From 1934 until the present, the Apollo Theatre has been the most important venue for black entertainment in the United States. Located on 125th Street in New York's black Harlem neighborhood, the Apollo is more than just a venue, it is a cultural institution, a place where African Americans have come-of-age professionally, socially, and politically. As Ahmet Ertegun, chairman of Atlantic Records, noted, "[The Apollo] represented getting out of the limitations of being a black entertainer. If you're a black entertainer in Charlotte or Mississippi you have great constraints put upon you. But coming to Harlem and the Apollo—Harlem was an expression of the black spirit in America, it was a haven. The Apollo Theatre stood for the greatest—the castle that you reach when you finally make it."

The changing face of the Apollo—originally built as an Irish music hall, and later the site...