Pictured Left: Steve Marriott of Humble Pie performing at
The Glow (circa 1981)
Pictured Right: The restaurant circa 1940s
Rebirth of The Golden Glow
From Wedding Receptions to Historic Concert Performances,
the Most Legendary Ballroom North of Detroit Is Grander than Ever
By Robert E. Martin
As with many of our rare 'wonders of the world' in the tri-cities, The Golden
Glow Ballroom is often taken for granted, yet without doubt truly fits this
definition.
Located at 2950 S. Graham Road at the intersection of M-52 and
Swan Creek Roads, The Golden Glow possesses a unique texture of class that
radiates up through the hardwood dance floor and permeates every membrane of
this historic 12,000 square foot facility.
Built in 1925 by Bill & Lenora Golden and operated by their son John
and his wife Libby as a restaurant, in 1929 a ballroom was added and
utilized as a roller skating rink & dance hall.
After Prohibition the Glow was issued Saginaw County's 5th liquor license and
added a massive dance floor & stage, setting the backdrop for its ascendancy as
the most vital & innovative entertainment venue north of Detroit.
Through the 1940s and 1950s, the Goldens embarked upon operating Michigan's most
popular destination for dances & live entertainment, hosting artists like
Little Jimmy Dickens, Nick & the Corn Huskers and polka bands like
Frankie Yankovik & Li'l Wally which would draw over 1,000 people onto the
Glow's dance floor, which today is still one of the largest, well known wood
floor structures in the state.
In 1962 the Golden family sold the venue to Bonnie Firestein - a woman
that established the Glow as one of the Midwest's premier big band &
entertainment venues by booking such burgeoning national acts as The
Supremes, Ike & Tina Turner, Chubby Checker, and Wayne Newton, to
name but a few.
Following this trend into the late sixties and early 1970s, the decade proved to
be a pivotal & volatile one, mirroring the high tides and low ebbs affecting the
nation.
Musically, things could not have been better. Up and coming Michigan
artists like Bob Seger, Ted Nugent, and Alice Cooper filled the
hall with the magic of fresh musical notes that beaded into balls of sweat
dripping from the brows of frenzied & wide-eyed teenagers. Then
unknown acts such as Eric Clapton & Cream gave mid-Michigan teens
a first glimpse at the colored textures of their 'new sound', and the Glow
earned a reputation ranking with the likes of The Grande Ballroom in
Detroit and the Fillmore East & West.
But the 70's also witnessed tough times for the venue, as it was sold to several
proprietors that utilized the facility as simply a hall, since the Glow no
longer had a liquor license.
It was at this juncture that current owner Dan Whaley entered the
picture. As the grandson of local restaurateurs John& Alice Chiesi, who
owned & operated Gable Gardens and also leased the property harboring the
classic Saginaw eatery The Royal Palm, Whaley had his own ideas for The
Glow.
In 1979 Whaley purchased the facility and in 1981 received a liquor license,
becoming one of the state's youngest proprietors at age 23 and continuing the
family tradition by putting the Glow through several renovations.
The 1980s witnessed the Glow prospering under the successful management of
Tim Sullivan and Tom Wood (current proprietors of The Black
Forest) and later by Dan's sisters.
Embracing the concept of maximizing all components and assets of the venue, The
Glow hosted bingos, teen dances, big band jazz, concerts and wedding receptions;
while Whaley, not content to cast his eye upon singular renovation, went on to
develop several properties as restaurants & nightclubs, including The Fordney
Hotel, Old Town Saloon and Jasper's Riverfront Saloon in Old Town
Saginaw, along with Old City Hall in Bay City.
Continuing with the tradition of showcasing top national acts, artists such as
The Romantics filled two nights at the Glow with 700 tickets sold each
night.
Indeed, this writer remembers clearly his first audience with a major rock star,
having the opportunity to conduct an in-depth interview with Steve Marriott
(from Humble Pie and The Small Faces) over a case of Heinekens
sitting un-opened in Marriott's van.
Ah, but that is a tale for another timeŠ
Shining off the Dream -
Redefining the Future
Today, some 80 years after serving its first customer, The Golden Glow's
facilities have again been upgraded, with the Whaley family's 4th Generation
working in its newly opened restaurant & renovated ballroom.
While it continues to flourish as an excellent venue for bridal receptions -
with food, entertainment, a newly added chapel and a newly added patio making it
one of the most affordable and classy places to celebrate matrimonial bliss;
Whaley is poised to open the restaurant for breakfast, lunch & dinner seven
nights a week.
He has also been featuring live local entertainment on Fridays and is eager to
begin showcasing national performers once again.
With his son Garrett Whaley handling day-to-day management duties and
chef Mark Hill at the helm in the kitchen, family matriarch Joan
Whaley can still be seen greeting customers at the door.
Given the fact that stories and people often define the character of a venue,
Garrett firmly embraces the lineage & history of The Glow, which helps advance
its magic.
"The set up of this building really helps distinguish it," explains Garrett.
"We'll have people from the 1940's and 1950's coming in saying they met each
other at polka night fifty years ago, and my Dad has notorious tales from the
1980s about ten-for-one nights that are legendary."
"Basically, what we're trying to do is redefine The Golden Glow for a
whole new generation that doesn't know that much about it," he continues.
"People think we're only a Banquet facility, but in fact we are now a
restaurant, a sports bar, and a live entertainment venue."
With the Restaurant serving from Wednesday through Sunday,
and open for breakfast at 7:00 AM on Saturday & Sunday,
chef Mark Hill has concocted excellent classic fare ranging from fresh
perch dinners to ribs, pasta, chicken, and sirloin steaks. Lunch & Dinner
Take Out menus are also available Wednesday - Friday 11 AM - 9 PM,
Saturday & Sunday, 7 AM - 9 PM, and in the Fall they will be open
Monday & Tuesday from 11 AM - 9 PM.
"Banquets are still our bread & butter, but our new Chef has done an excellent
job revamping the food menu, and it's a kick to watch people enter the building
and open their mouths in awe at how huge & beautiful it looks," notes Garrett.
Additionally, to add more flavor to the mix, every Thursday at 6 PM
the Glow features Bike Night where they do drawings & giveaways and
feature $1.50 bottles of beer and $1.50 burgers.
And on Friday for Happy Hour they feature acoustic entertainment
on the patio and serious free happy hour hors-d'ouerves - not just chips &
salsa, but Barbecue chicken and some incredibly tasty items.
"Essentially, now that we have everything totally remodeled, we're pushing the
variety of what we offer," continues Garrett. "We opened the restaurant about a
year ago, but wanted to get all our procedures down before we made a big push on
developing it. "
"The Wedding Banquets have really taken off as well, since we've added the
Chapel, offer our own DJ services, and can market 'one-stop' wedding packages,"
adds Garrett. "We can offer the same type of event as most so-called high-class
halls at half the cost. It's really an economy of value.
While we're not the least expensive hall out there, but we're definitely the
coolest and have the most character."
When asked what he feels the biggest challenge is in terms of advancing the
goals of the venue, Garrett references the diversity of opportunity it presents.
"There are so many angles that we can cover at once that it can be hard to
coordinate," he smiles.
Finally, in terms of entertainment, one is hard pressed to think of a better
venue to witness a live performance. From the expansive acoustics of
the room to the signature 'half-moon' stage, so far acts such as Sprout
and Jedi Mind Trip have taken to the stage to reclaim the historic
musical tradition of The Glow, and on Friday, August 29th the inimitable
Larry McCray will be claiming the stage.
They often say that the most valuable resources we possess exist right in our
own backyard and all it takes is the embrace of our hearts & minds to discover
them.