The Cotton Club opened in 1920 in Harlem. The first owner of the Cotton Club was called Jack Johnson, an African-American boxing champion. Owney Madden, a gangster, purchased the club in 1923. Employees were black but customers weren't, they were white. They couldn' t talk or mix. There was a jungle atmosphere and the Club offered 700 seats. Customers drank alcohol and ate Chinese and American food. Jazz musicians such as Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway played jazz music in the club. Singers and dancers also performed in the club. The club was a big success during the Prohibition era.
