Chitlin' circuit

Chitlin 'Circuit was the name of a series of musical theaters in the south and east of the United States, which granted musicians, comedians and other stage artists of African-American origin during the segregation safe performances. The name goes back to the traditional African-American Soul Food " chitterlings " (pronounced chitlins ), in German: pig colon.

The Chitlin 'Circuit was the career springboard so successful artists such as Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Ray Charles, The Supremes, Ike & Tina Turner, Patti LaBelle, Jimi Hendrix, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Otis Redding, The Isley Brothers, and The Jackson 5, to name just a few examples.

Among the most important clubs of the Chitlin 'Circuit included the Cotton Club in New York City, the Apollo Theater in Harlem, the Victory Grill in Austin, the Howard Theatre in Washington, the Uptown Theatre in Philadelphia, the Royal Theatre in Baltimore and The Fox Theatre in Detroit.