Pimps at Rockhead's Paradise: The only thing a girl could get "beat" for was being too friendly with another pimp. Pimps might wear pink suits so you had to intimidate or you would be mistaken for gay. Pimping was like the "hit parade," if your woman was better dressed than others and looked like they were being taken care of better than others then your popularity rose up and the others would want to be with the guy whose women looked fabulous. Pimps would park their cars in front of the place and be on the 3rd floor looking sharp and flashing money. Certain women would choose to be with certain guys. That's how the "game" worked. Prostitution was not allowed in Rockheads, but prostitutes could be costumers and socialize as long as they did not try to do business.
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There were a few black addicts, Kenny Jackson, Stanley Best, Freddie Baines. He was scary.
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My Father loved the (boxing) Hilton family and they loved him. They sent flowers when he died Everybody had a "hustle."
The Roberts brothers were white guys from the west end. They were cool with the black guys up to a point. I was also there when Brian Powers took a bad beating on Mountain and St. Antoine from the Roberts brothers. I was the only one who stepped in and told Clifford and Jimmy Roberts to "take that shit where you live" don't bring your shit here. I think there were 3 of them but I only knew 2.
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Hamilton, at left, in the cast of Hair, 1970
Satan's Choice bikers started hanging in Rockheads Paradise for a while, started having sex with the black girls.
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A sailor was beaten in front of the Harlem Paradise on Mountain St. He was black. The guys that did it were from Nova Scotia and did that stuff in Halifax cause lots of American ships docked there and sailors were having sex with the women. They were assholes who brought that shit to Montreal when they came here.I was there, I saw it, it was horrible
The Harlem Paradise presented top notch entertainment {but not of the "hit record" status}. After his show at Expo 67 Otis Redding went there and performed for free with "The Hot Tamales" band. Also great jazz artist's like guitarist Grant Green, pianist Stanley Turrentine, and David "Fat Head" Newman, Ray Charles's sax man.
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On impresario Norm Silver A very kind man who helped young Montreal guys get experience. I worked the spotlight a few times.
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Jimi Hendrix never played the Esquire with King Curtis. He played at a teenage dance hall {no liquor} 217 Laurier. He was with The Isley Brothers.
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Clarification: Another Montreal musical performer bearing the same name of Ken Hamilton, this one of Jamaican origins, thrived on the local on the scene around the same time.
http://coolopolis.blogspot.com/2020/04/late-great-montreal-musician-kenny.html?m=1
