Soul Up North - 124 The Summer Issue 2025

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SOUL SPOTLIGHT – BENNY GORDON by Steve Guarnori ....

A detailed piece documenting Benny's career & how Trude Heller assisted him with lots of live bookings at her clubs.

Trude was a person of influence in New York in the 60's and ran 2 night clubs there. The 1st of these she named after herself (it was located @ 9th & 6th Ave in Manhattan). The 2nd was her TRIK club. This was near Times Square @ 49th & Broadway. This corner had a long entertainment history (having earlier been home to the famous Club Zanzibar & then the Turf Restaurant & Bar). Trude Heller took it on in the mid 60's and renamed it the TRIK. It was a few steps from the Brill Building & not much further from 1650 Broadway (the Hit Factory building). So the TRIK was right at the centre of New York's music hub.

Trude booked all sorts of black acts, regular performers there being Benny Gordon & the Soul Brothers (see ad).

Like many NY Jews, Trude relocated to Florida as she got older. She moved to Palm Beach (now home to Trump) and opened yet another club (she again named this Trude Hellers but added Patio on the end). Of course, Benny Gordon was a regular attraction at this club too.

Edited July 18Jul 18 by Roburt