Dream with me for a moment about a Lyon that once pulsated with music. That music once emanated from the Palais d’Hiver. Though silent now its story echoes. The Palais d’Hiver was not just a music hall. It was the largest in Europe from 1963 until its unfortunate destruction in 1988.
Imagine the scene in 1920. The Lamour brothers transformed the old Delange swimming pool into a vibrant ballroom. They named it Le Palais d’Hiver. This name challenged Lyon’s Palais d’Été de Montchat-Monplaisir. Three thousand people crossed its threshold. They came to experience its grand opening.
Its story is tied to the Lamour family. Pierre Lamour and later his son Roger shaped its destiny. The Palais d’Hiver quickly became a popular spot. It boasted an American bar and six hundred tables. Between September and April it could welcome 3000 guests.
The Palais d’Hiver opened an annexe. This private club was named Le Lido. Then came the dark days of 1939. The occupying army requisitioned the Palais. It closed its doors to the public. After the war Roger Lamour took charge. He engaged René Valéry. Valéry was from the Société des Impresarios de France.
Eddie Barclay and others sought new talent. They sent Parisian artists to Lyon. The Palais d’Hiver became a proving ground. Local musicians accompanied these stars. Raoul Bruckert and others provided the beat.
Every day the Palais d’Hiver sold out. Big companies held their annual galas there. The Lyon’s Olympique Lyonnais and Credit Mutuel were among them. The Palais d’Hiver became one of France’s top venues for music and jazz. The Olympia in Paris and the Sporting in Monaco were also top-rated venues.
Disaster struck in 1962. A fire engulfed the Palais d’Hiver. But Roger Lamour was resilient. He rebuilt it even grander. Gilbert Bécaud reopened the Palais in 1963. It became world famous as Europe’s largest music hall.
The Palais d’Hiver faced financial struggles later. Roger Lamour’s health suffered under the strain. In 1976 he tragically took his own life. His son Pierre-Yves Lamour stepped up. But mismanagement led to its decline.
Claude François performed his last concert here in 1978. He had met the mother of his children here. She was a dancer in the house band. Pierre-Yves Lamour died in a car accident in 1981. The Lamour dynasty ended. The Palais d’Hiver closed its doors in 1985.
Despite efforts to save it the Palais d’Hiver was destroyed in 1988. Today an office building stands here. A plaque commemorates the Palais d’Hiver’s existence. It was a legend in Lyon-Villeurbanne. The Palais d’Hiver remains a star. It is a testament to Lyon’s vibrant past. Its story continues to captivate.