day the Feds came and closed it down for tax evasion, very sad.

My name is Eddie, DJ Walter Gibbons’ nephew. I never new him, but have recently been looking into my family history. I had no idea he was so influential. If anyone new him personally I’d love to hear any stories, maybe even talk if you’re willing.

hello,
What was the address of Galaxy 21? what is in that location now?
Thanks!

I was a regular and then became a member, thanks to NBC's late night talk show the "Tomorrow Show", hosted by Tom Snyder. He hosted the show from his studio at 30 Rock. with a live feed from Galaxy 21, regarding the 1976 Gay Pride March and the hot new disco Diva...Donna Summer. Tom announced, compliments of NBC, free lifetime membership cards if you showed up at the club and agreed to not hide from the cameras! I never had to pay for a drink, nor admission for my many guests along with their free drinks! Till the place closed years later.
Donna preformed on the ground floor dance floor, to a recorded tape of her follow up to Love to Love You; her Four Seasons of Love album.
And yes I do believe it was Juanita Hall who preformed in the third floor lounge more then a few times.
Gay Rights moved on, as did Galaxy 21, Inferno....on to Crisco's Disco!
Thanks for the great times and memories.

I was a jr in highschool hanging out at G21 ,what an exprience. That was 1974/1975 and the buzz was just gaining full steam for NYC dance clubs. Prior they were few and far between places like, Better Days, the Loft, and then the venues exploded. G21 was amazing you could dance and "whatever" till the very early hours when the doors at the end of the dance floor opened and daylight streamed in. "get on down and party" oh man bring me back!

George,
Is that you?
Amazing after all of there years. Hope that all is well. Remembering the Galaxy Years.
Regards,
Greg

After a series of wild dance parties at the 5th Ave Hotel Grand Ballroom Galaxy 21 was my first NYC club! It was a dazzling episode with a gorgeous mixed crowd. It was out of this world for me. I also remember hearing Ritchie Family's "Arabian Nights", Carol Douglas "Midnight love Affair", yes, those were great times. I too was just a kid, and what introduction to the world of dance. The DJ’s I have met like the late great Walter Gibbons and others truly brought out the sprit of dance! I owned Galaxy 21 and went on to build Experiment-4 NYC, The Monastery Seattle, Skoochie’s Seattle, Club Broadway Seattle, Vortex Seattle, SoundStage Las Vegas, NV, and Phantom Seattle & San Jose CA. I am currently in production with “Cathedral” which we hope to preview by summer of 2007. Thanks to all the dancers, I’ve had the pleasure of dancing with.
George

I was 23 at the time and worked part-time as barback/coat check. It was amazing! All of the energy and fun. Walter did spin there and Ten Percent rocked that place for days!!!. It was intimate with small table with candles and an awesome jazz singer, I want to say Juanita Hall played there. I am glad I found this site, I was a club kid then and I guess now at almost 55, I still am lol
Long live Galaxy 21 and long live DISCO!!!

I thought it was a dream, Galaxy 21 was my first NYC club! It was such a beautiful experience. A warm, beautiful mixed crowd. It was fantastic. I remember hearing Ritchie Family's "Arabian Nights" played there, Carol Douglas "Midnight love Affair", oh my goodness, those were great times. I was just a kid, however what an introduction to the disco world!
I am now a full fledged dance music producer.
Galaxy 21 and great DJ's like Walter Gibbons inspired me to pursue music as a career!
Thanks for sharing your experiences there with me!

I was a member at the Galaxy 21 for several years when Walter Gibbons was the DJ there. This was one of the most beautiful clubs at the time. It had three floors with various interesting rooms to dance or hang out in.

The top floor had pool tables and showed X-rated movies for the gay crowd. I lov'd this place it had great people / and Walter Gibbons was one of the great DJ's of the time. The line dance was very popular at the time and it was amazing to see the masses of people looking great all instep to the music.

When the Galaxy closed I remember two of the owners gave my husband and I free invitations to the new club that they had invested in which was the "Inferno".

Thanks, I have years of great memories.