Don Hill, a key player in the New York nightclub scene, died Thursday. The former manager of the now-defunct East Village Cat Club and Don Hill’s on Greenwich St. was 66.
Tributes ranging from Ramones manager Danny Fields to comedian Murray Hill materialized in the days following Hill’s death.
Fields called Hill one of the “last of the great hosts of that era” and “a gentleman.”
Hill first worked at Kenny’s Castaways after moving to the city from New Jersey at the age of 18. He later moved onto the Cat Club, where bands like Poison and Soundgarden got their starts.
He opened Don Hill’s in 1993, where it flourished as a hotspot for punk bands, hipsters, and socialites alike.
“So many careers started here,” said Murray Hill, who also spoke highly of Don Hill’s respect for artists.
“I am honored and proud to carry on his legacy,” said Nur Khan, co-manager of Don Hill’s.
Former rock figure and close friend Bebe Buel said that Hill was rushed to the hospital in the afternoon and died Thursday evening, though the cause of death is not currently known.
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