Teenbeat Club

The Teenbeat Club was a Paradise, Nevada, nightclub, believed to be the first in the U.S. that catered exclusively to teenagers. The club, located at 4416 Paradise Road, was opened in 1962 by Steve Miller and Keith Austin, both 19 at the time and Las Vegas High School graduates, where they had been members of the 1962 Las Vegas High School Broadcasting Club. The club's marquee was built by Las Vegas neon sign maker Bill Gulbranson. The Teenbeat Club ceased operation in 1968. The original building still stands, now as an adult topless cabaret.

Steve Miller later served as a Las Vegas City Council member from 1987 to 1991, and was inducted by the Nevada Broadcasters Association into the Nevada Broadcasters Hall of Fame in 1998. Keith Austin relocated to Santa Barbara, California, where he continues his career in the recording industry as Executive Producer and Host of the Rock Files.

The club grew out of the weekend dance concerts Miller and Austin promoted starting in 1961, featuring live KLAS Radio broadcasts from the Knights of Columbus Hall and the National Guard Armory in Downtown Las Vegas. The broadcasts featured the Teenbeats (formerly known as the Checkmates), a local, surf music-influenced band. When the Teenbeat Club opened the Teenbeats (alternately spelled "Teen Beats" and "Teen-Beats") were the house band, featuring vocalist and rhythm guitarist Don Frassa, lead guitarist Larry Chernoff, bassist Lyle Smith, drummer Gary Karr, and Jim Logue on tenor sax. Elliot Lieb had played drums for the Checkmates and the Teenbeats prior to Gary Karr joining the group.

In 1961 and 1962, the Teenbeats recorded two 45 RPM records: their first as the "Nevegan's" on the X-P-A-N-D-E-D label (Downey Records), titled "Russian Roulette" b/w "One Armed Bandit" (X-101); and their second as "The Teen-Beats" on Chollie Wright's Las Vegas Strip Records (which was located at 416 W. Bonanza, Las Vegas), titled "Live Like a King" (written by Chernoff) b/w "Mystified" (S-102), featuring Don Frassa on vocals and guitar. A third record, "Surf Bound" b/w "Mr. Moto", was recorded as "The Teenbeats" on Teenbeat Records in 1962.

An LP compilation album of the 1962 KLAS Radio broadcasts, Surf Bound, was released on Norton Records in 1991. The Teenbeats/Teen-Beats/Nevegan's three 45 RPM records' labels are shown on the cover jacket.

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