LA's Trailblazing Founder of the Iconic Nightclub Jewel's Catch One Dies at 86
Thais-Williams, known affectionately in Los Angeles circles as Mama Jewel, opened Jewel's Catch One in 1973 in Arlington Heights on Pico Boulevard near Crenshaw. She operated the nightclub, known as 'the Catch' and 'Studio 5 of the West,' for 42 years as a welcoming space for queer Black and Latino women, as well as the transgender community and gay clubgoers, until its sale in 2015. Thais-Williams' life was captured in the 2018 documentary, Jewel's Catch One, which was distributed by Ava DuVernay's production company, Array. She is remembered as a force in Los Angeles's queer community, and for her impact on those she reached with Jewel's Catch One.
Before opening Catch One, Thais-Williams was working in a grocery store and owned a clothing boutique. 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 wanted to open a venue where everyone was welcome. In a challenging economic period of stagflation in the early 1970s, she saw a nightclub as recession-proof. 'People party and have a good time and drink when they can't afford to do anything else,' said Thais-Williams. 'So I sought out a place to purchase.' In 1972, she bought the building, which previously housed the Diana Ballroom.
As Catch One opened, Thais-Williams inherited the Diana Ballroom's client 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 crowd late at night. The expansive space consisted of two separate dance floors, cocktails from multiple bars, DJ setups, strip shows, card games, and live music. Thais-Williams also opened the short-lived Houston outlet for Catch One in 1982.
In the 1970s and 1980s, laws restricted Thais-Williams's ability to operate and brought increased harassment from law enforcement. At the time, California had legislation that barred women from bartending unless they owned the venue. The Los Angeles Times reports that there was also a legal restriction on same-sex dancing from that era, and there were instances of the Los Angeles Police Department intimidating or arresting bargoers if they were suspected of being homosexual, sometimes entering a building brandishing guns. In the same Times interview, she also stated that Black people could not venture past Wilshire Boulevard without being stopped by members of the LAPD. In an interview with LAist, Lillian Faderman, co-author of the book Gay L.A.: A History of Sexual Outlaws, Power Politics and Lipstick Lesbians, said, 'The LAPD was just merciless in their raids of gay bars.'
The Catch became a disco-fueled magnet for crowds to watch recording artists like Donna Summer, Chaka Khan, Sylvester, Rick James, and Evelyn 'Champagne' King perform. It wasn't uncommon to see legendary recording artists just hanging out, like Ella Fitzgerald, the Weather Girls, Bette Midler, and Whitney Houston. Madonna was also a Jewel's Catch One fan, hosting a release party at the Catch for her 2000 album, Music.
Alongside her work with Catch One, Thais-Williams was a community activist. She recognized the importance of connecting resources to those who needed them most and used the club as a space to host Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. In 1989, Thais-Williams opened Rue's House with her wife, Rue Thais-Williams. The organization provided healthcare and social services to women and children living with HIV and AIDS. She also co-founded the Minority AIDS Project and was a board member of the AIDS Project Los Angeles.
In 2015, Jewel Thais-Williams announced that Jewel's Catch One would close its doors after four decades. The current Catch One venue is not associated with Jewel's Catch One. Thais-Williams is survived by her wife and partner of 40 years, Rue, and siblings Carol Williams, Lula Washington, and Kenneth Williams.
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