Jewel’s Catch One: Mama Jewel’s Impact On La’s Queer

Thais-Williams, known passionately in Los Angeles circles as Mama Jewel, opened Jewel’s Catch One in 1973 in Arlington Heights on Pico Boulevard near Crenshaw. She is remembered as a pressure in Los Angeles’s queer community, and for her effect on those she got to with Gem’s Catch One.

Challenges and Restrictions Faced

In the 1970s and 1980s, legislations restricted Thais-Williams’s ability to operate and brought enhanced harassment from law enforcement. The Los Angeles Times reports that there was also a legal limitation on same-sex dance from that period, and there were instances of the Los Angeles Authorities Division frightening or jailing bargoers if they were presumed of being homosexual, occasionally entering a building displaying weapons.

The End of an Era: Catch One Closes

In 2015, Jewel Thais-Williams introduced that Jewel’s Catch One would certainly close its doors after 4 years. The current Catch One place is not associated with Jewel’s Catch One.

Catch One’s Diverse Clientele

As Catch One opened up, Thais-Williams acquired the Diana Ballroom’s customer base, which consisted of a daytime crowd comprised of retired white locals, straight Black blue-collar workers in the after-work hours, and a queer group late in the evening. The large space consisted of two separate dancing floorings, cocktails from several bars, DJ configurations, strip programs, card video games, and live music. Thais-Williams additionally opened up the short-term Houston electrical outlet for Catch One in 1982.

A Vision for Inclusion

Prior to opening up Catch One, Thais-Williams was working in a grocery store and possessed a garments shop. In a 1995 interview with LGBTQ+ series In the Life, she shared that Black patrons experienced hostility and discrimination at Los Angeles queer clubs, and wished to open a place where everybody rated. In a difficult economic period of stagflation in the early 1970s, she saw a club as recession-proof. “Individuals party and have a good time and beverage when they can not afford to do anything else,” stated Thais-Williams. “So I chose a place to acquire.” In 1972, she bought the building, which formerly housed the Diana Ballroom.

Thais-Williams, known passionately in Los Angeles circles as Mom Jewel, opened Jewel’s Catch One in 1973 in Arlington Levels on Pico Blvd near Crenshaw. She is remembered as a pressure in Los Angeles’s queer area, and for her impact on those she reached with Jewel’s Catch One.

In 2015, Gem Thais-Williams revealed that Jewel’s Catch One would close its doors after 4 decades. The existing Catch One venue is not related to Gem’s Catch One. Thais-Williams is survived by her other half and partner of 40 years, Rue, and siblings Carol Williams, Lula Washington, and Kenneth Williams.

Community Activism and Legacy

Alongside her job with Catch One, Thais-Williams was an area activist. In 1989, Thais-Williams opened up Rue’s Residence with her partner, Rue Thais-Williams.

Madonna was additionally a Gem’s Catch One fan, holding a release celebration at the Catch for her 2000 album, Music.

The Catch ended up being a disco-fueled magnet for groups to view recording musicians like Donna Summer, Chaka Khan, Sylvester, Rick James, and Evelyn “Champagne” King carry out. It wasn’t uncommon to see epic recording artists just hanging around, like Ella Fitzgerald, the Climate Girls, Bette Midler, and Whitney Houston. Madonna was also a Gem’s Catch One follower, holding a launch celebration at the Catch for her 2000 album, Songs.