San Francisco nightclub proprietor Harry Denton dies

San Francisco has lost one of its brightest stars.

Harry Denton, often referred to as the king of San Francisco nightlife as the owner of several nightclubs, died on Saturday at the age of 77 in Washington state, according to an obituary posted online.

Denton grew up in the rural community of Kimberly, Idaho, and dropped out of Idaho University in 1965 to move to the big, bustling city. In 2009, he told Sam Whiting of the San Francisco Chronicle that he first got into the bar industry when he was fired from a clothing store for being drunk and not showing up for work. (SFGATE and the San Francisco Chronicle are both owned by Hearst, but operate independently.)

“My neighbor was Henry Africa (Norman Hobday),” said Denton, who worked at the bar named after his neighbor. “He said, ‘Harry, come work for me and I’ll teach you the cash business.’ After six weeks it clicked. “

Denton’s first business to bear his name was Harry’s Bar in Fillmore in the 1980s, and shortly thereafter he opened Harry Denton’s on Steuart Street.

Harry Denton’s Starlight Room opened to a great roar on the 21st floor of the historic Sir Francis Drake Hotel in 1996 and features a dance floor overlooking Union Square and the glittering lights of downtown.

“We have lost another SF treasure,” wrote Liam Mayclem from KPIX-TV on Instagram. “Harry Denton – he was the shining star of the STARLITE ROOM in San Francisco. A gem, an extraordinary impresario, a member of our LGBTQ family and he was a friend too. I adored Harry as much as so many others. His die last few years have been a challenge, so now he’s at peace and I’m happy about it !! ”

The Starlight Room was renamed and renamed Lizzie’s Starlight in 2019, a nod to the “alleged affair between Sir Francis Drake and Queen Elizabeth I,” Hoodline reported. The venue is temporarily closed, as is the hotel due to the pandemic.