Hotels and Music have long had a mutually significant relationship, and maybe no more so than the first ever pop record hit for Elvis Presley who died on this day, 16 August in 1977. The track was Heartbreak Hotel which topped Billboard's Top 100 chart, became his first million-seller, and was the best-selling single of 1956. Heartbreak Hotel was written by Tommy Durden and Mae Boren Axton, based on a newspaper article about the suicide of a man who jumped from a hotel.
Hotel California by the Eagles was released in 1977, as their "interpretation of the high life in Los Angeles", telling a story of a man who checks into a luxury hotel that turns out to be a "place you can never leave". More recently Chris Isaak released Blue Hotel, also the title of his second album, and Chelsea Hotel by Leonard Cohen about the infamous New York Hotel.
Musicians are also synonymous as guests of hotels, from the glamorous to the infamous. Hotels have not only served their functional means, but have also served as a status symbol for many musicians and have often brought significant promotion for hotels. However, often the demands of these guests can leave a hotelier questioning whether the increased pressure on the hotel, staff and other guests was worth it. Riders often extend beyond a larger mini-bar from the questionable to the outright bizarre. Despite this, managed successfully, the music industry brings not only the benefits of hosting the performers and associated promotional opportunities, but often the additional room nights associated with accommodating the audience.
One thing is for sure, there is never a dull moment in the hotel when there is a musician in residence, thankfully though the days of trashing hotels for the fun of it appear to be a thing of the past!
MS
