On the heels of being recognized in Qnotes’ last issue as the oldest LGBTQ+ club in the Carolinas, the long-running and popular Scorpio will close at the end of October after 55 years in business. Management and ownership insist it’s only temporary until they find a new location.
For their upcoming final weekend at the Freedom Drive location, the club has big plans.
“A lot of it is celebrating local entertainers and legendary local talents,” says Scorpio General Manager Michael Sharpton.
Scorpio has been a hotspot throughout the south as a leader in drag performance and pageantry dating back to the 1970s.
“We’re going to take a walk down memory lane that weekend, which is also Halloween, so it’ll be one big party and a lot of fun,” he continues. “We encourage all of our patrons, those that have frequented the club in the past and those that have done so more recently, to come out and celebrate. This isn’t goodbye. This is a change in direction and a look towards an exciting future.
“We’re grateful for the outpouring of support we’ve received since the announcement,” Sharpton offers. “We realize the importance of a safe space and a place where people can just go and have fun. We also realize the historical importance of Scorpio, as well. It has a rich history in our community, and over the years has allowed hundreds of thousands of people to enjoy being themselves and being with friends.”
History
In addition to its historic significance in the LGBTQ+ community, the club has played host to a number of historic VIPs over the years, among them music artists like REM, Sylvester, Evelyn “Champagne” King, Fantasia Barrino and Grace Jones, who rode a Scorpio employee’s motorcycle onstage to kick off her performance.
Former Charlotte Mayor Harvey Gantt even made an appearance at the club, during his first run for the office in 1983. In an effort to corral votes from the local LGBTQ+ community, Gantt met with and talked to club patrons at length. By night’s end he was even tripping the light fantastic with a popular drag diva of the day, Toni Lenoir.
After its original opening on South Boulevard in 1968, a few years later the club relocated to a South Tryon location. Founding owners Marian and Okey Tyson would reopen once more, this time on Charlotte’s west side, on a property they owned and in a building they built. The year was 1974.
Years later, the club itself and it’s branding would pass through owners Rick Wilds and Donald O’Shields before John Martin became the most current owner, while the Tyson family maintained ownership of the acreage until 2020. According to public record, the land the building sits on is currently owned by Freedom Drive Investors, LLC.
“I worked at all three of the Scorpio locations,” recalls Carmen Ensminger, a former door person for the club and the owner of the motorcycle Grace Jones rode on stage so many years ago. “It was a great place to work and a business that always made you feel like part of a family.”
For Sharpton, who has spent the last ten years on staff at Scorpio, his fondest memories come from the many people he’s had the opportunity to get to know.
“It’s all about the people I’ve met,” he explains. “I started shortly after Boom Boom [LaTour] left because of health issues she was facing. That was sad, but the opportunity was exciting, and over the years I know I’ve made some forever friendships.”
Today and tomorrow
Martin and Sharpton were made aware of the need to vacate the property the business is located on at 2301 Freedom several months ago, when Freedom Drive Investors indicated they planned to redevelop the nearly three-acre plot of land. Understandably, they were hesitant to go public with the announcement until a new site had been secured.
While a new space has not been established, word leaked out via social media and was picked up by a local television station last week. The club quickly released their own statement over the weekend of October 7, confirming closure at the end of the month and stressing future plans to continue serving patrons in a yet-to-be determined location.
“The growth and development on Charlotte’s west side is a great thing,” says Sharpton. “It’s good to see it happen for the city. But, as much as I hate to say it, we’re being victimized by that growth.
“And the real estate market in Charlotte is very challenging now. We’ve looked at different properties, but so far nothing has worked out as we hoped it would.”
It is unclear whether or not Sharpton or Martin have any specific information as to what will be developed on the Freedom Drive property, but Sharpton indicated he was “not at liberty” to discuss the topic.
Speculation about the new development from long time Charlotte residents has ranged from a new condo or apartment complex, to a multi-use facility that features office space, retail and residential.
“It will be interesting to see what happens,” Sharpton offers. “The area is a floodplain and there have been times during heavy rain the creek has overflowed and flooded the lower parking lot. Hopefully they’ll figure out some way to fix it.”
As mentioned earlier in the story, Scorpio has confirmed that, for the time being, they do not have another location to go to just yet. They are however, hopeful about the future. When asked if they would consider relocating to a Charlotte Metro location, Sharpton confirms the possibility. “It would be great to stay inside Charlotte and on the west side, but nothing is off the table.”
Wherever the club ends up relocating, management has said they intend to take as much of the current interior with them as possible for use at a new location. That includes the sound system, lighting and wrought iron deco style railing used throughout the club and more.
A special Halloween vibe as the club prepares to close
Since the closing announcement was made public, Sharpton says things feel a little different around the building, which has managed to stand the test of time for nearly 50 years now. And that’s despite two relatively major fires that briefly closed the club down for repairs.
“I don’t know what it is exactly,” he offers. “But this building can make so many strange noises sometimes. And lately, especially since the announcement, it seems like it’s increased.
“The other night though, after we had closed, I was standing on the stage where so many of the queens have performed over the years and I got this feeling. This feeling that came over me, that everything was going to be okay.”
The strangest thing, someone has been promoting drag events, male strippers for a girls night out, and most recently , Red Velvet Burlesque shows, all at 2301 Freedom Drive. All of these events have been promoted through Groupon. Today Google lists the current business at 2301 Freedom Drive as “ Red Velvet Burlesque club” and Von Entertainment. That is Ian of January 10 2024. Red velvet has a current groupon offer, see groupon Charlotte