As motorists descend the Atlantic Beach-Morehead City Bridge to arrive on Bogue Banks, green highway signage welcomes occupants of each vehicle to the Town of Atlantic Beach, N.C., which is known principally for two things.
The community is a “Sea Turtle Sanctuary,” and it is the proud “Home of the Atlantic Beach Shaggers Hall of Fame.”
Sea
turtles and shag dancing to the beat of Carolina beach music are both key components
of the Atlantic Beach DNA.
Two of the most vocal cheerleaders for environmental protection and preservation in Atlantic Beach as well as the town’s rich musical culture and heritage are Mayor Danny Navey and Mayor Pro Tem Austin Waters.
When these gentlemen aren’t “on duty” at city hall, you’ll likely find them a few blocks away tending to affairs at Memories Beach Club, which houses the Atlantic Beach Shaggers Hall of Fame.
Navey and Waters are key members of the Memories’ management team who own and operate this popular entertainment venue that is open to the public.
“While everyone who visits Atlantic Beach has a sense of appreciation for sea turtles, some of our guests from ‘Off’ don’t have a clue about the significance of Carolina beach music and shag dancing,” Waters said. “We have an obligation to help educate them.”
“One
visit to Memories to listen to the music and view the hall of fame photographs
and other memorabilia in a casual, comfortable, warm and friendly setting is usually
all it takes for our visitors to catch on,” Waters added. “Dancing is purely optional.
Lots of people come just to enjoy the atmosphere and bask in the nostalgia.”
Memories
is open evenings year-round Wednesday through Saturday. Line dancing is offered
each Thursday evening. DJs spin beach music tunes on Friday and Saturday. (For
this reason, a nominal cover charge applies on Friday and Saturday.)
Adult beverages are available for purchase. The 5,000-square-foot facility in the Atlantic Beach Causeway Shopping Center can accommodate up to 200 patrons.
The Carolina beach music sound evolved from the urban rhythm and blues (R&B) scene in the late 1940s. African-American teenagers originally perfected the bop, and the dance craze migrated to the pavilion dance floors and beach clubs along the coast in North Carolina and South Carolina to be mimicked by white dancers.
Donnie Hinson, one of the ownership partners at Memories, said: “We’re not sure if shag dancing was ‘invented here’ in Atlantic Beach, but it surely was perfected here at the Atlantic Beach Circle, in places like the old Pavilion, the Idle Hour Amusement Center, the Embers Club and the Jolly Knave.”
“It’s important to note that Memories is the only public beach club remaining on the North Carolina coast,” Hinson added. “We’re one of only three active beach clubs in the entire state; the others are in Charlotte and Raleigh.”
Johnny Miller, another Memories’ partner, pointed out the large sign behind the dance floor that tells it like it is: “Memories: Home of Beach, Rhythm & Blues.”
Navey,
who is one of the regular DJs at Memories, is quite proud of the quality of the
dance floor, made of solid white oak, dusted with just the right amount of
cornmeal to ensure optimum sliding for leather-soled shoes, which are the
preferred footwear of shaggers.
The dance floor has an area of 600 square feet, which is plenty of space to accommodate about 30 shag dancing couples at a time.
Navey
said one of the most frequently requested beach songs is “Carolina Girls,” a
mega-hit from 1980, released by General Norman Johnson and the Chairmen of the
Board.
(Flip over that 7-inch, 45 RPM record, and the “B side” contains “Down at the Beach Club.” That’s the tune and lyrics that floated through my brain as I interviewed the four men – Navey, Waters, Hinson and Miller – who are hopelessly devoted to ensuring that beach music never fades away at the Crystal Coast.)
When asked what songs are a sure bet to fill up the dance floor, Navey offered four of his favorites, including “Jerry’s in Love,” a 2010 release by the Chairmen of the Board. Others are: “I Want a Love I Can See” (1963) by The Temptations; “Come Get to This” (1973) by Marvin Gaye; and “How Do You Stop” (1986) by James Brown.
True shag dancers hear the beat; the lyrics are secondary.
Memories clings to its roots, yet anticipates a bright future
“Memories” is the perfect name for this place, said Austin Waters, who has taken on the role of chief historian at the beach club. He said the first attempt to “bring back the memories” of the heyday at the Atlantic Beach Circle occurred in the 1970s.
Over
the years, the forerunner to Memories was known as Purdy’s Beach Club, Ray’s
Beach Club, PJ’s Beach Club and Mary Lou’s Beach Club. In 1997, Mary Lou Willis
sold the club to a group of 13 investors, who transformed the facility into
Memories Beach and Shag Club.
Under the leadership of George Summerlin and Roger “Spider” Kennedy, Memories launched the Atlantic Beach Shaggers Hall of Fame in 1999, with a charter class of 50 inductees who were honored “in appreciation for their contribution to the longevity of shag and for their part in creating a history to be carried forward in the years to come.”
(Each year, new members are enshrined in February during a ceremonial event at the club. Through 2023, total hall of fame membership stands at 258.)
A new group of 12 investors purchased Memories in 2009, and this collection of owners continues to operate Memories today.
“What keeps us going, aside from our personal love for beach music, is the pleasure we see on the faces of the people who come through the door,” he stated. “We are taking them back to a fun time in their lives. Here, your troubles melt away. It’s OK to reminisce and reflect and smile.”
Danny
Navey said the music and the dancing are the catalyst through which Memories’
patrons restore old friendships and make new ones with people who have shared
beliefs and values.
As one of the hard-core hall of famers (now well into his 80s) said recently about shagging: “It’s not just a dance – it is a culture and a way of life.”
While Memories fosters “the beach music lifestyle,” the fact remains: it is a business. Getting the word out and building clientele is a continual challenge, Waters acknowledged.
The basic “product,” as such, is described in the book “Save the Last Dance for Me,” published in 2012 and co-authored by the late Dr. Phil Sawyer and Tom Poland, shagging historians from South Carolina. Here is a bit of what they wrote:
“The shag was the dance (that represented) a memorable time of classic cars, ice cream sodas, rhythm and blues, cold beer and nights afire with love. Many would look back on this golden era as the apex of youth and romance….”
“It was a glamorous and chivalrous time. As evening fell, the lights of open-air pavilions beckoned. As gleaming lines of surf broke outside…couples danced. Neon Wurlitzers and Rock-Olas gobbled change.”
Shagging
was “the leading edge of a pop-culture revolution.”
That’s good stuff. Waters agreed, “but many who experienced that ‘golden era’ don’t realize that Memories Beach Club exists. So, we are reaching out.”
The Memories’ leadership team helped champion the launch of the highly popular Atlantic Beach Music Festival in 2013 as an annual event in May. As a major sponsor, Memories hosts events that complement the festival itself.
To
enhance its marketing, Memories relies heavily on Facebook and radio. Memories
is a long-standing sponsor of “Friday Night Sock Hop with John Moore,” which airs
every Friday evening on WNCT – 107.9 FM.
“Several times a year, we bring in live beach music bands to perform at Memories,” Waters said. The next event on the schedule is from 7 p.m.-12 midnight on Sunday, Sept. 1 (before Labor Day), when “The Mighty Saints of Soul” will be performing. Admission is $10 per person.
A
number of local businesses and organizations support Memories as corporate
sponsors. Their banners are prominently displayed inside the club.
Additionally, the facility is available to rent for private parties and
functions.
Recruiting younger generations of shaggers is a priority, and Navey and Waters are optimistic about the future. “The beach music bands are introducing new music all the time, which keeps us young and vibrant,” Navey said.
“During spring break of 2024, a group of students from North Carolina State University was here every night,” he said. “They had a ball…and we did, too.”
Memories is located at 407 Atlantic Beach Causeway in Atlantic Beach. Call and leave a message at (252) 240-7424. The website is www.memoriesbeachclub.net.
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