Jack Baird's club always gave talent a shot

If you were a performer in Seattle in the 1960s, Jack Baird wouldn't pay you much — but he'd at least give you a shot at The Colony, then one of the city's hottest nightclubs.

Some notable local acts got their start at the club, including popular folk group The Brothers Four, which went from playing for beer at Mr. Baird's club to selling millions of records worldwide.

"Those many, many weekends at his club were, as we look back, very productive, instructive and wonderful times," recalled Bob Flick, one of the group's founding members, in a recent e-mail to Mr. Baird's family.

Mr. Baird died last Thursday (May 8) in Seattle after a lengthy illness. He was 78.

He took over The Colony in the early 1960s from his friend Norm Bobrow, who had put it on the map by discovering singer Pat Suzuki, who went on to star in the Broadway musical "The Flower Drum Song."

Those who knew Mr. Baird remember him as a hard-nosed businessman who gave undiscovered talent a chance at getting noticed, if not rich.

"He definitely was a bottom-line guy," said his daughter, Mary Ann Baird-Parker. "He'd say 'I'll showcase you,' which meant he wouldn't pay you."

While running the club, located in Seattle's Belltown neighborhood, Mr. Baird gave a shot to a group of University of Washington fraternity brothers who thought they could sing folk songs. He booked them with more experienced acts and eventually The Brothers Four became one of the country's top folk groups with such hits as "Yellow Bird," "Greenfields" and "Green Leaves of Summer."

"At the time, we were a five-member college group and it was our learning laboratory," Flick recalled.

Others who got a start at the club included the Johnny Lewis Trio and comedian George Miller. When stars came to town they often wound up visiting the supper club, described as "cosmopolitan" by reviewers at the time.

After closing The Colony in 1969, Mr. Baird became managing partner of the Kennedy Hotel, a tourist favorite in downtown Seattle for two decades. Stars such as Ginger Rogers and Mickey Rooney often stayed at the hotel while performing at nearby clubs. Mr. Baird and his partners sold the hotel in 1990.

Mr. Baird's attention to detail and a "never-give-up" attitude were keys to his success in business, said his brother, Patrick Baird, who worked for him at The Colony.

Born in Oshkosh, Wis., in 1924, Mr. Baird moved to Seattle as a teenager. He graduated from Seattle Preparatory High School and attended the University of Washington and Seattle University, where he met his future wife, Patricia, who died in 1999.

In 1942, Mr. Baird enlisted in the Marine Corps, serving until 1947. He was among the first U.S. troops to enter Japan after that country's surrender. Even back then, Mr. Baird was something of a night owl. He had enrolled in officer-training school but was kicked out for sleeping in too late, his daughter recalled.

In his later years, Mr. Baird would walk for an hour every evening with his brother Patrick, checking out random Seattle neighborhoods. Until he lost strength in his hands, Mr. Baird volunteered every Friday at the University District Food Bank.

Besides his daughter and brother, Mr. Baird is survived by a son, Jeff; another brother, Jim; a sister, Mary Rae Ford; three grandchildren; and 21 nieces and nephews.

A memorial Rosary will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday in Beck's Funeral Home, 405 Fifth Ave. S., Edmonds. A reception will follow at the home of Jeff and Monica Baird, 20241 88th Ave. W., Edmonds. Remembrances can be made to the Jack and Patricia Baird Endowed Scholarship Fund, Seattle University, 900 Broadway, Seattle WA 98122.

Jim Brunner: 206-515-5628 or jbrunner@seattletimes.com