Ronnie had been part of the Hollywood nightlife circuit for years, with a Rolodex of stars and a reputation as the cool girl who knew everybody. In 1965, while hanging out at PJ's nightclub, she became friends with part-owner Elmer Valentine, a former Chicago cop-turned-nightclub operator who had just opened a struggling little disco called the Whisky a Go Go on the Sunset Strip.
Crashing the Boys’ Club
…and Redefining It
Elmer Valentine outside of PJ’s. Photo by Ronnie Haran.
When Ronnie mentioned she was looking for work, Elmer offered her a modest role: assistant publicist at $50 a week. What he didn't know was that he'd just hired a cultural grenade. Within three weeks, Ronnie outshone her supervisor so completely that Valentine did what any smart man in her orbit eventually did: he promoted her to head publicist.
Ronnie rolled up her sleeves and got to work. She commissioned a new Whisky logo to be created, which epitomized the psychedelic, whimsical, free-flowing designs of that era. To attract a larger audience, she pushed to add a kitchen, which would allow them to lower the admission age from 21 to eighteen. She worked to convince the owners and then presented her idea to the City Council, ultimately receiving approval. Most critically, Ronnie lobbied for live music. She brought in The Rascals, hot off the New York scene, then moved on to talent so fresh they still had day jobs. She was a one-woman A&R department before that even existed.
She transformed the Whisky from a disco curiosity into the breeding ground for rock greatness.
It wasn't just about booking bands—it was about igniting a musical revolution.
Under her reign, the Whisky's stage became holy ground. The Byrds. Buffalo Springfield. The Turtles. Love. Van Morrison. Jefferson Airplane. Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention. It was a three-ring circus of greatness, and Ronnie was the behind-the-scenes ringmaster.
In the process, Ronnie likely saved The Doors from oblivion when she popped in on the very night the band had been fired from the London Fog. Watching Jim Morrison on vocals, Ray Manzarek on keyboard, John Densmore on drums, and Robbie Krieger on guitar, she saw charisma, poetry, and fire. She prophetically told her companion, "I just found the American Rolling Stones," and booked them as the Whisky's house band. That night, her gut instinct launched a whole new chapter in rock history.
Below: The Doors performing at the Whisky; photos by Ronnie Haran.
The Doors auditioned on May 9, 1966 and then played its first gig at the Whisky on May 23 along with Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band, and Buffalo Springfield. During their engagement as the Whisky’s "house band, The Doors would go on to play with Love, Them, The Turtles, The Chamber Brothers, just to name a few. The Doors’ last performance at the Whisky was August 23, 1966.
For a short period of time, Revolutionary Comics, Inc. published a comic called Rock ‘n’ Roll Comics. One issue published in 1991 was about The Doors and Ronnie’s role with hiring the band as the Whisky’s house band and getting them into the musicians union was memorialized.
Ronnie did indeed get The Doors into the Musicians Local 47. Below is a contract for The Doors to play at the Hullabaloo Club, for “teen night” at 6230 Sunset Blvd, between Vine and N. Gower Streets for February 12, 1967, with two sets between 9pm and 1am. They would be paid $300 before the second “show.” It was signed by Doors guitarist Robby Krieger and Ronnie Haran. Ronnie is listed as “AGENT.”
Other musicians and bands that Ronnie booked to play at the Whisky included Love, The Leaves, The Byrds, The Turtles, Buffalo Springfield, The Mothers of Invention with Frank Zappa, The Young Rascals, and Moby Grape.
The Leaves with Elmer Valentine at the Whisky.
Photo by Ronnie Haran.
The Byrds with Whisky-a-Go-Go co-owner Elmer Valentine.
Photo by Ronnie Haran.
The band LOVE playing at the Whisky a Go Go.
Photo by Ronnie Haran.
The Young Rascals with the Whisky a Go Go dancers. Band members (L-R): David Brigati, Felix Cavaliere, Gene Cornish, and Dino Danelli.