Broadcasting and Music on the Hill - Signal Hill, CA - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

The plaque says, "The hilltop star room, also known as the hilltop cafe, was once an entertainment icon on "The Hill." The building, located just in front of this panel, was the old carriage house from the Denni Mansion Property, hauled across the street by the Richfield Oil Company (ca. 1921) the structure was modified and expanded to suit its new use, surviving the oil boom and intervening years. The hilltop star room was considered a swank restaurant, featuring live music, a dance floor and the great view across Long Beach to San Pedro. Eventually the club went out of business, and the building was demolished.

The hilltop cafe site, now a pocket park called "Sunset View Park, " is part of a system of parks and walkways found on the hill. The vista point below features the "Sun catcher" art piece comprising four black columns and a glass mosaic set in concrete paving that depicts a portion of the color system. The three outside columns catch the sun to mark the solar equinox and solstice, producing a shadow that strikes the center obelisk.

Signal Hill was once home to "the Jazz Knob", FM 97.9, the first all jazz radio station in the world. Broadcasting from a small two-room outpost at the top of the "The Hill" began in 1956 and continued until 1968. Station founder, Al "Sleepy" Stein, A Ph.D. in linguistics, pioneered live radio performances from local jazz clubs "The lighthouse" and "The strollers Club." Upgraded from its original 100 to 79,000 watts, Jazz personalities Jonny Otis, Pat Henry, Howard Lucraft, and Chuck Niles. "The Hill" Is still identified with the Jazz scene. The transmitter for KKJZ, one of the nation's premier Jazz stations, broadcasting from Cal State Long Beach, is located here on "The Hill" Near to where KNOB once Broadcast."

Group that erected the marker: N/A Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: Signal Hill, CA URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: Not listed

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Date Logged Log   04/08/2016 bluesnote visited it