On this day in 1942, an unimaginable tragedy occurred in the Bay Village section of Boston, Massachusetts, when the popular Cocoanut Grove Nightclub caught fire and 490 (by some accounts 492) patrons perished within minutes.
The fire happened Saturday night, November 28, 1942, the same day Boston College played Holy Cross at Fenway Park. Boston College was heavily favored. They were a national powerhouse at the time and expected to crush Holy Cross. Instead, Holy Cross stunned BC, 55 to 12 in one of the biggest upsets in BC history.
Because of the humiliating loss, they canceled their planned victory celebration, which was supposed to be held at the Cocoanut Grove nightclub.
The entertainment that night was Mickey Alpert and his Orchestra, Ford “Buck” Washington and John “Bubbles” Sublett, the Frankie Carr Trio, and the Cocoanut Grove Girls (dancers, of whom at least five died). Well-known actor Buck Jones also died as a result of the fire.
Although there are various stories about how the fire started, the truth is unknown and was likely covered up. What contributed to the quick spread was methyl chloride venting from the air conditioning unit.
There was a single-entrance revolving door into the club and that when it jammed, bodies piled up five feet high as victims tried to escape. As well, other doors with which people could have used to escape were locked or bolted shut. The capacity of the nightclub was 460, yet there were approximately 1000 people inside.
After the fire, some victims were found still seated in chairs holding drinks.
This event had an effect on fire codes worldwide. Now, where a revolving door is present, they must be flanked by outward-swinging doors. Doors at establishments must open to the outside, not inward. Independently powered and lighted exit signs must be present at all doors and sprinkler systems must be present.
New techniques and treatments for burn victims were developed, including burn treatments, use of fluids and antibiotics, and better respiratory care. The disaster stimulated the organization of specialized burn care facilities, such as the Shriner’s Burn Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Boston hospitals providing service to victims chose not to charge any of the patients for treatment.
The Boston Licensing Board officially prohibited any club from ever using the name “Cocoanut Grove”.
The last known survivor of the Cocoanut Grove fire, Robert L. Shumway, died at age 101 on June 25, 2025.
Dedication of a Cocoanut Grove Memorial in Boston is scheduled for May 2026.
Popular names in music in 1942 included Glenn Miller, Jimmy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and The Andrews Sisters. House Music would not be heard of for over 40 years.
This 2025 House Music tribute to the Cocoanut Grove occurs 83 years after the tragedy and is intended in the spirit of respect to those who lost their lives. You can donate to the Cocoanut Grove Memorial here: https://www.cocoanutgrove.org/donate
References:
https://www.cocoanutgrove.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocoanu…
https://www.firerescue1.com/fire-chie…
https://mgriblog.org/2022/11/28/how-t…
00:00:00 1 Albuquerque, Anonimat – Like First Time Flight (Shai T Extended Remix)
00:07:48 2 Astral Base – Voyager 2030 (DJ Ruby Remix)
00:15:09 3 Andre Gazolla – Magnetic (Aman Anand ‘Deep Space’ Extended Remix)
00:22:22 4 Dylhen – Thumper (Kamilo Sanclemente & Mauro Aguirre Remix)
00:28:08 5 Erich LH – Humans vs AI (Nicholas Van Orton Remix)
00:34:53 6 Not Demure, Callecat – Recurring Phases (Cary Crank Remix)
00:41:40 7 Pablo Pegar – Unity Flow (Original Mix)
00:47:52 8 Sean Harvey – Ransack (Original Mix)
00:55:08 9 Zuccasam – 84 (Extended Mix)
01:01:15 10 Sean McClellan – Betrayal (Original Mix)
01:06:47 11 Patch Park, The Wash – Ignition (Zuccasam Remix)
01:13:11 12 Dmitry Molosh – Boa
01:20:59 13 Rick Pier O’Neil – Another Side (Ejaz Ahamed Remix)
01:28:07 14 Rod V – Orquidea (Original Mix)
01:35:09 15 Stereo Underground – The Big Blind (Original Mix)
01:40:52 16 Tomas Garcia – Vondel
01:47:25 17 Theus Mago – X-Control (Original Mix)
01:53:06 18 Dmitry Molosh – Eclipse
02:00:26 19 Kasper Koman – Biome (Mike Rish Remix)
02:07:48 20 Luan Pugliesi – Bring It (Original Mix)
02:14:46 21 BRYZ – Raindrops (Original Mix)
02:21:26 22 Kyotto – Finding Estrella (Original Mix)
02:28:04 23 Michael & Levan, Stiven Rivic – Standby (Ewan Rill Remix)
02:34:13 24 M.O.S., Anonimat – Perspective Mind (Original Mix)
02:41:25 25 Phi Phi & Marc Denuit – Pure Air Breathing (Original Mix)
02:48:44 26 Guy Mantzur & Kamilo Sanclemente – The Future is in the Past (Original Mix)
02:55:37 27 Andre Gazolla – Across the Universe (Original Mix)
03:02:19 28 Graziano Raffa – Stacks (Original Mix)
03:08:43 29 Sasha – How To Wear Raybans Well (Original Mix)
