Mame and Mark Wilson are Breathing New Life Into New Jersey's Historical Black-Owned Business Scene
As this year’s Black History Month is only a few days away, I wanted to highlight one of the black-owned businesses that extends its reach across several hospitality industries.
Wilson’s Restaurant & Live Music Lounge not only aims to bring food, beverages, and live entertainment to Hi Nella, NJ, owners Mame and Mark Wilson are also revitalizing a once-vibrant area that was teeming with numerous venues.
What used to be destination frequented by individuals enjoying a night out at places like Dreamland, the Cotton Club, Wilcox’s Café, and Loretta’s Hi-Hat— all destinations where African-Americans would dress up, enjoy fine dining, and dance and sing the night away as A-list musicians performed nearly every night.
From the 1930s to the early 1970s, the strip of clubs along East Evesham Road in Lawnside, NJ was a weekend party mecca, featuring some of the greatest Black entertainers the area has ever seen. Memorable music and dancing were a part of the nightly scene in an area now nothing more than a stretch of road with shopping centers, schools and train stations. But Mame and Mark Wilson are bringing excitement back to an area which once attracted entertainers who drew busloads of tourists from beyond the Tri-State area1.
“When we started learning about this area, we discovered a rich history of African-Americans and of Black musicians and entertainers. We discovered a neighborhood which once meant so much to the Black music world,” said Mame in a press release. “We decided to bring that energy back to this area. We want to bring this type of nightlife back to a community that not only enjoyed it for decades, but helped to ignite a whole world of excitement and entertainment. Prior to all of those places closing, the nightlife arguably overshadowed Philadelphia’s music scene for decades.”
Take long-gone Dreamland club, which used to be located in Lawnside, NJ; it was rich in history with hosting big names like Ella Fitzgerald, Erskine Hawkins, and Sarah Vaughn. Unfortunately after Dreamland’s last owner, Mr. Liberty Hodges (owner of the Whippoorwill Club), failed to secure a loan to rekindle the magic that Dreamland brought to the area, the once lively club was demolished in 1995.
That same desire to rekindle the history of an era-gone-by was finally achieved by Mame and Mark Wilson as they opened their doors to Wilson’s Restaurant & Live Music Lounge just this past December, and has already seen a positive revitalization since they opened.
“We’re operating in an environment which was thriving for the Black community during a substantial portion of the twentieth century,” said Wilson in a press release. “The historical relevance of the area is not lost on us, and while it took a very dark and disheartening turn decades ago, we are hoping we can make a difference and bring back at least a small part of what this stretch of New Jersey was about during its heyday. We have high hopes for our future in Hi-Nella, and so far we’re off to a fantastic start, as we’ve been selling out most weekends since launching in early December.”
Wilson’s Live is open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 6 p.m. to 3:30 a.m., and on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Sundays will also feature a jazz brunch and dancing in the evening. Learn more by visiting http://wilsonslivemusic.com
Article references:
“THE VANISHED ERA OF LAWNSIDE'S DREAMLAND: When Evesham Road Was an East Coast Musical Mecca” by Sandy Levins December 2007 http://historiccamdencounty.com/ccnews126.shtml