Premier Living

Doug Jacobs Leader of the Red Garter Band “Never Gets Tired of It”

What do you call a man who makes a comfortable living plunking his banjo? Who’s on warm and friendly terms with just about everybody? Who has entertained presidents Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Reagan and Bush, and every Michigan governor since Romney? How would you describe a person who’s [sic] greatest joy is seeing a crowd of happy people responding to his music?

Well, you might call him lucky, but his name is Doug Jacobs, leader and guru of The Red Garter Band.

While studying music theory and composition along with business administration is college, Jacobs played banjo for a club—the Red Garter—in his native San Francisco. After graduating, he worked as agent for the club, [helping to open] Red Garter Clubs in New York, New Orleans and Chicago.

“Detroit was the next logical place,” says Jacobs, “but I decided that I wanted to own this club, so I opened the Red Garter Saloon on Library Street, behind Hudson’s in l968. I made a practice of hiring law students for waiters, and today I know just about every judge in the area.”

(Many of you may have seen, or even ridden, the antique American-LeFrance fire truck that Jacobs used to publicize the Red Garter Saloon.)

“We had people lined up around the block for three years, but business fell off as downtown Detroit deteriorated. By the time the club closed in 1974, we were playing so many private parties that we concentrated on that business.”

Jacobs and the band, which ranges in size from three to seven pieces depending on the event, play 320 gigs a year, including weekends at the Westborn Fruit and Flower Markets in Berkely and Dearborn. This last is very important to him.

“I love Westborn because I love playing before the public. I love looking at that sea of happy faces and seeing people dancing in the aisle as they buy vegetables. Most of all, I love all the babies and the little children.

“I’ve always tried to have one job where I could appear before the public. We played on the Star of Detroit for eight years before we were invited to Westborn, in 1992.”

There are other opportunities to delight the public. In June, Jacobs and the band played a concert in Sterling Heights, and the same month they were featured on a float with a calliope background in an Ann Arbor parade.

On July 16, they’ll play a concert at the Southfield Civic Center, and August 3, at the Canton Civic Center. Other gigs during the same month include the Van Patrick Golf Tournament at the Dearborn Country Club, an afternoon on a yacht for one of many corporate parties, several large cocktail parties, and a wedding reception.

A strong advocate of giving back to the community, Jacobs and his group have been the house band for the Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Telethon for 24 years, and for years also did the Police Athletic League (PAL) fund-raiser on the Bob-Lo boats. They also contribute their time to the Goodfellows Breakfast at Cobo Hall each year, and the Goodfellows sing-a-long at the Renaissance Center.

The band’s “everyday” uniform is red jackets, white shirts and black bow ties, but on formal occasions they have been know to don black tie.

Three-hundred twenty jobs a year sounds like all playing and no play, but the band does a lot of “doubles” (two shows a day), and most engagements, such as cocktail parties, are late afternoon or early evening. “So far, we’ve only played as late as 11 p.m. once in 1995,” says Jacobs.

Doubles give Jacobs free time to spend on his 18-foot-boat with his girl friend, Sue, whom he met line dancing two years ago. He lives in a condo on Cass Lake with his adored Pippin, the most pampered Pomeranian in Waterford Township. Married and divorced twice, Jacobs is good friends with both of his ex-wives.

Jacobs gives his mother, now 83, full credit for his career. “When I gave up the clarinet, which I hated, for the banjo, when I was 15, she was the only one who recognized how happy I was, and she encouraged me to stay with it.”

Jacobs insists that music of the 20s, 30s and 40s will always be popular. “It’s upbeat, and people know the words.” He claims that there are at least 800 tunes from which to pick. The band has a repertoire of about 300.

Jacobs and the band are themselves upbeat, and they punctuate the golden oldies with cornball wit and wisdom, cleverly devised to compliment the music.

You’d think he’d get bored plunking his banjo 300+ times a year.

“Never! I’ve never had a bad gig. I never get tired of it. When I’m on the bandstand, I focus on making people happy. I never see so many happy faces anywhere else.”

“It’s incredible that I get to make a living doing this. Sometimes I pinch myself to make sure it’s real.”

Click here to return to the Press Page