Discover Toronto's history as told through its plaques

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Le Coq d'Or Tavern

Photo and transcription by contributor Wayne Adam - Posted December 2018

Photo by contributor Wayne Adam - Posted December 2018

This 2017 Heritage Toronto plaque can be found at 333 Yonge Street on the east side just south of Gould Street. Here's what it tells us:

Coordinates: 43.657191 -79.381142

Click here for a larger map

The Le Coq d'Or Tavern was one of the most popular rock'n'roll venues in Toronto in the 1950s and 1960s.

Opened in the late 1940s at the heart of the Yonge Street strip, a raucous entertainment district between Queen and Gerrard Streets, the Le Coq d'Or hosted musicians such as Bo Diddley, Solomon Burke, Sam & Dave, and the Cougars, featuring Jay Douglas.

Goldie and the Gingerbreads, the first all-female rock band on a major American record label, also played at the Le Coq d'Or, and Montreal band the Beau-Marks recorded a live album there.

The tavern was known for its long association with Ronnie Hawkins and his band, the Hawks. The group first played the Le Coq d'Or in 1958 and later became regular performers. After separating from Hawkins, the Hawks toured and recorded with Bob Dylan, becoming the Band in the late 1960s.

In 1965, Ronnie Hawkins opened the Hawk's Nest, a teenage dance club above the Le Coq d'Or that featured local acts like Mandala, the Ugly Ducklings, and the Sparrows (later Steppenwolf). Pioneering soul singer, Jackie Shane, and influential English rock band, the Kinks, also played at the Hawk's Nest.

Amid declining attendance at bars and clubs on Yonge Street, the Le Coq d'Or closed in 1976.

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