Arts and Entertainment
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Hank LoConti, founder of the Cleveland Agora, dies at 85
The club he opened in 1966 spawned a slew of music venues nationwide, and helped the careers of Bruce Springsteen, Michael Stanley and others
by WKSU's KABIR BHATIA |
Reporter
Kabir Bhatia | | |
 | | The Agora was at 1730 E. 24th Street until a 1984 fire. Now it's at E. 55th and Euclid. Note the faded WHK sign on the east wall. | | Courtesy of Vivian Goodman |
Cleveland Agora founder Hank LoConti died earlier today. The 85-year-old founded the rock club in 1966, eventually spawning a series of music venues throughout the country and shaping the careers of acts ranging from Michael Stanley to Bruce Springsteen. In 2012, the LoConti family donated the Agora to non-profit MidTown Cleveland. The building is intended to be the anchor for neighbor redevelopment at Euclid and E. 55th Street, which will be dubbed “Penn Square”— a nod to its early days as a stop on the Pennsylvania Railroad. Further details of Mr. LoConti’s death are not available. |
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