Serial entrepreneur and jazz promoter Ben Bynum opened the East End Club in 1966 after his Cadillac Club burned to the ground. The club was located on the second floor of the former headquarters of WPEN radio station. The 250-seat auditorium was one of the largest jazz venues in the city.

Bynum told the Philadelphia Tribune:

They used to say that Philly is a dead town entertainment-wise. But today we know entertainers who pass up New York City and other big towns in order to work in Philly. The secret is knowing how to give people what they want at a reasonable price and in an attractive atmosphere with class.”

Chuck Jackson and Nina Simone are among the artists who performed here.