Every Wednesday evening, the Apollo Theater in Harlem transforms into a premier destination for entertainment seekers. The catch? There isn’t a famous name lighting up the stage. Instead, it’s Amateur Night, and the crowd gathers, eager to discover the next rising star.
“I know how tough the crowd can be,” Kyle Parks, a 23-year-old singer from Yonkers, New York, told CBS News Sunday Morning. “I know that’s what makes this place legendary, what goes into it.
Parks captivated the audience with his rendition of Sam Cooke’s A Change Is Gonna Come, but unfortunately, not everyone enjoys the same fate. Marion Caffey, who has been a fixture as the producer of Apollo’s legendary Amateur Night, remarked, “They’re brutally honest. And just sometimes just brutal, not necessarily honest!”
Caffey says that Amateur Night holds the record as the most enduring singing contest ever. “Well, The Voice and America’s Got Talent, and American Idol and Star Search,” he explains to Sunday Morning contributor Nancy Giles. “We are the great-grandfather of all of that. This was the blueprint.”
In her show’s segment, Giles reminds us that the Apollo Theater’s motto is “Where stars are born and legends are made” – and it has been the birthplace of many icons, including James Brown, Smokey Robinson, Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder and Lauryn Hill. And if you’ve ever been curious about the ritual of performers rubbing that tree stump, Caffey also explains how the stump was once a tree that stood proudly outside the Lafayette Theater, and people would take leaves from it for good fortune. “And now everyone comes here and rubs the Tree of Hope for good luck.” When Giles asked if it works, Caffey quipped, “Well, I think it’s good luck if you win, and it’s not such good luck if you lose.”
Well, that stump has also propelled the illustrious career of acclaimed artist Dionne Warwick, who rose to fame after her gospel ensemble triumphed on Amateur Night in 1958. What did that victory signify for her? “Well, that we were good enough, first of all,” Warwick said. “And that we won $50!”
Warwick described attending the Apollo as akin to stepping into a classroom offering an intense, hands-on experience in the art of performance. “The old saying is true, it is so true: ‘If you can make it at the Apollo, you can make it anywhere.’ They brought out the very best in you. Every single time I played the Apollo, it got better and better and better. And I mean, I felt like I was at home.”
Despite its popularity, the 1500-seat venue, however, has a less-than-inclusive past. Prior to its transformation into the Apollo, it operated as a burlesque theater exclusively for white patrons. In 1934, with a change in ownership and a new identity, it opened its doors to all. According to music historian Guthrie Ramsey, “It was one of the first to allow Black and white patrons to enjoy the music together. After all, it’s New York City, and the Black community was growing. And so, it was basically a business model decision to allow Black citizens in.”
In fact, Ramsey says that the story of the Apollo is deeply connected to the narrative of America. “It was a representative of anything that was going on in America, you could see the Apollo Theater reflecting that,” he said. “It’s all of our histories. We all have a stake in it.”
In the midst of the civil rights movement, the Apollo Theatre transformed into a sanctuary beyond mere entertainment. Legendary Motown artist Smokey Robinson reflects on how, even amid protests and the struggle for equality—when dining establishments refused to serve them and many hotels barred their entry—the Apollo stood as a haven of safety and community.
“It was a rough time, you know?,” Robinson said. “[The Apollo Theater] was the beacon. It was the Black music staple. It was just, you know, where the Black acts came. Couldn’t play nowhere else!”
Robinson recalls that during his and The Miracles’ inaugural performance at the Apollo, they were incredibly nervous – and as a result, they tanked!
He said they really struggled on stage!
“I was frightened to death to be at the Apollo Theater,” he said. “Had we not had a record out and supposedly be ‘professional’ at that point, that the guy with the hook would have came and took us off the stage, because we were terrible!” he laughed. “We were just amateurs, we were so terrible, until Mr. Schiffman, the guy who owned the Apollo at that time, called Berry Gordy, who was our manager and stuff at that point, and told him he wanted his money back!”
In the years that followed, and as more venues embraced integration, the Apollo faced significant financial challenges, leading to its temporary closures on multiple occasions. “We could have lost the Apollo, but we’re still here,” reflected actress and singer Melba Moore. She reminisced about her childhood spent watching performances at that very theater, and later, she had the honor of taking the stage herself – eventually becoming a guest host on the television adaptation, It’s Showtime at the Apollo, which spotlighted Amateur Night. She emphasizes that the theater is a true gem to be cherished.
On Sunday, December 8th, the Apollo Theater was celebrated with a distinguished Kennedy Center Honor during a ceremony that will be broadcast on Sunday, December 22nd, at 8:30 PM EST on CBS.
This marks a historic moment, the first time an American organization, instead of an individual, has been honored in this way.
“The idea of the Apollo opened up this whole universe, so that everyone could see this is American culture, too,” said Michelle Ebanks, president and CEO of the theater.
“This is the magic of art, the power of art.”
It also marks the beginning of the theater’s 90th season. For Smokey Robinson, the Apollo remains a powerhouse in the entertainment world.
“You know, it’s the beginning. It’s the proving ground. It’s the Apollo!”
