Once a popular venue in Memphis, Temptations Nightclub recently celebrated its 30th anniversary this past weekend. While Temptations only had a seven-year run that ended in 1992, the impact it made on the community proved to be a lasting one. Being around for over 20 years, Memphis moving company All My Sons Moving & Storage knew of Temptations’ popularity all too well.
Owner Mike Garibaldi, mainly known for his popular Memphis restaurant chain Garibaldi’s Pizza, states that this was his only venture into the nightclub world. Despite the restaurant closing more than two decades ago, it still remains a legend amongst locals.
According to Garibaldi, the club started as “a place as an extension for the restaurant for folks when they came home. It was so they didn’t leave and go somewhere else because they couldn’t get a beverage.” It was the perfect spot for newcomers to feel welcomed and acquainted after moving to Memphis; however, over time it evolved into so much more.
In particular, one employee was responsible for turning the club into the legend that it was – a woman by the name of Dora Wagner, a waitress who had worked in 1960s and 1970s era nightclubs. Upon first meeting her, Garibaldi recalls that, “one day this middle-aged lady comes in walking in with her little bouffant hairdo.”
Despite her older age compared to the Temptations demographic, Wagner immediately became a crowd favorite amongst club regulars. According to Garibaldi, during her interview she told him that, “I want to bring my customers some place where I’m comfortable. I’m not looking for a job. I’m looking for a home.”
The famed club featured dance contests, a lip-syncing stage show, and themed music nights. While the club ultimately ended up closing its doors, it had a long run compared to the average lifespan of a nightclub.