Signal Hill in Los Angeles County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Broadcasting and Music on the Hill
Part of the Memory Necklace
A Series of Historical Panels Located in the Hilltop Loop Trail
Photographed by Michael Kindig, November 24, 2016
1. Broadcasting and Music on the Hill Marker
Inscription.
Broadcasting and Music on the Hill. Part of the Memory Necklace. The Hilltop Star Room, also known as the Hilltop Cafe, was once an entertainment icon on “The Hill.” The building, located just in front of this panel, was the old carriage house from the Denni Mansion property, hauled across the street by the Richfield Oil Company (ca. 1921). The structure was modified and expanded to suit its new use, surviving the oil boom and intervening years. The Hilltop Star Room was considered a swank restaurant, featuring live music, a dance floor and the great view across Long Beach to San Pedro. Eventually the club went out of business and the building was demolished., The Hilltop Cafe site, now a pocket park called “Sunset View Park,” is part of a system of parks and walkways found on the hill. The vista point below features the “Suncatcher” art piece, comprising four black columns and a glass mosaic set in concrete pacing that depicts a portion of the solar system. The three outside columns catch the sun to mark the solar equinox and solstice, producing a shadow that strikes the central obelisk., Signal Hill was once home to “The Jazz Knob”, FM 97.9, the first all jazz radio station in the world. Broadcasting from a small two-room outpost at the top of “The Hill” began in 1956 and continued until 1968. Station founder, Al “Sleepy” Stein, a Ph.D. in linguistics, pioneered live radio performances from local jazz clubs “The Lighthouse” and “The Strollers Club.” Upgraded from its original 100 to 79,000 watts, “The Knob” could be heard from San Diego to San Francisco. DJ hosts included famed jazz personalities Johnny Otis, Pat Henry, Howard Lucraft, and Chuck Niles. “The Hill” is still identified with the jazz scene. The transmitter for KKJZ, one of the nations premier jazz stations, broadcasting from Cal State Long Beach, is located here on “The Hill” near where KNOB once broadcast.
The Hilltop Star Room, also known as the Hilltop Cafe, was once an entertainment icon on “The Hill.” The building, located just in front of this panel, was the old carriage house from the Denni Mansion property, hauled across the street by the Richfield Oil Company (ca. 1921). The structure was modified and expanded to suit its new use, surviving the oil boom and intervening years. The Hilltop Star Room was considered a swank restaurant, featuring live music, a dance floor and the great view across Long Beach to San Pedro. Eventually the club went out of business and the building was demolished.
The Hilltop Cafe site, now a pocket park called “Sunset View Park,” is part of a system of parks and walkways found on the hill. The vista point below features the “Suncatcher” art piece, comprising four black columns and a glass mosaic set in concrete pacing that depicts a portion of the solar system. The three outside columns catch the sun to mark the solar equinox and solstice, producing a shadow that strikes the central obelisk.
Signal Hill was once home to “The Jazz Knob”, FM 97.9, the first all jazz radio station in the world. Broadcasting from a small two-room outpost at the top of “The Hill” began in 1956 and continued until 1968. Station founder, Al “Sleepy”
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Stein, a Ph.D. in linguistics, pioneered live radio performances from local jazz clubs “The Lighthouse” and “The Strollers Club.” Upgraded from its original 100 to 79,000 watts, “The Knob” could be heard from San Diego to San Francisco. DJ hosts included famed jazz personalities Johnny Otis, Pat Henry, Howard Lucraft, and Chuck Niles. “The Hill” is still identified with the jazz scene. The transmitter for KKJZ, one of the nations premier jazz stations, broadcasting from Cal State Long Beach, is located here on “The Hill” near where KNOB once broadcast. (Marker Number 6.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Industry & Commerce. A significant historical year for this entry is 1956.
Location. 33° 47.926′ N, 118° 9.817′ W. Marker is in Signal Hill, California, in Los Angeles County. It is on Hill Street, on the left when traveling north. This marker is located in Sunset View Park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 201 Hill Street, Signal Hill CA 90755, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Los Angeles and in the Transverse Ranges. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexicos Alta California.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 15, 2016, by Michael Kindig of Elk Grove, California. This page has been viewed 1,663 times since then and 86 times this year. Photos:1. submitted on December 15, 2016, by Michael Kindig of Elk Grove, California. 2. submitted on December 19, 2016, by Michael Kindig of Elk Grove, California. 3, 4, 5. submitted on December 15, 2016, by Michael Kindig of Elk Grove, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.
